Scala dei Turchi
Sicily's white cliff, carved by the wind.
On the southern coast of Sicily, the Scala dei Turchi — the 'Stair of the Turks' — rises from the sea as a brilliant white wall of marl, a soft limestone-clay rock sculpted by wind and water into smooth, rounded terraces that really do resemble a giant staircase. Against the deep blue of the Mediterranean, it is one of the most striking pieces of coastline in Italy.
The name recalls the Saracen and Turkish raiders who, legend says, sheltered beneath the cliff and climbed its natural steps to land. Today the rock is fragile and protected: access onto the marl itself has been restricted to prevent erosion and after years of legal wrangling over its ownership, so the finest views are from the adjacent beaches and the clifftop path.
Come toward the end of the day, when the low sun turns the white rock gold and the crowds thin. The cliff sits an easy drive from Agrigento and its famous Greek temples, making a natural pairing of ancient stone and natural sculpture.
Getting there
Scala dei Turchi is near Realmonte, about 15 minutes by car west of Agrigento and roughly 2 hours from Palermo or Catania. Buses run from Agrigento to Realmonte in season. View the cliff from the neighbouring beaches of Lido Rossello and Punta Grande, or from the clifftop — climbing onto the protected marl is restricted.