Scala Dei Turchi(Stair of the Turks)

Located near the town of Porto Empedocle, Scala dei Turchi – also called Scala dei Turchi Beach and Spiaggia Scala dei Turchi – is a popular and beautiful beach with light brown sand and many rocks and pebbles in southwestern Sicily.  There is a unique natural staircase-shaped white cliff near the beach – this rock formation is made of soft sedimentary rock named white marble, and it is also called Scala dei Turchi. The Conde Nast Traveller and Lonely Planet have listed this beach as one of the best beaches in Sicily.  In 2007, the municipality of Realmonte submitted an application to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization also called UNESCO – for including this beach and the nearby area into the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Scala dei Turchi has lifeguards occasionally during high visitation times. In addition, there are many private beach clubs near the beach, which offer many amenities for a fee, including access to showers and restrooms and rental facilities for sunloungers, beach umbrellas, and water sports equipment.

Scala dei Turchi offers many activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, picnicking, rock climbing, rockhounding, swimming, paddleboarding, boating, surf-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching.  

This beach is ideal for beginner swimmers because the water here is usually calm.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, or paddleboard here, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents – in addition, jellyfish are also known to live here and can inflict powerful stings when disturbed.  The white marlstone cliff near the beach offers some excellent Instagram-worthy pictures – please note that while local beachgoers were allowed to climb up the cliffs here in the past, they are not allowed to do so now.

There is an observation site on the cliff-top area above the beach – this site offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Mediterranean Sea, especially at sunrise and sunset.

La Scala dei Turchi does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Scala dei Turchi is easy – this beach is located along a road named Strada Provinciale 68 and it is easily accessible from a local state highway named Strada Statale 115.  

There are paid parking lots near the beach, along with multiple free street parking spaces.  The paid parking lots here charge around €6 for three hours.  Once you park here, you can walk to the beach through multiple nearby steep stairways and access paths.

We recommend visiting this beach early – especially in summers – because it can get crowded quickly.  In addition, the parking lots here can also get quickly filled up.  Please note that some local beach clubs might try to charge you a fee to walk on the stairways and access paths leading to the beach - please note that these entrances to the beach are public and you don’t need to pay a fee.

The beach and the cliff’s name – Scala dei Turchi – roughly translates to “Stairs of the Turks” or “Turkish Steps” in English.  The beach received its name because it was considered to be a safe harbor for Saracen and Turkish ships during invasions and pirate raids in the Middle Ages.  In addition, Italian writer Andrea Camilleri mentioned Scala dei Turchi in his detective stories featuring the fictional detective Commissario Montalbano – the beach and cliffs near it have also been featured in many movies including the famous Monica Bellucci film Malena and the 2019 Gibran Bazan film Arritmia.

There are many attractions near Scala dei Turchi within a 20-minute-drive.  The Valley of The Temples features ancient Greek temples dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries BC, and it offers an interesting insight into the Classical history of Sicily.  Faro Capo Rossello is a lighthouse built in the mid-19th century and it offers an interesting insight into history and local maritime navigation.  Roman Villa of Durrueli is a historic site that has the remains of an Ancient Roman villa that belonged to a noble family.  This villa has interesting artwork inspired by local mythology and it dates back to the end of the first century.  If you like theater, the Costa Bianca Theater is an amphitheater that hosts a variety of fun plays.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Monterosso Tower – also called Torre di Monterosso – is a historic coastal tower built in the 16th century to defend the Sicilian shoreline from Saracen pirates.  This tower offers an interesting insight into the local history.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Scala dei Turchi.  Lido Scala dei Turchi is a restaurant that is known for serving a variety of excellent dishes including pizza, pasta, salads, and soups – it also offers great views of the Mediterranean Sea.  Lounge Beach Scala dei Turchi is a waterfront restaurant that offers many amazing dishes including French fries, pasta, salad, grilled meat, seafood, and local desserts – it also offers great alcoholic beverages.  Lido Ficodindia is known for serving a variety of great dishes including pasta, seafood, salads, and desserts. Ristobat Acanthus is known for serving excellent seafood and it also offers other dishes including risotto and pasta – it also serves refreshing cocktails.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Il Ritrovo is a pizzeria that offers amazing pizzas, along with a variety of other dishes including salads, meat dishes, pastas, salads, and chicken dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel to stay near the beach, there are many great nearby Scala dei Turchi hotels.  The 4-Star Hotel Villa Romana offers many amenities including a terrace, a bar, multiple restaurants, a pool, cooking classes, a private beach with beach chairs, and complimentary breakfast.  The 4-Star SCALA DEI TURCHI Resort is another upscale hotel that offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a bar, a pool, and a hot tub.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Andrea Case Vacanze L'Ancora that offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a seasonal pool, a bar, a garden, a playground, and bike rental facilities.  Another moderately-priced hotel is the Hotel Riviera Palace which offers many amenities including a pool and a bike rental facility.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, B&B Villa Eleonora offers many amenities including a garden, sitting areas, and complimentary breakfast.