Sicily is an island with wonderful weather and a large ripe coast, so it only stands to reason that there would be great beaches in Sicily. Wondering which one will suit you best? Perhaps you’re looking for the one closest to your city of choice? We’ll go over the 13 beaches we think will be ideal for you.
Introduction
Beaches in Sicily
The waters and the climate of the Mediterranean make Sicily a perfect place for spending whole lazy days on a beach. If you’d like to have access to equipment rentals, with sun loungers, umbrellas, snorkelling and water sports equipment, then it would be best to stick to beaches near city centres. If you’re heading out into the beaches further away, it may be harder to find any facilities there at all.
For a shorthand, if you’re going to Palermo, we’d recommend San Vito lo Capo Beach or Mondello Beach. If Catania’s your city of choice, then there are plenty of great beaches in the south, near Syracuse and Taormina (like the Isola Bella).
San Vito Lo Capo
A beach near Trapani and Palermo
Firstly, let’s go over the staples. The San Vito lo Capo Beach is the most famous beach in Sicily. It has a great location, very close to the Zingaro Reserve and with beautiful hills around. Combined with the azure water and the wonderful white sand, it ends up one of the prettiest beaches in all of Italy. Be warned, though. As with all ‘famous, popular’ beaches in spots like that, it gets very crowded in the high season. If you’re visiting in summer, try coming here early in the morning to find a spot.
Scala dei Turchi
A beach near Agrigento
This beautiful coastline takes its name, the Stairway of the Turks, from its stair-like shape and from the fact that Turkish pirates used to hide here. The entire length of the cliff has the distinctive white limestone arranged like a massive white staircase. It’s a magical place. At the foot of it, you have some beaches to enjoy in the shadow of the great Scala dei Turchi.
Be warned, however, that at the time of writing this article, Scala dei Turchi, the cliff itself, is closed off. This is due to vandalism and poor maintenance of the cliff leading to slow degradation. You can still visit the beaches around it, you just can’t go directly to the cliff.
Isola Bella
A beach close to Taormina and Catania
The Isola Bella island is located near Taormina. Not only do you have access to all the great attractions of Taormina, but you also have some beautiful beaches here. It’s currently a nature reserve, also referred to as The Pearl of the Ionian Sea. You can either walk to Isola Bella from Taormina or take a train.
Mondello Beach
Beach in Palermo
This time, a beach close to Palermo, the capital of Sicily. You can get here by either hiring a car or taking a bus, like the 806 line. It’s a sandy beach located at the foot of Monte Pellegrino and Monte Gallo. You’ll also find a little palace in the middle of it.
Cefalu beach
Cefalu
The beach next to Cefalu is, in its character, a very Sicilian place. Its townhouses are towering directly over the golden sandy beach. It’s located east of Palermo and you can get here by train or car from the capital.
Cala Rossa (Favignana)
Favignana beach
The next beach is on the island of Favignana, which can be reached by ferry from Trapani. It’s a relatively short journey. The beach is a mixture of white clean sand and a few larger stones. Watch out for the hydrofoils zooming around the beach.
Spiaggia di Bovo Marina
A beach near Agrigento
This time, a less famous Sicilian beach, located near Scala dei Turchi, to the west of Agrigento. It’s very much a beautiful beach, long and sandy, and it’s usually free of crowds. Perfect for when you want to relax after the typical tourist bombardment of San Vito lo Capo.
Spiaggia dei Conigli (Lampedusa)
Beaches on Lampedusa
Lampedusa is the largest island of the Pelagie Islands group – it’s also home to wonderful beaches. You can get here by ferry from Sicily, though, beware if you’re seasick as the journey can take a while. While there, head to the Rabbit Beach located in the southern part of the island.
Spiaggia di Calamosche
A beach close to Syracuse and Catania
Next is a small beach located south of Syracuse, in the Riserva Naturale Orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari. The green hills surrounding the beach make for a beautiful backdrop for your swims.
Macari beach
Beach close to Trapani and Palermo
Another beautiful beach close to Trapani, south of San Vito Lo Capo. Not often besieged by tourists, if you’d like to avoid the crowds. Its surrounding hills add a ton of charm to its wondrous sands.
Spiaggia dell’Arenella
A beach close to Syracuse and Catania
Another popular sandy beach south of Syracuse, in the village of Arenella. Definitely closer to Catania than Calamosche.
Sampieri
Beach close to Ragusa
This time a beach south of Ragusa and Modica. Once you have enough of Ragusa itself, you can drive up here for a relaxing day on the golden sand and the beautiful water.
Lido Burrone (Favignana)
Another Favignana beach
Another one of Favignana’s beaches, this time on the south shore of the island. You’ll find all the equipment and infrastructure you could possibly desire in a beach – equipment rentals, clubs, restaurants and more.
Spiaggia di San Giuliano
Trapani beach
A beach in Trapani itself, close to the centre. Thanks to its proximity to the city, there are plenty of services and adequate infrastructure. You can go surfing or snorkelling here and admire the reef in the surrounding waters.
What to take with you to the beaches in Sicily?
If you’re headed towards a rocky beach, you’ll need some adequate footwear (decent flip flops will be good enough). Apart from that, just the usual – a hat, sunscreen and lots of water. Sicily can be very, very hot, especially in the summer, so, please, do be careful. You can also take towels and some extra clothes, just in case. If your beach of choice doesn’t have equipment rentals or you just want to take your own blankie instead of opting for a sun lounger, then that’s on your list too.
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