SICILY (ITALY): 5 AMAZING PLACES WHERE YOU WILL BE OVERAWED BY HISTORY
#1 PIAZZA ARMERINA (ENNA): THE METRO-GOLDWYN MAYER'S LION AND THE SPICY BIKINI GIRLS ON THE VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE'S MOSAICS
Piazza Armerina and the Roman Villa del Casale are lying 100 km east of Agrigento in Southern Sicily, and they are one of those spectacular sites in Sicily that you definitely can't miss!
The most amazing thing (almost I miracle, I would say) is that the mosaics have survived raids, wars, and have impressed visitors for 17 centuries!
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| Piazza Armerina near Enna (Sicily) is quite a gem in itself! |
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| In the Villa Romana compound @Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble |
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| The UNESCO Villa Romana del Casale close to Piazza Armerina @Jos Dielis |
The most amazing thing (almost I miracle, I would say) is that the mosaics have survived raids, wars, and have impressed visitors for 17 centuries!
There's even a sort of Metro Goldwyn Mayer's Holliwood lion as part of thousands of mosaic scenes showing the pasttimes of the Villa's owner and in ancient Rome: no one knows who the boss here was, but - for sure a man of immense wealth - maybe even a Roman emperor.
The villa was built in 300 A.D., and it was the guy's vacation home and a strategic food production hub for the Roman Empire. As you can see it is located in the middle of nowhere in the Sicilian southern countryside.
As a matter of fact, this villa was basically a farm, surrounded by huge fields because Rome needed to produce grains to be sent to the capital city to feed Romans and the troops.
The villa was built in 300 A.D., and it was the guy's vacation home and a strategic food production hub for the Roman Empire. As you can see it is located in the middle of nowhere in the Sicilian southern countryside.
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| Villa Romana del Casale is in the middle of nowhere @Herbert Frank |
As a matter of fact, this villa was basically a farm, surrounded by huge fields because Rome needed to produce grains to be sent to the capital city to feed Romans and the troops.
The entertaining thing when visiting the archeo site is spotting the theme of each villa room.
For example, given that only the wealthy Romans could afford eating fish, the villa's fish rooms are actually covered with hundreds different fish types! A full menu!
For example, given that only the wealthy Romans could afford eating fish, the villa's fish rooms are actually covered with hundreds different fish types! A full menu!
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| A whole fishing menu on the floor! @Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble |
Your hottest unbriddled fantasy can run free in the some bedrooms with love scenes which would make Marquis De Sade turn pale😉.
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| Love scenes on the Villa del Casale's bedroom mosaics @Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble |
And the Holliwood MGM Lion which I mentined in the title?
Well, just walk down the big mosaic floor (3,500 square metre wall-to-wall mosaic floor!) and you can track the glamorous furry animal down on the surprising 66-metre long mosaics corridor.
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| MGM lion sign |
Well, just walk down the big mosaic floor (3,500 square metre wall-to-wall mosaic floor!) and you can track the glamorous furry animal down on the surprising 66-metre long mosaics corridor.
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| Maybe not quite MGM lion but still an impressive mosaic! @Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble |
The Romans were mad about arena fightings (Colosseum in Rome docet) and wild animals which dominated their blood sport.
The amazing mosaic in Piazza Armerina shows the exotic animal trapping for the Colosseum-like arenas in Italy: it's as if you looked at a safari documentary film!
The amazing mosaic in Piazza Armerina shows the exotic animal trapping for the Colosseum-like arenas in Italy: it's as if you looked at a safari documentary film!
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| Animal hunting mosaics on the Villa's floor @Andrea Schaffer |
The Romans hunted leopards, ostriches, hippos, rhinos, antilopes and lions in Africa to use them in bloody fighting with the so-called venatores (gladiators specialised in fighting beasts): they loved enterprises fraught with dangers!
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| Romans hunted wild animals (detail) @Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble |
However, if you have had enough of bloodshed and hunting, you can turn to the hot bikini girls.
This hot mosaic shows Roman girls wearing the skimpy suit. Isn't that super modern!
This hot mosaic shows Roman girls wearing the skimpy suit. Isn't that super modern!
In fact, the Romans demonstrated their strengths not just in fighting, but also in sports such as jumping, discus throwing and running.
They exercised in gymnasia (their gym) and developed also the Roman baths as places to train, meet and relax with fellow people.
Look at these fashionable Roman bikini girls who do sport in the old Roman gym! Today they would be fashion influencers for sure!😉
They exercised in gymnasia (their gym) and developed also the Roman baths as places to train, meet and relax with fellow people.
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| Roman "bikini" girls playing sports and the winner in the middle @Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble |
Look at these fashionable Roman bikini girls who do sport in the old Roman gym! Today they would be fashion influencers for sure!😉
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| The bikini girls (details) @Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble |
Ehi, when they tell you that bikinis were designed and invented in 1948 in France, tell them that that's rubbish...
Last thing: guess why the dazzling beauty of the mosaics is still untouched?
