Scala dei Turchi

Scala dei Turchi is a geologically known site for its rocky wall; which rises above the sea along the coast of Realmonte, in the province of Agrigento. It has become a tourist attraction due to its singularity of the white cliff and the peculiar shapes. La Scala is made up of a marl with a characteristic pure white color; these rocks represent the testimony of the return to normal marine conditions of the Mediterranean Sea after the Messinian salinity crisis, which occurred 6 million years ago. This cliff is located at the end of a long coastline of fine sand. Reaching the top is very easy as the climb resembles a natural staircase, from the top it is possible to see the Agrigento coast up to Capo Rossello. The name Scala dei Turchi comes from past piracy raids by the Saracens, Arabs and, by convention, Turks; the Turkish pirates, in fact, found shelter in this area because it was less beaten by the winds. The entrance to the Scala dei Turchi is completely free.