Ever since a little HBO Max show called The White Lotus filmed its second season in Sicily, beach lovers have been clamouring to claim their patch of sand (or pebbles) and who can blame them? Italy’s biggest island is getting all the attention it deserves and with around 1000km of sparkling coastline and sun-worshipping weather, our team at OB真人视讯 thought it was about time we showed you around Sicily's best beaches.
While tempting, don’t feel you need to join the summer hoards—Sicily experiences pleasant sea temperatures as early as April right through to late November, so consider travelling then and it’ll be just you, the sea, and a spritz. Whenever you choose to visit, here are the best beaches in Sicily.
San Vito Lo Capo
was a place of pilgrimage in the 14th century thanks to its chapel dedicated to San Vito, which is open to visitors, alongside a museum. This pocket of bliss is located on the far north-western peninsula, around 90 minutes from Palermo, and is 3km of white sand and crystal-clear water—so much so, it’s nabbed the Blue Flag award many times (meaning it meets the Foundation for Environmental Education’s criteria for clean water and facilities).
Towering the coastline is Monte Monaco where you’ll find multiple hiking trails to the top (marked with wooden crosses) and of course, uninterrupted sea views. San Vito is known for excellent sailing and scuba diving, and stand-up paddleboarding which are all on offer, alongside the beach clubs touting lounges and umbrellas for day hire (pre-booking is available and recommended in the summer).
There’s a spiaggia libera (free beach) but you’ll have to be really OK with rubbing beach towels next to strangers. The lighthouse you can see from the beach was built in 1854 (before Sicily became the Sicily we know today) and although still a functioning lighthouse, visitors are welcome.
Mondello
Image credit: Modello |
A 30-minute bus ride (in theory) from the chaos of Palermo is , a spectacular 1.5km stretch of sand nestled against cliffs and, of course, the hard-to-ignore 700m-high Monte Pellegrino which you’ll be up close and personal to if you fly into Palermo airport.
Originally neglected marshlands, then a thriving fishing village, Mondello has well and truly grown up and now boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant. But in that charming way Italians do so well, the village vibe is still present with much of the town buzz still centred around the piazza. You’ll find locals swapping news of the day and chatting with fishermen about the day’s catch, and tourists sipping on spritz and downing said catch.
The beach is lifeguard patrolled and, like many Sicilian beaches, so clear you’ll see the fish you’re sharing the water with (these are the non-bitey kind). There are many beach clubs touting much the same offering, but we’d recommend picking one with a food service instead of going in search of lunch. The free beach is deceptively large and largely dominated by local teenagers and families. Don’t skip a visit to Capo Gallo, a nature reserve on the north side where you can go for a leisurely morning walk or go kayaking before cooling off in the sea.
Isola Bella
Also known as the Pearl of the Ionian Sea, (beautiful island) is a small islet on Sicily’s west coast at the foot of buzzing Taormina. Take the cable car (direction Mazzarò) down from town or walk down the winding cliffside stairs from the Belvedere di Via Pirandello.
Isola Bella was sold to British botanist Lady Florence Trevelyan in 1890 so it is in part thanks to her this piece of paradise is filled with rare plants and lush greenery found today. The island was bought and sold many times after her passing before the municipality eventually bought it in 1990; eight years later it was declared a protected nature reserve.
Apart from soaking up the sun, there’s plenty of adventure to be had here: keen snorkellers should take a boat trip to the marine park where you’ll be rewarded with grottos and thriving sea life or end your beach day with an aperitivo on a boat at sunset. This pebbly jewel also made an appearance in the second season of The White Lotus so delay your visit from September onwards if you can—it’s still swimming weather, but the crowds will have (mostly) dissipated.
Tonnara di Scopello
Image credit: Tonnara di Scopello |
Translating as ‘tuna fishery of Scopello’, its name may not pack the same punch as Isola Bella, but when you see this dreamy little cove in person you’ll forget was anything other than a sublime swimming spot.
Just a 45-minute drive from Palermo, and inside the , the beauty here is astounding—a series of 16-18-metre-tall rock towers, or faraglioni, stretch out of the water to the sky and mirror the old watchtowers on the nearby cliff.
Much of the tonnara has been transformed into a boutique hotel, but you can still access the public beach by paying a €15 entry fee (whether you sit and stay for the day, or just visit to snap some photos, everyone is required to pay the fee). The fee includes access to the tonnara, a deckchair, and bar.
There’s also a museum which illustrates its tuna fishery past. Boat excursions out to the nature reserve and the faraglioni depart from the port of Castellammare del Golfo and sail through Cala Bianca, Cala Rossa and Guidaloca Bay before reaching Scopello. Horse riding treks through the nature reserve can also be organised.
