Scala dei Turchi in Sicily, Italy
The white cliffs of Scala dei Turchi, or "Stairs of the Turks," have been attracting beachgoers in the know for centuries. Located on the southern coast of Sicily, the cliffs are made of eroded clay and marl, giving them the most wondrous natural steps, which make them easy to pillage. Join the locals by covering yourself in wet marl for its supposed skin benefits, or go cliff diving into the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean.
The Scala dei Turchi (Italian: "Stair of the Turks") is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle, southern Sicily, Italy. It has become a tourist attraction due to its unusual white color, as well as by its mention in Andrea Camilleri's series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano.
The Scala is formed by marl, a sedimentary rock with a characteristic white color. It lies between two sandy beaches, and is accessed through a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part of the name derives from the frequent raids carried on by Moores.
In August 2007, the municipality of Realmonte applied for the inclusion of the Scala dei Turchi (together with the nearby Roman Villa Aurea) in the UNESCO Heritage List.
Fuente original: Scala dei Turchi in Sicily, Italy.