A thick layer of clay soil protected the Villa del Casale's flooring following a heavy flooding... There is nothing so bad that it is not so good for something...
To understand the rich culture and art of Sicily, just bear in mind that the island was ruled and conquered by the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards over the last 2500 years!
Sicily's rich past can be seen from its distinctive wild culinary flavours, the open and sociable people character and definitely the art sights!
Cefalù is located in north Sicily, halfway between Palermo and Messina and it's dominated by an amazing Duomo and hugged by the port and beach below.
If you stroll round Cefalù's mazelike cobbled streets and winding passages (a remainder's of Arab rule in Sicily), make sure you end up your tour in front of the stunning Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage sight.
The Cefalù Cathedral is a special sight: it was built by the Normans in 1091 after they booted the Arabs out of Sicily (after a 20-year siege!).
A golden legend surrounds the cathedral foundation: it is said that Roger II, the Norman king who was brought up in Sicily, was a peaceful and cultivated man. He had the cathedral built because his boat was saved during a storm at sea and he landed on Cefalù's beaches!
Whether the story is true or not, we will never know; however, Roger II was super rich and he invested money on art works that testified the immense Norman power.
If you look at the Norman Cathedral sitting in one of the many Piazza's cafes, the building stands out against the sky like a giant fortress. Two huge towers surrounds the imposing entrance closed off by a iron wrought gate.
If you walk around it, it seems that the cathedral juts out of the rock on which it is built! There are passageways leading from one tower to the other like in old castle layouts.
Walk in and you will be dumbfunded by one of the best golden mosaics still surviving in all its beauty dating from 12th-century: the mosaics in the central apse show Christ Pantocrator which means "All-powerful".
In this mosaic work Latin, Byzantine and Islamic art mastery summarises the best that was on offer at that time, and the mosaics merge different art traditions in a world masterpiece.
The king would normally oversee personally the completion of art works, and nowhere else in Southern Sicily can you see such a wonderful work of arts (except the Palatine Chapel in Palermo which is still his brilliant masterpiece!).
Roger spoke 4 languages which were the languages spoken in Sicily and at his court (Greek, French, Latin and Arabic).
He let trade thrive as everybody could carry on his business independently: thanks to Roger's clever management, Sicily became a powerful reign.
The Sicilian markets were bursting with goods and Roger invited scholars of all religions to study and teach there! So no matter whether you wanted to learn Greek or Arabic, the best place to be in Europe was Sicily!
Today sitting in Cefalù in one of many cafes at sunset and watching the red stone glowing in the fading sun, you can't help but being enthralled by the fantastic history of Cefalù and its glorious past.
Not far from Agrigento (16 km, roughly 20 minutes by car), in the area of Realmonte (southern Sicily), there lies a special beach, Scala dei Turchi (literally, the Turks' steps).
In Italy over time this beach reputation has risen because of a famous Italian police tv series "Inspector Montalbano" running since 1999 which featured this place.
To be fair and accurate, the TV series is based on absorbing detective novels by the Italian writer, Andrea Camilleri who set in Sicily and at Scala dei Turchi some of his famous stories.
Scala dei Turchi is a 30-40 metre cliff overlooking a green-blue sea, and can't be missed if you tour southern Sicily.
Maybe it's not as majestic as other white cliffs elsewhere; however, they definitely have a special fascination due to the whitewashed colour contrasting with the sea and the surrounding greenery.
The marl rock cliff is basically made of mudstone, limestone and clay: being so fragile and moldable, over centuries the wind and the sea carved the marvellous steps.
Once you are on top you will be almost blinded by the intense white colour of the stone if you are there in a sunny day!
I wonder why the Turkish pirates (hence the name of the place!) did not go blind when they approached the coastline, docked their boats there and climbed the "stairs" to ravage and loot the surrounding villages, at least according to the legend.
Actually, the name itself, Scala dei Turchi, is wrong: it wasn't the Turks but the Saracens, people living in northern Africa, today's Maghreb (Morocco and Libya), who attacked the coasts of Sicily. However, in Sicilian dialect locals used to call them Turks to attach a negative connotation.
When you leave this unreal place, from a distance it looks like a huge white lava flow or massive whipped cream spill that have been frozen there by a careless cook!
When you approach Licata, a 37,000 souls sea municipality on the southern coast of Sicily between Gela and Agrigento, you think: " Where's everybody?". Or at least this is the thought that crossed my mind when I drove into town at lunch time on a Saturday afternoon.
As a matter of fact, I experienced that downtown's empty feeling up to 5 o'clock pm when the whole Licata is drowsing. Well, the sleeping activity might be helped by 30 °C in June that is sapping the Sicilians' energies after lunch.
However, to shake off the post-lunch drowsiness, Licata is home to an array of fantastic beaches with high cliffs overlooking a beautiful sea. Two of the most famous beaches are Mollarella and Poliscia.
Mollarella is a lovely sandy cove with crystal clear water; Poliscia is next to Mollarella and it is smaller. However, it offers many opportunities to enjoy the clear sea and fine sands.
