A Hotel On Italy's Favignana Island Calls Itself The 'Impossible' Garden For A Stunning Reason

Hop on a ferry heading west from the Sicilian town of Trapani, and your first port of call will be Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands. Rent a bicycle from one of the bike shops greeting you when you step off the boat, and you'll leave behind the stone streets and plazas of the main town towards the main road and its offshoots leading to the bright blue water of the island paradise's beaches like Spiaggia di Lido Burrone and secluded coves deserving a visit, like Cala Rossa.

Most people only visit the butterfly-shaped island of Favignana for a day, but there are dozens of hotels and campsites where many people choose to stay even longer in this bike-friendly paradise. However, there is only one hotel that can get you insider access to one of the island's hidden gems — Il Giardino dell'Impossibile, a.k.a. The Impossible Garden.

Located entirely inside an ancient limestone quarry, this four-acre botanical garden was a decades-long project by the property owners. There are over 500 plant species from all around the world that have been brought together to create this magical and unexpected wonderland.

It was the mission of the gardens' creator Maria Gabriella Campo to rehabilitate the once-neglected quarry and transform it into something beautiful while showing off her botanical chops. She even named the garden after what many naysayers told her the project would be — impossible. But what's even more impressive than the incredible collection of botanicals that include humongous lotus flowers and many species of palms are the meticulously manicured grounds that wind through the human-carved archways and staircases of the old quarry. The meandering path unveils beautiful groves and art galleries tucked into caves.

The gardens are open between April 1 and November 2, and you'll have 90 minutes to roam around and enjoy the space with an audio guide that you access on your own device via QR code. It gives both historical background on the lives of miners working in the quarries and information about the plants and the balanced ecosystem of the garden. If you prefer an in-person guide, contact the garden directly and reserve your tickets in advance.

Guests of the on-site hotel Villa Margherita are free to roam the gardens whenever they please, even after visiting hours have ended. There are three levels of private rooms, each of which comes with a small kitchenette and sometimes a personal terrace. Plus, you'll also have access to the pool and glamorous outdoor reception area, and bikes are available to rent, which is useful for getting around the island.

A stay at Villa Margherita is the best way to guarantee that you'll have as much time in the island's lush Mediterranean garden paradise as you need, but there is far more to see on Favignana beyond this magical quarry. You can spend your days cycling to various beaches, scoping out new restaurants, or hiking to the highest point of the island, Castello di Santa Caterina. There are many beautiful swimming spots, but if the gardens have given you a taste of discovering more quarries, check out Spiaggia Bue Marino, where you can see the place where the limestone was boarded onto boats to be sold on the mainland.

There's plenty of shopping and people-watching to find in the main port town, where you can also visit the historic tuna canning factory turned history museum — another big industry on the island before tourism began. The western side of the island feels more sparse and wild than the eastern side, with dramatic coves like the charming Pura Vida at the rocky Cala Rotonda — one of Favignana's many seafront bars and beaches — that serves up delightful granita, a typical Sicilian shaved ice treat, and a beautiful natural arch formation. Cibo Chiacchiere e Vino is the place to be to experience the island's sunset. This completely open-air bar and restaurant seems to sprawl across a wild landscape, giving diners front-row seats to the sun setting on an unobstructed horizon.