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Cefalù Beach
Image credit: Anastasiia Rozumna | Website
The White Lotus second season beach scenes were filmed on spiaggia di Cefalù (), but we can’t blame the summer crowds on the popularity of the show—Cefalù’s long, golden stretch of sand, dramatic cliffs and lively piazzas have never been secret.
The town itself is as pretty as a postcard: boutique shops, gelaterias, and restaurants line the medieval cobblestoned streets which all spill out to the beach promenade; it’s an incredibly pedestrian-friendly place (mercifully, the streets are too narrow to fit most cars). Given its popularity, Cefalù’s charm somehow remains intact, and it isn’t as overdeveloped as you’d think—the laidback vibe will remind you of an Aussie beach (except for the water temperature).
This is one place you can bypass the beach clubs, lay your towel down on the free beach and head straight across the road for takeaway drinks and snacks when the mood strikes. Don’t leave without visiting the Norman cathedral and head to the top of La Rocca (the rock) for Instagrammable views of the beach and town.
Punta Secca
About 1.5 hours from Catania, along the southeast coast, is the pretty hamlet of , otherwise known as Inspector Montalbano’s beach. Fans of the TV show will know the detective’s morning rituals include taking a dip in the sea (right outside his front door) and contemplative walks on the 6km golden sand beach.
Before it was one of the most visited filming locations in Sicily, Punta Secca was a fishing village with a lighthouse at its centre, and bar the summer months, it still has a quiet village vibe with a population of just over 220.
The beachfront is easily accessible—no flights of stairs or cliffs to meander—and the free beach area is huge. Its crystal turquoise waters make this a great snorkelling spot, but the beach is best known for kite or windsurfing. For a low-key, lazy beach holiday (outside the busy summer months), Punta Secca is the patch.
Rabbit Beach
Image credit: Rabbit Beach |
Closer to the coast of North Africa than Italy's mainland, (spiaggia dei conigli) is located on Lampedusa, part of the Pelagie Islands, and inside a marine reserve—it’s remoteness and difficulty in reaching all work in your favour if you’d like a side of tranquillity with your beach time.
Facing an island of the same name, Rabbit Beach was voted the best beach in the world by TripAdvisor uses in 2014 but you won’t find any rabbits here (the name is down to an Arabic/English mistranslation that stuck), instead, it’s a nesting place for loggerhead turtles and therefore a protected nature reserve with rules. Access is free, but there’s a morning shift and afternoon shift and only one booking per day is allocated; a maximum number of 550 people per shift are permitted (book online).
The beach doesn’t have any facilities: no cafes, no toilets, no sunbeds, so alongside your must-have beach shoes (she’s rocky), you’ll have to BYO or buy everything you need on the street before walking down the hill to the beach (about 20 minutes).
To reach Lampedusa head to Porto Empedocle (near Agrigento) where you’ll need to take a four-hour hydrofoil, and to reach the island from Lampedusa town you’ll have to take a bus (or negotiate a boat ride with a local fishermen). With a sea resembling the Caribbean with its impossible turquoise water and fine white sand, Rabbit Beach takes commitment to reach but oh so worth it.
Black Sands Beach
Any ‘best beaches in Sicily’ list is incomplete without including one from the Aeolian Islands, and the UNESCO-listed Vulcano Island’s Sabbie Nere, or , is our pick. Set in the Baia di Ponente (Western Bay), 1km-long Sabbie Nere isn’t Italy’s only black sand beach but it’s one of the safest.
Unlike Stromboli, the volcanos here are technically active but dormant (the last eruption was 1890), so you can frolic freely knowing your beach time won’t be cut short by an impending volcanic interruption. And given you’re surrounded by volcanos, the smell of sulphur is just something you’ll get used to.
The water is turquoise blue and clear and set against the black of the sand and untamed rocky landscape, it’s a magical sight. Although there are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent, the beach has limited facilities and therefore feels more secluded than others (wander into town for bars and restaurants). It’s worth spending a couple of days here to explore—hire a boat and visit Grotta del Cavallo (Horse Cave) or the Pool of Venus (Bagno delle Vergini) where more turquoise waters and natural pools await.
Fontane Bianche
This stunning beach, just a stone's throw from the historic city of Syracuse, lures visitors with its sun-kissed pebbles, clear turquoise waters, and a laid-back ambiance that's as intoxicating as the local wines (you'll want to knock back a few of those).
Whether you're here to soak up the Sicilian sun, dive into the cool, refreshing sea, or sip on Aperol Spritz at beachside bars, Fontane Bianche promises a sensory indulgence that's hard to resist. And when the sun sets over the horizon, casting a fiery glow on the beach, you'll understand why this hidden gem deserves a spot on your travel bucket list.
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Image credit: Freysteinn G. Jonsson | Website
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