No one would dream that a fundamental part of the world history was written on these two quiet beaches.
These two lovely bays that today are full of happy families and eager swimmers were the landing points for the American Allied Troops during the II World War on 10th July 1943.
At 3 am Operation Husky was launched on these two beaches name coded green beach 71 and 72: the full operation ended two years later with the liberation of the whole of Italy from the German Nazis.
This was one of the biggest Allies' operations, second only to Normandy. To remember this milestone, a memorial slab was put up just in front of the bay.
The funny thing that Vincenzo, our local guide, told me was that the US troops landed not only in Mollarella and Poliscia bays, but also on the stunning beach of Cala Paradiso (Paradise Bay).
The bay was surrounded by prickly pear fields which were owned by his grandmother, and the US soldiers not knowing exactly how to eat them, eat them all without peeling off the stingy spines on the cactus skin...
Today Sicilians harvest them with tongs and heavy gloves for a reason!
If you feel like taking a bumpy ride across the Sicilian countryside on a 40 minute roller coaster journey by car from Agrigento, head to Eraclea Minoa archeo site and cliff.
The ancient Greeks knew exactly where to place their breathtaking towns: this magnificent town is still perched on Capo Bianco snowwhite cliff facing the blue sea, and surrounded by wild nature.
On the eastern side, the Nature Reserve of Torre Salsa and on the western side, the Nature Reserve of River Platani.
That's why visiting the archeo site of Eraclea Minoa is worth a visit in its own right: you can enjoy ancient Greek ruins and the stunning panoramic views of the local coastline lined up with pine trees and orange orchards.
Though the ruins are not poorly maintained and the theatre is covered up by a clunky framework, the place is evocative of a glorious past: the town was founded by ancient Greeks in 6th century bc, then over time it was controlled by the Romans, and since then it seems to have been almost forgotten by the world!
A big section of two-storey houses dating from Romans and Greeks have been discovered and still bear traces of some stuccoes. Here and there you can still see on the houses floor fragments of beautiful mosaic decorations!
Even the double name, Eraclea Minoa, has a fascinating background as it comes from the Greek god of strength, Heracles, and Minos, the king of Crete.
The legend goes that Minos, the King of Crete chased Daedalus, the famous architect of the Cretan labyrinth, in Sicily.
Why? Because Daedalus had helped Ariadne and Theseus to escape to Greece after killing the Minotaur monster.
Minos was killed in Sicily and he is said to be buried in Eraclea Minoa site which had been built by him.
So fancy to get your spades out and see if that's true?
By car
From Catania airport >A19 motorway to Palermo>Exit Dittaino (100 km, 1h and half)
From Palermo airport>A19 motorway to Enna>Exit Enna (160 km, roughly 2 hours)
By bus
From Catania Airport> Sais Autolinee bus (roughly 2 hours, changing at Enna Bassa)
From Palermo Airport> Sais Autolinee bus (roughly 4 hours, changing in Palermo)
Villa Romana del Casale is located 5 km from Piazza Armerina, so you really need a car or a taxi to reach the Villa.
However, during the summer (up to September) there is a local bus called Linea Bus run by Savit Autolinee from Piazza Armerina to Villa Romana del Casale.
You can click here for the timetable and the contact information.
Parking fee at Villa Romana del Casale: 1,50 euro/hour. You pay before exiting at the booth located in the parking lot. Parking lot closes one hour after the Villa.
Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm (gate closes at 7 pm). In the summer (July and August) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Villa is open until 11 pm.
Certified guides are available when you walk in the Villa compound. Fee: 50 euros (for two people they make it 30 euros). Tours last roughly 1 hour and half/two hours.
Bars, souvenir shops and guide books are available from the stalls in the parking lot of the Villa Romana del Casale.
Don't visit the Villa Romana del Casale at 3 pm in the summer! Avoid the greenhouse effect! Although the canopies covering the Villa mosaics shelter you from the heat, it is still too hot to enjoy a stroll around the Villa park at that time of the day. On the positive side, at lunch time very few people are around (at least when I was there).
Make sure you go early in the morning or late afternoon!
For further information on the UNESCO Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, click here or here or here or here.
Watch this video to get an idea of the spectacular Villa Romana del Casale.
From Palermo
By car
The journey on the E90 motorway takes about an hour (74 km)- Check the car route here.
By train
Get on a regional train which will take you to Cefalù in 50 minutes. Check timetables here.
From Catania
By car
It takes about 2 hours on the A19 motorway (179 km). Check your itinerary here.
By train
It takes roughly 4 hours to travel by train and you need to change train at Termini Imerese train station.
The best way to enjoy Cefalù is walking naturally. There are plenty of scooter or bike rental shops right in the town centre. If you need to park there are white and blue parking spots: white ones are the free (disc parking needed); blue ones are at a charge. There are also private parking lots on the beach front.
