Italians love, love, love their beaches and with good reason.   They are designed to offer pure pleasure in many ways.  It’s true that purists can still find pristine and unpopulated shores where they can commune with the gods of nature, sun and surf.  But by far the beaches that are most popular are the ones that offer warm and mild surf, options for reclining in the shade when the sun becomes too hot, and the chance to have a leisurely and well-prepared lunch just a few steps away…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are literally hundreds of beaches in Sicily and they each have their own version of beach life.  We sampled four of them during our month in the southeastern corner of the island and we loved them all…..one for its surf, one for its good food, one for its quiet peacefulness and one for its quirkiness.

Donnalucata, a Quiet Beach in Sicily….
This beach was made famous by the Commissario Montalbano detective series on Italian TV.  No one in the series actually swam here but the road along the shore was often filmed and it portrayed a quiet and peaceful place where land and sea lived together in harmony.  It was quiet, it was peaceful, and having soft grass underfoot was dreamy…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                              Sampieri, a Long and Sandy Beach in Sicily…..

Also featured in the Montalbano series was the panorama of this shore with its distinctive factory ruin in the distance.

Nearly two miles of sandy beach stretch along the shore which is wildly popular with all ages during the day

and a destination for the younger set at night when every beach bar stays open late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lifeguard’s chair is barely tall enough to contain the Republic of Italy’s official rules for shorefront safety put forth by the Coast Guard Harbormaster of Pozzallo, the nearest port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cava d’Aliga, a Hidden Gem of a Beach in Sicily……..

Cava d’Aliga (a name that took us a long time to pronounce correctly….to the amusement of the bus driver) is a cove-like little beach that we think has it all.  The surf is calm but alive with gentle waves, there’s a wonderful restaurant/bar with good food, there are plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas and the small crowd is made up of locals who have been coming here forever.  So……breakfast of espresso with milk and a warm croissant and then a seafood lunch and yes, wine and beer were consumed, followed by a nap in the shade.  Summer bliss, in our opinion.

 

 

Ortygia, an Extreme and Quirky Beach in Sicily for Intrepid Souls Only………  Ortygia is a peninsula of the city of Siracusa in southern Sicily.  It’s enveloped by water on three sides but not a grain of sand in sight.  Not to be deterred in their love of summer beach days, Ortygia folks gather on this odd-looking structure which serves the purpose.  Down the stairs they go….young and not-so-young alike…into the cool blue waters of the Mediterranean!