Overview
Located 6 km from Agrigento, Porto Empedocle overlooks the southern Tyrrhenian coast. Its picturesque historic centre extends outwards from Via Roma, the town's main artery, and is dominated by the Tower of Charles V, built in the 16th century as a defensive outpost and later used by the Bourbons as a prison.
In addition to the Baroque buildings dotted around the centre, the main points of interest are the beaches. All of them, from Capo Rossello to Marinella, including the "Chaos beaches" or Spiagge del Caos, offer spectacular views with golden sand and crystal-clear sea.
Just under 6 km away, near Realmonte, is the cliff known as the Scala dei Turchi ("Stair of the Turks"), which was created naturally by erosion. The dazzling white cliff is formed frome limestone and clay and extends for several hundred metres. Legend has it that it was here that the Ottoman Turks landed to plunder the region. To avoid the summer crowds, we recommend visiting between April and May or in September, when the temperatures are slightly cooler: the sun beats down directly on the cliffs and there is no shelter. You might want to spend some time in the little bay you can glimpse from above. The only way to reach it is by foot or boat, but the beautiful setting is definitely worth it.