We stayed in a cosy one-bedroom apartment named Casa di Adriana located in Via Nicola Botta, 67 Cefalù. The flat was new and clean. The pros is that it is right in the heart of Cefalù; the cons is that it's first floor without lift. Beware if you have heavy luggage!
Contact: Mr Mangano (mobile 0039 3278442447) or click here.
Cefalù Cathedral opening hours: 8.30 am - 6.30 pm (April to October); 8.30 am - 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm -5 pm. Access is free but at the time of my visit there were renovation works ongoing. Click here for more info on the Cathedral.
For further info on the cathedral, click here or here.
# 1 One of the best things to do in Cefalù is watching the sunset for free from the Bastione di Capo Marchiafava, 5 minutes walk from the Cathedral: a former defensive rampart which today is a wonderful belvedere.
If you want to have a drink whilst watching the sun fade behind the horizon instead, there are many seafront cafes and restaurants to choose from: no doubt they are expensive, but well worth the show!
# 2 Needs to have breakfast super early? Head to Bar Duomo which is operating at 7 am until midnight and bakes fresh cannoli and pastries at any time of the day!
Click here for a fantastic video by Italy's most beautiful villages Association, "Borghi più belli d'Italia".
By car
From Agrigento Scala dei Turchi is 15 km (roughly 20 minutes).
By bus (plus taxi or on foot)
Click here for the bus timetable from Agrigento to Porto Empedocle. Then catch a taxi or walk (5 km).
Click here for the bus timetable from Agrigento to Realmonte. Then catch a taxi or walk (3 km).
# 1 You need to park at one of the many parking lots (some have showers too) along the road from where you can climb down the stairs to the Scala dei Turchi. There are free parking spaces before Majata Beach. There are also two huge overlooks along the street from where you catch a glimpse of the cliff.
# 2 Choose a sunny day to go to Scala dei Turchi as the whiteness shines through particularly under the sun. However, when you climb it the heat is very strong: honestly you can't stand on the actual Scala dei Turchi for a long time due to the strong reflection of sunlight on the stone.
# 3 Bring water shoes because to reach the Scala dei Turchi cliff you cross a rocky beach.
# 4 Last but not least: you climb at your own risk. In practice everybody climbs Scala dei Turchi and the local authorities seem to turn a blind eye as this is such a big attraction.
However, if the local police inspects the area you will be fined. The reason is that climbing is dangerous and the rock is frail, i.e. landslide risk. As a matter of fact, there is a net that prevents people from accessing the cliff area, but everybody ignores it.
Click here for a fantastic video on Scala dei Turchi.
Check Sal bus network to get to Licata.
By car
From Catania
Take the SS417 and in roughly 2 hours you will get to Licata (130 km).
From Palermo
Take E90 and then SS626 (roughly 3 hours).
By train
From Catania
Catch a train from Catania to Caltanisetta Xirbi (train timetable here) and then change train for Licata (roughly 3 hours in total but very few trains available).
From Palermo
Catch bus from Palermo to Agrigento (click here for timetable; few buses available; roughly 2 hours) and then change bus company in Agrigento and catch the bus for Licata (click here for bus timetable; roughly 1 hour).
It is an absolute gem: rooms are brand new and super clean; breakfast is fantastic with fresh fruits and a whole variety of cakes and salty foods.
The added value is Vincenzo, the owner: not only does he give you tips and tricks on the area, but he goes the extra mile and takes you there! He is the perfect host!
Tip: book early!
For more info, click here.
Click here for a fantastic drone view of Licata Mollarella beach today.
Click here for an interesting historical film of US troops landings on Licata beaches in 1943.
The easiste way is to reach Eraclea Minoa by car.
From Agrigento
Take SS115 and it takes roughly 40 minutes (40 km). Road is bumpy and unpaved (dirt road) close to the archeo site, so watch out!
From Palermo
Take SS624 and then SS115 (roughly 130 km, 2 hours).
By bus
From Agrigento
From Agrigento catch Salvatore Lumia bus until Montallegro (timetable here), then catch a taxi (10 km)!
From Palermo
From Palermo catch Autolinee Gallo bus until Ribera. Then from Ribera catch a taxi (16 km)!
There's a parking space just outside the site entrance, so you don't need to walk far.
Although the site isn't well maintaned and it is neglected (middle of June the weeds around the theatre and the area hadn't been mowed yet), you still need to pay a 4-euro admission ticket (2 euros for kids).
However, the museum is quite interesting and has been newly renovated and the location is definitely worth the money!
NOTE ON THIS POST PHOTOS
Following our tour of Sicily and the Aeolian islands, my HHD decided to play tricks on me and let me down: it failed no sooner I got back and I lost all of our Sicilian tour photos!
I know hard drives don't last forever (I learnt that at my own expenses!), however I thought it would not drop me out of the blue.
Unless explicitely mentioned, in all my posts I use only my photos; however, having very few photos for this leg of our journey on the island, I have used Flicker's this time.
I have credited all the photos to their rightful owners via Flicker, abiding by the Creative Commons licenses.
And... I have bought two new HDDs just in case!
