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The #1 Must-See Beach in Sicily: Scala Dei Turchi, Turkish Steps Beach

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A natural wonder of the world: Scala Dei Turchi, also known as the Turkish Steps or White Stone beach, bathes in sunlight and is surrounded by seductive blue, turquoise and azure waters and endless pebbly beaches and private, white rocky, seaside nooks along the coast. 

You know when you see one of those dream travel destinations on Instagram and think to yourself—”OMG, where is that?! I have to go there. I want to know where it is!”—well, Scala dei Turchi or the Turkish Steps is one of those locations. Unfortunately, the pictures you see on Instagram and Google are all taken super early in the morning or super late at night in order to avoid the flock of tourists taking over the white rock beach formation during the day. My mom and I had no option, but to explore the rock from 10AM to 12PM during our stay in Agrigento. I was not the best time of day to take pictures, but that didn’t stop us from getting a couple of great shots! First things first, if you are visiting it in the summer the line for parking extends up and down the tall hill. You will see cars lined up for at least a mile on the side of the road with people heading down to the beach and the Scala dei Turchi. The earlier you get there, the better, especially when it comes to parking. In order to reach the Turkish Steps you need to walk down a mountain of stairs. These stairs are not for the faint of heart, so come prepared for a small hike up and down this tall cliff! Once you reach the beach you can start to see the tip of the Scala dei Turchi unveil as you make your way to the West end of the beach. Scala dei Turchi is a white rock formation in the form of steps on the Southern tip of Sicily facing the Mediterranean Sea, hence the name Turkish steps. Arab pirates, also known as Turks, used to anchor their boats here to protect them from the wind while they robbed and pillaged surrounding towns. Today it’s one of nature’s biggest tourist attractions, for better and for worst. The walk up was pretty slippery, so be careful and don’t wear flip flops while walking up this rock. We stopped halfway up to take a couple of pictures of the beautiful contrast of stark white rock against the turquoise water below. For those who are wondering how this rock formation came to be, it was formed by the buildup of minerals over many years. As Plankton shells would accumulate and die, minerals would form above them. The sea eventually smoothed out the minerals creating the natural beauty it is today. Behind the view of the Mediterranean Sea stood this super tall white rock formation. People were so crazy..they even climbed to the top of the rock formations to take pictures! All you could hear was the lifeguard whistling like crazy, telling people to get down from the tip of the rocks immediately. Being afraid of heights, my mother and I definitely did not try to get to the top of those rocks. But we did take a couple of pics with the stark white stone backdrop.


The other end of the rock was packed with people sunbathing, so we chose not to stay there and head back down to the beach were it was windy and less crowded. After an hour of relaxation, we headed back out to our hotel Fontes Episcopi, but not without finding a hidden belvedere! Of course, my mother and I would find this spot. I mean my blog is all about hidden gems and off the beaten path destinations! Not too far from the entrance of the Scala dei Turchi lies this hidden belvedere that overlooks the other side of the Turkish Steps. THIS is where the photography magic happens. From here we can capture the beauty of the sparkling jewel of the Mediterranean Sea. The Turkish steps bathe in sunlight and are surrounded by seductive blue, turquoise and azure waters and endless pebbly beaches and private, rocky, seaside nooks along the coast. Scala dei Turchi is a must visit Instagram famous spot. It is famous among many tourists, which usually deters me, but I need to say that its beauty is unparalleled and truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. My recommendation is to visit during the off season (like anything in Italy). Best times to visit are in September and in May. However, if you do choose to go during the summer months, try and get here before 10AM or after 6PM to watch the sunset with a bottle of wine. Get insider travel tips and lifestyle content on the world’s most exceptional destinations, experiences and products directly to your inbox. Don’t miss out–sign up for travel blog SVADORE on the right hand side. Follow Svadore on Instagram: @Svadore Follow Svadore on Twitter: @SvadoreTravels Follow Svadore on Pinterest: Svadore Follow Svadore on Facebook: Svadore
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  1. Oh wow…it looks amazing. I love Sicily and have been a few times as my husband’s family is from there, but I have never been to this beach! Will definitely have to put it on the list for next visit! 🙂

  2. You had me at beach 😉 Those photos are gorgeous and definitely are drawing me to Italy! I love the recommendation on when to go to have the best experience. I’m all about the off season! Looks like you guys had a great time! Looking forward to seeing more of your documented adventures. 🙂

    1. Thanks Marcus and Mel! If you need any tips on where to stay, what to do, or how to get places, feel free to take a look at my Plan Your Trip page. I’d be happy to help you Plan your trip! 🙂

  3. This is an amazing post. I thought the rock looked so white it looked like snow. How beautiful. I pinned it as well. That looked so beautiful to me.

  4. awesome!!! i would love to go!!! i bookmarked this page in case i ever travel there and would definitely visit!! thanks!!

      1. Dear svadore,
        Apologies for the block capitals. I have tried e v e r y t h i n g to turn them off, to no avail.
        Anyway …
        Do you know ie, did you see, if there were any facilities for BOATERs? Like little piers or MOORING BERTHS? Many thanks

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