A sheer staircase of white marlstone rock, stepped and smoothed by wind and water, dropping straight into turquoise sea, easily Sicily's most photographed natural landmark. The name ("Staircase of the Turks") comes from a local legend that Saracen pirates once used the formation to land and shelter their ships.
It sits in the comune of Realmonte, part of a wider stretch of white cliffs that also includes Lido Rossello and Le Pergole close by. Sand beaches flank both sides of the main cliff, and it's genuinely swimmable, not just a photo stop.
“Arrive before 9am in summer to avoid the crowds and the worst of the heat on the exposed white rock.”