Thanks for reading!
MarcoPoloSpirit is a native of Venice, Italy, but has also called Rome, Trieste, Madrid, London and Brussels home. After graduating and working abroad, finally she landed in Rome for more than 15 years and currently in homeland Venice. You can find MarcoPoloSpirit at @marcopolospirit (Instagram, Twitter and YouTube).
Last thing: guess why the dazzling beauty of the mosaics is still untouched?
A thick layer of clay soil protected the Villa del Casale's flooring following a heavy flooding... There is nothing so bad that it is not so good for something...
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| The Bikini girls playing volley? @Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble |
#2 CEFALU': WHERE 3 BIG CIVILIZATIONS (LATINS, GREEKS AND ARABS) CAME TOGETHER IN HARMONY
To understand the rich culture and art of Sicily, just bear in mind that the island was ruled and conquered by the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards over the last 2500 years!
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| Cefalu's charming harbour @Miguel Virkunnen Carvalho |
Sicily's rich past can be seen from its distinctive wild culinary flavours, the open and sociable people character and definitely the art sights!
Cefalù is located in north Sicily, halfway between Palermo and Messina and it's dominated by an amazing Duomo and hugged by the port and beach below.
If you stroll round Cefalù's mazelike cobbled streets and winding passages (a remainder's of Arab rule in Sicily), make sure you end up your tour in front of the stunning Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage sight.
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| Cefalu': a tangled maze of streets and washing lines @Rolf Dietrich Brecher |
The Cefalù Cathedral is a special sight: it was built by the Normans in 1091 after they booted the Arabs out of Sicily (after a 20-year siege!).
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| Cefalu's Cathedral is a mix of architecture styles! @Rolf Dietrich Brecher |
A golden legend surrounds the cathedral foundation: it is said that Roger II, the Norman king who was brought up in Sicily, was a peaceful and cultivated man. He had the cathedral built because his boat was saved during a storm at sea and he landed on Cefalù's beaches!
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| Roger II was the mind behing the Duomo building in Cefalù |
Whether the story is true or not, we will never know; however, Roger II was super rich and he invested money on art works that testified the immense Norman power.
If you look at the Norman Cathedral sitting in one of the many Piazza's cafes, the building stands out against the sky like a giant fortress. Two huge towers surrounds the imposing entrance closed off by a iron wrought gate.
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| The Cathedral looks like a castle @Allie Caulfield |
If you walk around it, it seems that the cathedral juts out of the rock on which it is built! There are passageways leading from one tower to the other like in old castle layouts.
Walk in and you will be dumbfunded by one of the best golden mosaics still surviving in all its beauty dating from 12th-century: the mosaics in the central apse show Christ Pantocrator which means "All-powerful".
In this mosaic work Latin, Byzantine and Islamic art mastery summarises the best that was on offer at that time, and the mosaics merge different art traditions in a world masterpiece.
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| Christ Pantocrator in Cefalu's Cathedral @Spencer Means |
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| Cathedral interiors @Rolf Dietrich Brecher |
The king would normally oversee personally the completion of art works, and nowhere else in Southern Sicily can you see such a wonderful work of arts (except the Palatine Chapel in Palermo which is still his brilliant masterpiece!).
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| Wondeful Palatine Chapel in Palermo @Gaetano Vullo |
Roger spoke 4 languages which were the languages spoken in Sicily and at his court (Greek, French, Latin and Arabic).
He let trade thrive as everybody could carry on his business independently: thanks to Roger's clever management, Sicily became a powerful reign.
The Sicilian markets were bursting with goods and Roger invited scholars of all religions to study and teach there! So no matter whether you wanted to learn Greek or Arabic, the best place to be in Europe was Sicily!
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| Sicily became a thriving region under Roger's rule @Sergio Calleja |
Today sitting in Cefalù in one of many cafes at sunset and watching the red stone glowing in the fading sun, you can't help but being enthralled by the fantastic history of Cefalù and its glorious past.
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| Old man in Cefalù looking at passers-by at sunset @BanxietyFree |
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| Cefalù beach promenade at sunset @Marek Lenik |
#3 SCALA DEI TUCHI (AGRIGENTO): A FANTASTIC WHITE MARL ROCK CLIFF THAT SAW TURKS' RAIDS... MAYBE!
Not far from Agrigento (16 km, roughly 20 minutes by car), in the area of Realmonte (southern Sicily), there lies a special beach, Scala dei Turchi (literally, the Turks' steps).
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| Scala dei Turchi from the top of the cliff @jim |
In Italy over time this beach reputation has risen because of a famous Italian police tv series "Inspector Montalbano" running since 1999 which featured this place.
To be fair and accurate, the TV series is based on absorbing detective novels by the Italian writer, Andrea Camilleri who set in Sicily and at Scala dei Turchi some of his famous stories.
Scala dei Turchi is a 30-40 metre cliff overlooking a green-blue sea, and can't be missed if you tour southern Sicily.
