The Sicilian beaches you don’t want to miss!
“What do you miss of Sicily? The sound of the sea ”
(Andrea Camilleri)
The intensity that a trip to Sicily can offer is unique, an ideal destination 12 months a year. Mistakenly considered mainly a summer destination, because one automatically thinks that all an island has to offer is the sea, Sicily offers much more than beaches, presenting itself as an excellent compromised example between art, history, culture, sea and food.
Its 1000km of coastline, so different from each other, cannot but help to think of this island as an excellent summer destination or just perfect almost all year round, even when the water is still too cold or the weather is not ideal for bathing.
The surrounding nature makes its marvelous beaches, romantic and poetic, like Scopello or the Isola Bella, or those more particular like La Scala dei Turchi (Turkish Steps) or the black beaches of Linosa.
The selection is limited to 10, although I do feel doing a great wrong to the island seeing the high number of beaches and bays it offers, the book 150+ beaches in Sicily describes a good 150, easy to understand how the selection, personal, must have been arduous.
I am often asked which my favorite ones are.
So I have compiled a ranking of the most beautiful beaches and coves of Sicily completing this selection with advice on where to stay and, in some cases, how to get there, to help you draw up your next vacations in the land of the oranges, pistachio and some of the most suggestive beaches in the world!
To better enjoy the Sicilian beaches the right months are those from June until late September, I could dare to push the season until October if not the early days of November.
Pro and cons of traveling in Sicily
TOP beaches in Sicily
The beaches of Sicily as its sea are so different that it is difficult, and it would also be, unfair to rank them.
Each of the mentioned beaches is different from the other, which is why I have made the decision to list them according to a counterclockwise travel itinerary, leaving the islands to the last.
The ranking does not do them justice but above all, given the variety, it would be difficult to say which one is more beautiful than the other.
I start with Palermo to follow the coast passing through Trapani, Agrigento, Ragusa, Syracuse and Messina.
Mondello – Palermo
This is the most famous beach and once also quite chic of Palermo. In the low season it is a dream, I do not recommend to come here in August when it is too crowded and you cannot enjoy this wonderful little corner that until the end of June can give the best of itself.
It is not uncommon cases when, during the peak of the season, this same beach you see in the picture, becomes instead a cluster of tourists, dirt and chaos.
The photos I took one day in mid-May, is as Mondello appears beyond the two months of the summer crowd.
How to get to Mondello
If you are not boarded directly in Mondello, and if you have a car, I recommend you to stay here rather than in Palermo center, and if you do not have a car, this beach can be reached by bus from Palermo.
The transportation company of Palermo is the AMAT, active lines are the following:
LINEA 806 – POLITEAMA – MONDELLO
LINEA 677 – STADIO – MONDELLO
LINEA 544 – PIAZZALE GIOTTO – MONDELLO
LINEA 603 – STADIO – MONDELLO
LINEA 936 – SFERRACAVALLO – MONDELLO
LINEA 645 – STADIO – PARTANNA
LINEA 615 – STADIO – MARINELLA
To check routes and timetables Timetable and routes
I have therefore selected two options for Palermo, in areas from which it is easy to take the bus to Mondello, and one in Mondello for those who prefer to pay more, but get to the beach on foot.
VILLA FLORA
Double room from €70
Just outside the city center, serves a car, the property is located in a villa in the countryside. Rooms beautiful, elegant and in design, excellent typical breakfast.
B&B LE MUSE
Double room from €70
Beautiful villa in a garden, just outside the city but close to the sea, comfortable and well-furnished rooms, completely renovated structure.
B&B CASA CHINASKI
Double room from €90
Very beautiful house in typical Sicilian style, in a cozy and pleasant environment just 400 meters from the pier in Mondello. Room furnished in delightful taste and details that personalize it.
Book now
Capo Gallo Nature Oriented Reserve
A short distance from the beach of Mondello the reserve of San Gallo can be reached by foot and it is a great alternative to the more easily accessible crowded beach, especially during July and August.
The beaches are small and not very sandy but the sea is crystal and clear. As you continue on your walk, the number of tourists decreases and the place becomes increasingly wild and silent. In this reserve there is also a nudist beach.
A very beautiful reserve for those who want to combine lovely walks in typical Sicilian nature and bathing in clean coves of extremely blue water.
I have therefore selected two options for Palermo, in areas from which it is easy to take the bus to Mondello, and one in Mondello for those who prefer to pay more, but get to the beach on foot.
