Realmonte > Itinerary 1

Realmonte, home to the stunning Scala dei Turchi , preserves one of the most fascinating stretches of the Agrigento coastline: a true treasure trove of coves and hidden beaches. The famous white cliff is the coast’s undisputed pearl, which you can admire from the FAI Belvedere, developed through a joint restoration project by FAI (Italian Environment Fund) and the Municipality of Realmonte. Beyond this icon, the vast coastline of Realmonte awaits you with other breathtaking beaches like Giallonardo, the Spiaggette, Punta Grande, Punta Piccola, and Lido Rossello. Here, near Punta Grande beach, you can discover the ruins of an ancient Roman Villa from the 1st–2nd century A.D.: a rare and fascinating example of a maritime villa. The Roman Villa was built around a courtyard with a colonnade and an impluvium, a small pond which collected rainwater. Beyond this inner courtyard there were various domestic rooms, some of which with floor mosaics depicting marine gods or with geometrical decorations. Both the beauty of the decorations and the presence of a small complex of termae within the villa testify the elevated social status of the dominus, the villa’s patron. Torre di Monterosso is one of best preserved towers built by Charles V along the Sicilian coasts in the 16th century in order to protect the island from ottoman attacks. The tower is strategically located high on a promontory, looking out over the sea and the beaches of Giallonardo and le Spiaggette just below it. Charles V was the only heir of various dynasties and he governed wisely over territories in both Europe and America: his empire was so vast that he boasted that the sun never set on it.