Maybe it's not as majestic as other white cliffs elsewhere; however, they definitely have a special fascination due to the whitewashed colour contrasting with the sea and the surrounding greenery.
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| The whitewashed cliffs near Agrigento @Alexander Van Loon |
The marl rock cliff is basically made of mudstone, limestone and clay: being so fragile and moldable, over centuries the wind and the sea carved the marvellous steps.
Once you are on top you will be almost blinded by the intense white colour of the stone if you are there in a sunny day!
I wonder why the Turkish pirates (hence the name of the place!) did not go blind when they approached the coastline, docked their boats there and climbed the "stairs" to ravage and loot the surrounding villages, at least according to the legend.
Actually, the name itself, Scala dei Turchi, is wrong: it wasn't the Turks but the Saracens, people living in northern Africa, today's Maghreb (Morocco and Libya), who attacked the coasts of Sicily. However, in Sicilian dialect locals used to call them Turks to attach a negative connotation.
When you leave this unreal place, from a distance it looks like a huge white lava flow or massive whipped cream spill that have been frozen there by a careless cook!
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| Climbing Scala dei Turchi @Davide Restivo |
#4 LICATA (AGRIGENTO): THE AMAZING BEACHES THAT SET A NEW MILESTONE IN WORLD HISTORY
When you approach Licata, a 37,000 souls sea municipality on the southern coast of Sicily between Gela and Agrigento, you think: " Where's everybody?". Or at least this is the thought that crossed my mind when I drove into town at lunch time on a Saturday afternoon.
As a matter of fact, I experienced that downtown's empty feeling up to 5 o'clock pm when the whole Licata is drowsing. Well, the sleeping activity might be helped by 30 °C in June that is sapping the Sicilians' energies after lunch.
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| Licata from the sea... where's everyone? @Salvatore Bonvis |
However, to shake off the post-lunch drowsiness, Licata is home to an array of fantastic beaches with high cliffs overlooking a beautiful sea. Two of the most famous beaches are Mollarella and Poliscia.
Mollarella is a lovely sandy cove with crystal clear water; Poliscia is next to Mollarella and it is smaller. However, it offers many opportunities to enjoy the clear sea and fine sands.
No one would dream that a fundamental part of the world history was written on these two quiet beaches.
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| Beach rocks in Licata @Sesbaminchio |
These two lovely bays that today are full of happy families and eager swimmers were the landing points for the American Allied Troops during the II World War on 10th July 1943.
At 3 am Operation Husky was launched on these two beaches name coded green beach 71 and 72: the full operation ended two years later with the liberation of the whole of Italy from the German Nazis.
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| US Army Operation Husky in Licata @Lt. Longini, U.S. Army Signal Corps |
This was one of the biggest Allies' operations, second only to Normandy. To remember this milestone, a memorial slab was put up just in front of the bay.
The funny thing that Vincenzo, our local guide, told me was that the US troops landed not only in Mollarella and Poliscia bays, but also on the stunning beach of Cala Paradiso (Paradise Bay).
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| Stunning Cala Paradiso near Licata @Salvatore Bonvis |
The bay was surrounded by prickly pear fields which were owned by his grandmother, and the US soldiers not knowing exactly how to eat them, eat them all without peeling off the stingy spines on the cactus skin...
Today Sicilians harvest them with tongs and heavy gloves for a reason!
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| Prickly pears in Sicily @Graeme Churchard |
#5 ERACLEA MINOA (AGRIGENTO): A BREATHTAKING GREEK THEATRE BETWEEN ORANGE ORCHARDS, PINE TREE AND BEACHES
If you feel like taking a bumpy ride across the Sicilian countryside on a 40 minute roller coaster journey by car from Agrigento, head to Eraclea Minoa archeo site and cliff.
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| Eraclea Minoa's archeo site @Wolf Gang |
The ancient Greeks knew exactly where to place their breathtaking towns: this magnificent town is still perched on Capo Bianco snowwhite cliff facing the blue sea, and surrounded by wild nature.
On the eastern side, the Nature Reserve of Torre Salsa and on the western side, the Nature Reserve of River Platani.
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| Pristine beach in Torre Salsa natural reserve close to Eraclea Minoa archeo site |
That's why visiting the archeo site of Eraclea Minoa is worth a visit in its own right: you can enjoy ancient Greek ruins and the stunning panoramic views of the local coastline lined up with pine trees and orange orchards.
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| Breathtaking cliff where Eraclea Minoa archeo site is located @Wolf Gang |
Though the ruins are not poorly maintained and the theatre is covered up by a clunky framework, the place is evocative of a glorious past: the town was founded by ancient Greeks in 6th century bc, then over time it was controlled by the Romans, and since then it seems to have been almost forgotten by the world!
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| Eraclea Minoa's Greek theatre @Hein56didden |
A big section of two-storey houses dating from Romans and Greeks have been discovered and still bear traces of some stuccoes. Here and there you can still see on the houses floor fragments of beautiful mosaic decorations!
Even the double name, Eraclea Minoa, has a fascinating background as it comes from the Greek god of strength, Heracles, and Minos, the king of Crete.