VILLA FLORA
Double room from €70
Just outside the city center, serves a car, the property is located in a villa in the countryside. Rooms beautiful, elegant and in design, excellent typical breakfast.
B&B LE MUSE
Double room from €70
Beautiful villa in a garden, just outside the city but close to the sea, comfortable and well-furnished rooms, completely renovated structure.
B&B CASA CHINASKI
Double room from €90
Very beautiful house in typical Sicilian style, in a cozy and pleasant environment just 400 meters from the pier in Mondello. Room furnished in delightful taste and details that personalize it.
Book now
How to get to San Gallo Reserve
From Mondello you can walk or. You pay a toll of € 0.50 if you are on foot. The coves and the beaches are within walking distance, the farther you go, the least people you will meet. For your lodgings I recommend staying in Mondello, the reserve is within easy walking distance from the town.
Zingaro Nature Reserve & the Tonnara di Scopello
The Reserve is visited exclusively on foot because nothing must disturb the approximately 40 species of birds that nest in this area, of which Bonelli’s eagle, the buzzard, the peregrine falcon, the kestrel. For those who cannot, or will not, visit the reserve on foot, a valid alternative is to hire a dinghy or to take an excursion with the boats that leave from San Vito Lo Capo, which will also allow you to reach the most beautiful bays, including those that cannot be reached on foot.
Among the most beautiful bays I would like to mention: Cala Tonnarella dell’Uzzo (also the easiest to reach and therefore more crowded), Cala Torre dell’Uzzo, Cala Marinella, Cala Beretta, Cala della Disa, Cala del Varo, Cala della Capreria, Cala Mazzo di Sciacca.
Together with them I add Scopello too, which is near the Reserve, famous for its Faraglioni (steep rock towers) and the tuna fishery.
Download the map of the trails here (by the Zingaro Reserve)
The bases for visiting these two destinations are three: Scopello, Castellammare del Golfo, or San Vito Lo Capo. For the same costs (which in this case are not cheap anyway), I think the choice of sleeping in Scopello is interesting given the opportunity to stay in some house in the neighborhood, or San Vito Lo Capo which is, in turn, located in one of the most beautiful bays of Sicily.
In all cases, a car is required.
BAGLIO BUCCELLATO (scopello)
Double rooms from €60
Excellent structure, with a spectacular garden, large rooms with everything you need. The villa is located in the village of Scopello with easy access to the tuna fishery and the most beautiful beaches.
RESIDENCE LE ZAGARE (Castellammare del Golfo)
Double rooms from €50
Beautiful refurbished building, spacious and well furnished rooms. Homemade breakfast. Castellammare is just 8 kilometers from Scopello.
B&B SELENE
Double rooms from €55
B&B a few steps from the sea but in a quiet and central area. Spacious and well-appointed rooms. Breakfast excellent with fresh local produce. Comfortable structure with large terrace adjacent to the room
Turkish Steps – Agrigento
A unique and beautiful location, a chalky white rock that plunges into the blue sea. The scala (steps) is a cliff formed of marl, sedimentary rock of calcareous and clayey nature, which gives it a very white color. A unique place in the world of an incredible beauty and grandeur.
The name, Scala dei Turchi (Turkish Steps), is referred to the pirate raids, by the Arab population generally called the Turks, who, according to legend, moored their vessels in the waters of the Scala (Steps). Moored in front of the steps, from here they climbed up to plunder the villages.
To reach it, we need to park at the Bay of the Turks Lido and walk down to the beach, after a few hundred meters you will reach the glittering steps.
B&B AL DAMMUSO
Double room from €50
This B&B offers the chance to stay in a Dammuso in the heart of the historical center of Agrigento. The owner is very kind and always helpful.
B&B GARIBALDI 61
Double rooms from €50
Nice B&B within walking distance from the center of Agrigento. Room clean, comfortable and spacious in a beautiful historical building and views of the gulf.
ZABBARA
Two-room from €50
phenomenal B&B, for the cleanliness, the friendliness of the owner and the great location. The room has a decor cared to the last detail.
Portopalo di Capo Passero and Marzamemi
The extreme point of Sicily is located at the island of currents, a short distance away, though, is the beautiful beach of Portopalo Capopassero whose secrets lie a little distance from the main beach.
Just follow the coast to the left, towards the castle that is now a hotel, to find the locals’ beach with a crystalline sea and beautiful coves.
