Among 136 km of coastline in Agrigento province the part near Realmonte bears the exotic, unexpected name – Scala dei Turchi. Above the sandy beach rise layers of incredibly white cliff of limestone shaped into a kind of long terraced steps leading to the land.

Their name, which literally means Steps of Turks, recalls the story from the past, when the Arab vessel used to hide from the winds and defenders in a silent bay, where mercenaries could easy climb the rock up and plunder villages in the area. The mercenaries, regardless of the origins were called Turks.

The pirates were finally expelled by the regular troops from Porto Empedocles, and the area remain known only to local people, until several centuries later a writer Adrea Camirelli set the action of some criminal stories with inspector Montalbano around Scala dei Turchi.

Since that time it became quite popular among Italians and foreigners, who often stop there while visiting nearby Valley of Temples in Agrigento.
Scala dei Turchi with Roman Villa Aurea were nominated for the WHL list of UNESCO in 2007.

To get there you can fly to Palermo and then about an hour drive.