The legend goes that Minos, the King of Crete chased Daedalus, the famous architect of the Cretan labyrinth, in Sicily.
Why? Because Daedalus had helped Ariadne and Theseus to escape to Greece after killing the Minotaur monster.
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| Looking for Minos on Eraclea Minoa's beach @Jens Schuder |
Minos was killed in Sicily and he is said to be buried in Eraclea Minoa site which had been built by him.
So fancy to get your spades out and see if that's true?
IN BRIEF
PIAZZA ARMERINA
HOW TO GET THERE
By car
From Catania airport >A19 motorway to Palermo>Exit Dittaino (100 km, 1h and half)
From Palermo airport>A19 motorway to Enna>Exit Enna (160 km, roughly 2 hours)
By bus
From Catania Airport> Sais Autolinee bus (roughly 2 hours, changing at Enna Bassa)
From Palermo Airport> Sais Autolinee bus (roughly 4 hours, changing in Palermo)
HOW TO GET AROUND
Villa Romana del Casale is located 5 km from Piazza Armerina, so you really need a car or a taxi to reach the Villa.
However, during the summer (up to September) there is a local bus called Linea Bus run by Savit Autolinee from Piazza Armerina to Villa Romana del Casale.
You can click here for the timetable and the contact information.
Parking fee at Villa Romana del Casale: 1,50 euro/hour. You pay before exiting at the booth located in the parking lot. Parking lot closes one hour after the Villa.
VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE INFORMATION
The admission ticket is 10 euros per person (on the first Sunday of each month it is free).Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm (gate closes at 7 pm). In the summer (July and August) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Villa is open until 11 pm.
Certified guides are available when you walk in the Villa compound. Fee: 50 euros (for two people they make it 30 euros). Tours last roughly 1 hour and half/two hours.
Bars, souvenir shops and guide books are available from the stalls in the parking lot of the Villa Romana del Casale.
VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE TIPS
Don't visit the Villa Romana del Casale at 3 pm in the summer! Avoid the greenhouse effect! Although the canopies covering the Villa mosaics shelter you from the heat, it is still too hot to enjoy a stroll around the Villa park at that time of the day. On the positive side, at lunch time very few people are around (at least when I was there).
Make sure you go early in the morning or late afternoon!
VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE VIDEOS
For further information on the UNESCO Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, click here or here or here or here.
Watch this video to get an idea of the spectacular Villa Romana del Casale.
CEFALU'
HOW TO GET THERE
From Palermo
By car
The journey on the E90 motorway takes about an hour (74 km)- Check the car route here.
By train
Get on a regional train which will take you to Cefalù in 50 minutes. Check timetables here.
From Catania
By car
It takes about 2 hours on the A19 motorway (179 km). Check your itinerary here.
By train
It takes roughly 4 hours to travel by train and you need to change train at Termini Imerese train station.
HOW TO GET AROUND
The best way to enjoy Cefalù is walking naturally. There are plenty of scooter or bike rental shops right in the town centre. If you need to park there are white and blue parking spots: white ones are the free (disc parking needed); blue ones are at a charge. There are also private parking lots on the beach front.
CEFALU' ACCOMODATION
We stayed in a cosy one-bedroom apartment named Casa di Adriana located in Via Nicola Botta, 67 Cefalù. The flat was new and clean. The pros is that it is right in the heart of Cefalù; the cons is that it's first floor without lift. Beware if you have heavy luggage!
Contact: Mr Mangano (mobile 0039 3278442447) or click here.
CEFALU' CATHEDRAL
Cefalù Cathedral opening hours: 8.30 am - 6.30 pm (April to October); 8.30 am - 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm -5 pm. Access is free but at the time of my visit there were renovation works ongoing. Click here for more info on the Cathedral.
For further info on the cathedral, click here or here.
CEFALU' TIPS
# 1 One of the best things to do in Cefalù is watching the sunset for free from the Bastione di Capo Marchiafava, 5 minutes walk from the Cathedral: a former defensive rampart which today is a wonderful belvedere.
If you want to have a drink whilst watching the sun fade behind the horizon instead, there are many seafront cafes and restaurants to choose from: no doubt they are expensive, but well worth the show!
# 2 Needs to have breakfast super early? Head to Bar Duomo which is operating at 7 am until midnight and bakes fresh cannoli and pastries at any time of the day!
CEFALU' VIDEOS
Click here for an amazing drone view of Cefalù and surroundings.Click here for a fantastic video by Italy's most beautiful villages Association, "Borghi più belli d'Italia".
SCALA DEI TURCHI
HOW TO GET THERE
By car
From Agrigento Scala dei Turchi is 15 km (roughly 20 minutes).
By bus (plus taxi or on foot)
Click here for the bus timetable from Agrigento to Porto Empedocle. Then catch a taxi or walk (5 km).
Click here for the bus timetable from Agrigento to Realmonte. Then catch a taxi or walk (3 km).