This area is rocky, I recommend wearing rubber shoes to enter the water.
A few kilometers away I recommend not to miss out Marzamemi, the sea is definitely not one of the best but the village has been re-evaluated and is now an alternative corner in an ancient Sicily thanks to the colorful bars that brighten up the streets. It is worth coming here for an aperitif after swimming in the beautiful waters of Portopalo.
B&B TORREFANO (Portopalo)
Double room from €60
This B&B offers the chance to stay in a Dammuso in the heart of the historical center of Agrigento. The owner is very kind and always helpful.
Book now
B&B AL TRAMONTO PORTOPALO
CDouble room from €65
Nice B&B within walking distance from the center of Agrigento. Room clean, comfortable and spacious in a beautiful historical building and views of the gulf.
CASA DEI CARRUBI
Double room from €60
A phenomenal B&B, for the cleanliness, friendliness of the owner and the great location. The room has a décor cared to the last detail.
Isola Bella – Taormina
Taormina does not really represent Sicily, but it highlights the glamorous and elegant side of it, having always been a destination for elite tourism thanks to its charming location and unique historical findings, to name one for all, the Roman Greek theater. It also offers one of the beaches most beautiful among all the rest – IsolaBella.
Uncomfortable because of the sharp rocks Isola Bella is a protected park where you can do great snorkeling and diving today thanks to the work of re-evaluation carried out in recent years.
The thin strip of sand that connects the mainland with the small islet at low tide is the free beach, the coast is instead reserved for private lidos and restaurants. Advisable to wear plastic shoes to enter the water.
For those who want to try another very nice beach, but very very crowded in July and August, then I recommend visiting the nearby Mazzaro, “my beach” and in general, that of the people of Taormina, it is the meeting place for the locals who cannot give up a flawless tan.
Hostel Taormina
Dorm from €25
The only hostel in town. Wonderful location, very near the centrer of Taormina, simple but functional rooms. Dormitory beds from €25. Private double rooms from €80
La Pensione Svizzera
Double room from €120
This guest house tastefully furnished is located about 5 minutes walk from the center, Corso Umberto, and offers a marvelous view of Spisone and Calabria. Double rooms from € 122.
Hotel Soleado
Double room from €95
With swimming pool and located in a residential area of Taormina, 300 meters from the Arco dei Cappuccini, the Soleado is a family-run hotel 600 meters from the historic center and the cable car to the beach.
Isola bella by Gnuckx
Rabbit Island – Lampedusa
It is not only one of the most beautiful beaches of Sicily, but is in the top 10 of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the island of rabbits is amicably called the tropics of Italy.
I do not think that we need explain why, just a photo is enough.
This area of Lampedusa is now a protected park, you park on the road and then begin a walk of about 15 minutes to reach the beach of rabbits, in front of us the island of rabbits and on the left hand instead – laTabaccara, known for the optical phenomenon of flying boats.
Lampedusa is all about the sea and even in this case, unjust of me to mention the most popular, which is why you should read the post Guide to the Pelagie islands, Lampedusa and Linosa to not miss the other coves and beaches of the farthest island of all.
READ – Linosa and Lampedusa – Guide to the Pelagie Islands
Dammusi Blue and Green
Apartments from €55
This property is a 12-minute walk from the beach. Surrounded by a Mediterranean garden, just 200 meters from Cala Creta Bay, the Blue & Green shows off the typical architecture of the island and offers a free shuttle service from/to the port and airport of Lampedusa.
Residence del Sole
Apartments from €75
Located on the island of Lampedusa, 100 meters from the beach of Cala Creta, Residence Del Sole offers a terrace with sun beds and self-catering accommodation. Featuring garden views, all apartments feature modern furnishings and a fully equipped kitchen.
I Dammusi Dell’Imbriacola
Apartments from €70
Located on the island of Lampedusa, just 2 km from the sea, the complex I Dammusi dell’Imbriacola offers free WiFi and holiday homes situated in typical dammusi. All apartments feature an outdoor dining area and one indoor, a private terrace with barbecue facilities and a well-equipped kitchen with oven and stoves.
Cala Rossa – Favignana
Perhaps among all the islands of Sicily, the Egadis are my favorite, the reasons why are many and although I like them all three, also because they are incredibly different amongst themselves, the most beautiful cove with the most incredible water continues to be Cala Rossa , in Favignana.
