13 kilometers from Realmonte there is the most spectacular part of 136 long coastline of Agrigento province - Scala dei Turchi.
The sandy beach is broken by the unnatural shaped formation of incredibly white cliff, which rises in the shape similar to long terraced steps.
The rock is a mixture of sedimentary limestone and clay, called marl, and one can see the lines of sedimentation, when the water from the sea dried out some million years ago.
The wind and the time uncovered long stripes of rock, easy to climb with the enchanted landscape visible from the top of the cliff.
Their name recalls the story from the past, where the bay protected from the winds gave shelter for the Arab vessels with mercenaries, who would easy climb the rock and plunder
neighbourhood villages. The pirates, who were finally defeated by the troops from Porto Empedocles, were often referred as 'Turks', hence the name which means 'Steps of Turks'.
Scala dei Turchi became the popular spot after being mentioned in criminal novels by Adrea Camirelli with inspector Montalbano, and every year witness more visitors, Italians and foreigners,
who came here after visiting nearby Valley of Temples in Agrigento.
It is a natural sculpture, consisting of an outcrop of marl, a fine-grained sedimentary rock of limestone and clay on which the winds and rain have carved staircase giving it a natural reef peculiar forms, sweets and irregular, making it among the most characteristic and enchanting of Italy. This gift that nature has done to Sicily rises above the sea along the coast of Realmonte, breaking the sandy beach, gives a unique thanks to the white cliffs enhanced by sunlight that is introduced between the blue sea and sky.
Scala dei Turchi with Roman Villa Aurea were nominated for the WHL list of UNESCO in 2007.
[photo courtesy of gutter,flickr]