SCALA DEI TURCHI TIPS
# 1 You need to park at one of the many parking lots (some have showers too) along the road from where you can climb down the stairs to the Scala dei Turchi. There are free parking spaces before Majata Beach. There are also two huge overlooks along the street from where you catch a glimpse of the cliff.
# 2 Choose a sunny day to go to Scala dei Turchi as the whiteness shines through particularly under the sun. However, when you climb it the heat is very strong: honestly you can't stand on the actual Scala dei Turchi for a long time due to the strong reflection of sunlight on the stone.
# 3 Bring water shoes because to reach the Scala dei Turchi cliff you cross a rocky beach.
# 4 Last but not least: you climb at your own risk. In practice everybody climbs Scala dei Turchi and the local authorities seem to turn a blind eye as this is such a big attraction.
However, if the local police inspects the area you will be fined. The reason is that climbing is dangerous and the rock is frail, i.e. landslide risk. As a matter of fact, there is a net that prevents people from accessing the cliff area, but everybody ignores it.
SCALA DEI TURCHI VIDEO
Click here for a fantastic video on Scala dei Turchi.
LICATA
HOW TO GET THERE
By busCheck Sal bus network to get to Licata.
By car
From Catania
Take the SS417 and in roughly 2 hours you will get to Licata (130 km).
From Palermo
Take E90 and then SS626 (roughly 3 hours).
By train
From Catania
Catch a train from Catania to Caltanisetta Xirbi (train timetable here) and then change train for Licata (roughly 3 hours in total but very few trains available).
From Palermo
Catch bus from Palermo to Agrigento (click here for timetable; few buses available; roughly 2 hours) and then change bus company in Agrigento and catch the bus for Licata (click here for bus timetable; roughly 1 hour).
LICATA ACCOMODATION
We have chosen a fascinating BB called BB Vittorio Emanuele in Licata managed by Vittorio and his family: located in an old building right in the centre of Licata, the place is charming.It is an absolute gem: rooms are brand new and super clean; breakfast is fantastic with fresh fruits and a whole variety of cakes and salty foods.
The added value is Vincenzo, the owner: not only does he give you tips and tricks on the area, but he goes the extra mile and takes you there! He is the perfect host!
Tip: book early!
For more info, click here.
WHERE TO EAT IN LICATA
We loved La Lampara Osteria della Marina in Licata: located close to Licata's lighthouse on the promenade, fish is super fresh cooked by the hand-on owner who has a deep knowledge of local ingredients!
We went for cuttlefish for antipasto, Sicilian octopus (super tender) and the local Scialatielli pasta with cuttlefish ink and octopus with capers, olives and potatoes (heaven!).
For more info, click here.
LICATA VIDEOS
Click here for a fantastic drone view of Licata Mollarella beach today.
Click here for an interesting historical film of US troops landings on Licata beaches in 1943.
ERACLEA MINOA
HOW TO GET THERE
By carThe easiste way is to reach Eraclea Minoa by car.
From Agrigento
Take SS115 and it takes roughly 40 minutes (40 km). Road is bumpy and unpaved (dirt road) close to the archeo site, so watch out!
From Palermo
Take SS624 and then SS115 (roughly 130 km, 2 hours).
By bus
From Agrigento
From Agrigento catch Salvatore Lumia bus until Montallegro (timetable here), then catch a taxi (10 km)!
From Palermo
From Palermo catch Autolinee Gallo bus until Ribera. Then from Ribera catch a taxi (16 km)!
ERACLEA MINOA VIDEO
Click here for the amazing view of Eraclea Minoa's site from a powered paraglider!ERACLEA MINOA TIPS
Don't visit Eraclea Minoa at noon or early afternoon: though the archeo site is on the cliff, it is still very hot! If you can, go early morning.There's a parking space just outside the site entrance, so you don't need to walk far.
Although the site isn't well maintaned and it is neglected (middle of June the weeds around the theatre and the area hadn't been mowed yet), you still need to pay a 4-euro admission ticket (2 euros for kids).
However, the museum is quite interesting and has been newly renovated and the location is definitely worth the money!
NOTE ON THIS POST PHOTOS
Following our tour of Sicily and the Aeolian islands, my HHD decided to play tricks on me and let me down: it failed no sooner I got back and I lost all of our Sicilian tour photos!
I know hard drives don't last forever (I learnt that at my own expenses!), however I thought it would not drop me out of the blue.
Unless explicitely mentioned, in all my posts I use only my photos; however, having very few photos for this leg of our journey on the island, I have used Flicker's this time.
I have credited all the photos to their rightful owners via Flicker, abiding by the Creative Commons licenses.
And... I have bought two new HDDs just in case!
Thanks for reading!
MarcoPoloSpirit is a native of Venice, Italy, but has also called Rome, Trieste, Madrid, London and Brussels home. After graduating and working abroad, finally she landed in Rome for more than 15 years and currently in homeland Venice. You can find MarcoPoloSpirit at @marcopolospirit (Instagram, Twitter and YouTube).