Is Scala dei Turchi open today? Current status and closures

Under normal conditions Scala dei Turchi is open every day from 08:00, with last entry at 19:40. It closes automatically, sometimes for just a few hours, in weather alerts, rain, wind, choppy or rougher sea, extreme heat or after an earthquake. Before you set off, check the notices of the municipality of Realmonte and the coastal forecast.

Status as of 2 August 2026, the date of the last update of the municipality of Realmonte's page; time slots and the daily cap are statements by the mayor

• Hours. Every day from 08:00, last entry at 19:40.
• Ticket. €6 per person.
• Payment. Card only, at the entrance.
• Visit. 20 minutes. According to the mayor (May 2026), groups of 50 go in every 20 minutes, up to 1,800 entries a day.
• Booking. The municipality's page (August 2026) says bookings are by e-mail only; press reports from May 2026 say tickets are sold on site only, with no online booking.
• Visiting area. Only the lower part of the headland, along a fixed route. The upper steps are closed.
• Automatic closures. The site closes in rain, under a yellow or higher weather alert, in a fresh wind or stronger, in a choppy (slight) sea or rougher, in heat above 34-35 °C (sometimes only in the middle of the day), after an earthquake above magnitude 2.5, or when the municipal civil protection office judges it necessary.

How can you tell if it is open today?

The time bar on our home page shows the time in Realmonte, the entry hours, sunrise and sunset, and tells you whether you are within opening hours right now. It knows nothing about bad weather or one-off closures: it is the first check, not the last.

The weather. The evening before, look at the Sicilian regional civil protection alert: with a yellow alert or higher the site stays closed. In summer check the heat forecast too.

The municipality's notices. Realmonte posts closures and rule changes in the news on its website, in the Tourism section, and on its "My Scala dei Turchi" page. If in doubt, call the switchboard on +39 0922 810811.

What not to trust. Many articles about the 2020 and 2025 closures don't show their date clearly and look current. Guides that mention online booking on i-Ticket describe 2025. Up-to-date hours and prices are on our page on tickets and opening hours.

Why does it close?

The closure rules come from order no. 07 of 8 May 2025, the one that reopened the visit. The area closes by itself, with no new notice, in the conditions listed in the box above; rain and heat come from the municipality's page, and the order also covers waterlogged ground meeting a sudden sharp rise in temperature. The reason is the safety of the cliff: the marl is a soft rock, and water, waves and tremors can bring blocks down. Why it is so fragile is explained in our guide to the geology of Scala dei Turchi.

There are also closures for filming. On 29 July 2025 a photo shoot with a Pass Verde, the permit for professional shoots, closed the area for the whole morning. At the end of September 2026 the mayor mentioned two closures for filming, a documentary for the Italian broadcaster Rai and a fashion shoot, plus a few days of bad weather; the exact dates are not confirmed. In July 2026 the site closed from 11:00 to 18:00 on 18, 19 and 22 July because of the heat.

Is it open in winter?

The municipality does not publish winter hours, and we found no notices for the 2026-2027 season. At the end of September 2026 the mayor spoke of a target of 200,000 visitors by Christmas, which suggests it stays open in autumn. In winter it rains more often, and in the rain the site closes. To choose your dates, see our guide on the best time to visit.

When did it reopen?

News about closures and reopenings covers several years: the cliff was seized by prosecutors in 2020, since 2024 only the lower part can be visited for a fee, and after a closure in April 2025 visits resumed on 8 May 2025. The full story is on our page on UNESCO, ownership and the news.