A dazzling white cliff of marl shaped like a giant staircase
On the coast west of Agrigento, near Realmonte, a cliff of white marl, a soft limestone rock, descends to the sea in sinuous terraces that look like a giant staircase. Its name, the "Turkish Steps", recalls the raids of the Saracen pirates who, according to tradition, landed in this sheltered bay.
The contrast between the brilliant white of the rock, the blue of the sea and the gold of the surrounding beaches makes it one of the most photographed places in Sicily. The novelist Andrea Camilleri mentioned it in his Montalbano stories. Because of erosion and its fragility, access to the cliff itself is restricted to protect it, but the views from the beaches at its foot remain spectacular.
Tip: the best light is at sunset; reach the area from the beaches of Lido Rossello or Punta Grande. Follow the local rules on access, which change according to the safety of the cliff.
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