The Turkish Steps

Bathing at Turkish Steps

Mara Hoffman swimsuit, c/o Eric Javits hat

Sicily is a beautiful island, but nothing so far has compared to the beauty of the Turkish Steps (Scala dei Turchi).  The steps are sparkling white rocks, jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea. From afar, it looks like stairs, hence the name. Back in the day, Arab pirates (referred to as Turks) anchored their boats here to protect them from the wind while they robbed and pillaged surrounding towns. Today, it’s a tourist attraction different from anything I’ve ever seen in my life.

I originally saw photos of the Scala dei Turchi in one of Gray Malin’s photos and was hoping that on this trip, we’d be close enough for a visit. Sure enough, they’re only 30 minutes away from our villa.

The amazing thing about the steps is that they’re beautiful from every angle. From far away they are majestic and from up close, the stark white rock against the turquoise water below makes a beautiful contrast.

We approached the steps from the beach and walked towards them with our feet in the warm water of the cove. When we finally arrived, we were so hot that we jumped off the lowest point into the incredibly salty water. We had a big laugh because I got stuck and couldn’t climb back out. I made it eventually… Then we climbed the chalky rock as high as we could without getting scared. I could have stayed there forever and am dying to go back to watch the sunset one day.

It’s hard to capture them in photos but my amazing husband Anel did an incredible job with these! I especially love the image below of all the sunbathers in different colors.

The Turkish Steps in Sicily

Sun Bathing

Dog on the Steps

Turkish Steps Sisters

Sicilian Beach

Scala dei Turchi

A lone boat

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