It is unfair not to mention the sea of Levanzo and Marettimo, which is why I advise to stay at least 3 nights and enjoy some days in the other two islands too.
But having to mention only one cove then my preference goes to Cala Rossa, which is a beauty among the beauties.
READ: The best of the Egadi Islands
Favignana Hotel
Double room from €80
A few minutes walk from the pier, this elegant hotel has refurbished rooms, spacious and furnished with taste located in a strategic position. Great breakfast!
Residence Favignana
Double room from €50
Facility strategically located just outside the village in a quiet and secluded area, equipped with all the amenities to fully enjoy the island. Agreements with restaurants and special prices bike rental.
Tempo di mare
Rooms from €55
Love this place, very close to the main village and right on the sea, location, overviewing Levanzo, is just perfect! Elegant and quiet close to Cala Rossa too! The price is excellent. Can’t ask more than this.
The Faraglioni of Linosa
Linosa is considered the black pearl of the Mediterranean, a volcanic island less known than its antagonist, Lampedusa, but which offers excellent beaches and natural pools for swimming.
The beaches are black, of volcanic rock, my beach, rocky, preferred, is represented by the Faraglioni, that encircle in a crown a piece of sea creating a wonderful place to swim in peace.
WHERE TO STAY IN Linosa
his was a venture, Linosa is tiny and virtually nobody offers online accommodations. Here everything works in the old-fashioned way, or rather by calling the phone or asking once you arrive.
After hours of research, empty calls and interesting acquaintances in Lampedusa, the case wanted me to find accommodations offered by Ms. Anna.
Studios at €30 per night (for more information) www.linosavacanze.it.)
The same prices are offered by Mr Fiorello, who also organizes tours of the island by car or by boat and taxi services. He can be contacted by phone at the following numbers (calls rather than sending messages): +39 3387324866 and +39 3496866849 .
Pollara – Salina
The Sicilian islands offer unrivaled seas, and, unlike the other locations, where the context is sure to make of these beaches excellent venues, in this case we are talking about pure beauty of the sea. A bit like when we think of the Caribbean Sea or the Indian Ocean.
There are no palm trees and coconuts but the islands offer excellent depths and stunning coves. Having to pick one then my preference goes to Pollara, Salina Island, place known for the film Il Postino, thanks to its phenomenal location as an amphitheater on a cliff.
On the north side you can see the Balate, warehouses and shelters built in the tuff on a promontory, while from the beach you see the Perciato, a natural arch, and the faraglione (steep rock), prehistoric volcanic conduit.
The sunset from this beach is one of the most beautiful of the Aeolian Islands.
Aeolian islands on sailing boat and mini-cruises
My advice when it comes to the Aeolian Islands is travel them on a sailing boat, option loved by us locals.
To find a charter, I recommend SailSquare, if you click on this link I will give you €25 on the first booking, if you are not yet registered.
Alternatively, if you have little time, only one day available, I recommend taking part in the mini cruises that are organized from Taormina or Milazzo.
IL GELSO VACANZE
Apartments from €60
Immersed in nature with a terrace overlooking the sea, surrounded by a beautiful garden a few steps from the beach of Scario. Design and elegance just steps from the center.
A’ ALERA B&B
Apartments from €60
B&B renovated and elegant with the crown jewel terrace overlooking the sea, but also Panarea and Stromboli, and a short walk from the center of Malfa and one of the most beautiful beaches in Salina. Nice and spacious rooms.
HOTEL RAVESI
Double room from €90
Very beautiful hotel with an infinity pool that offers a view, and an amazing swim. Beautiful garden by the sea, stylish and well equipped. A great choice to give one a few dreamy days.
Ideas of itinerary in Sicily
Sicily offers many travel options, for those who love trekking, the sea, islands or culture, to food and wine trips.
The itineraries are therefore indicative but, I think, represent quite well the endless travel options that this complex island offers to its visitors.
Eastern Sicily
- 7 day and 6 nights
- Base: Taormina
- Airport: Catania
- Activities: Sea, volcano and culture
Best of Sicily
- 14 days and 13 night
- Base: Taormina, Ragusa, Agrigento, Trapani, Palermo
- Airport: Catania o Palermo
- Activities: Sea, volcano and culture
I travel independently taking mainly public transport. A world trip began in 2011 is not yet finished, my mission is to explore the world and write about it. Travel consultant Galapagos, Argentina, Morocco, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Namibia.
Leave a Reply