The Scala dei Turchi (Italian for “Stairs of the Turks”) is a brilliantly white limestone cliff, sculpted like a staircase, on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle, southern Sicily, Italy. The Scala is formed by marl, a sedimentary rock with a characteristic white color. The bluff lies between two sandy beaches, and can be easily reached through a limestone rock where the wind and rain through the centuries have worn away at its extensive steps. The name comes from the many invasions by Turkish pirates who anchored their boats next to the cliffs while they pillaged the surrounding area. Today, it’s a popular tourist attraction due to its unusual white color. Scala dei Turchi’s popularity was also helped, thanks to a series of detective stories written by Andrea Camilleri where this place was mentioned.

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