Visit the Scala dei Turchi, a white cliff on the coast of south-west Sicily

Visit Scala dei Turchi

The Scala dei Turchi is a natural rock formation on the south-west coast of Sicily, close to the town of Realmonte and a few kilometres from the famous historic site at Agrigento.

Exploring Scala dei Turchi

Italy This Way review: the Scala dei Turchi is quite an impressive sight but because of problems of parking, access to the cliffs and overcrowding a visit is perhaps not the best use of your time in this part of Sicily.

As you can see from photos, the Scala dei Turchi is a natural white cliff that resembles a giant staircase. It is one of the most interesting coastal sites in Sicily.

To reach the cliffs you can park along the road above the cliffs if there is space (free) or in one of the car parks (not free). From the road you descend the stairs that lead down to the beach. The famous cliffs are a few hundred metres west of here.

The restaurant and snack bar next to the stairs to the beach are not bad value for money given their location, and wll be very welcome after you have walked up and down the stairs!

You can easily photograph the Scala dei Turchi from a distance, but access to the cliffs is dependent on tides, wind conditions and rockfalls and other natural events and might involve clambering across rocks: sometimes it is quite easy and other times almost impossible to reach the cliffs.

The beach near the cliffs is quite attractive and also sandy, so probably more comfortable than a shelf of rock if you are sunbathing!

You have probably discovered the Scala dei Turchi through social media: instagram, snapchat etc. The cliffs and blue sea are a very popular location for "social media influencers" to have their photos taken.

We find this attraction of certain destinations to soial media celebrities is the same in various locations in Europe, but remember that photos seldom tell the whole story, and these locations, as with the Scala dei Turchi, are not always as impressive in reality as you expect!