Punta Grande in Realmonte: the beach next to Scala dei Turchi

Punta Grande is the Realmonte beach area just east of Scala dei Turchi (the Turkish Steps): the headland is 0.9 km away as the crow flies, and the bathing water that bears its name starts right at the cliff. From here you reach the Scala by walking along the beach, and the Roman villa of Durrueli is about 1.3 km from the Scala as the crow flies, according to the municipality's coordinates. On today's beach clubs and prices we have no verified information.

Where is Punta Grande?

On the coast of Realmonte, in the province of Agrigento, between Scala dei Turchi and Porto Empedocle. OpenStreetMap uses the name Punta Grande both for a headland, 0.9 km from the Scala as the crow flies, and for the area behind it. Right at the foot of the cliff, maps mark another headland, Punta di Maiata, the name that returns in the Discesa Majata (the side road down to the sea) and in Lido Majata.

How do you get there, and where do you park?

By car. From the Scala it is about 0.8 km by road, a couple of minutes according to the OSRM routing service on OpenStreetMap data. The municipality of Realmonte lists two paid car parks at the bottom of the Discesa Majata; in the Punta Grande area there are also private parking areas, including one for campervans with an Apecar shuttle (a small three-wheeled vehicle) to the beach. Rates and tips are in our guide to parking at Scala dei Turchi.

Without a car. According to Sicilia Target, the summer town bus the municipality started in July 2026 had a stop at Punta Grande; it is the only source, and fares and dates need to be checked with the municipality. One of the Lumia bus stops in Realmonte is called "Bar La Sosta Durrueli", like the villa, but no source says how far it is from the beach. Runs and stops for buses from Agrigento are in our guide from Agrigento to Scala dei Turchi.

Can you walk to Scala dei Turchi?

Yes, along the beach. The Majata beach club is one of the four ways down to the beach listed by the municipality for the visit to the Scala. According to a 2024 guide, from there you have no steps, but you walk about 1 km on sand; a travel blog says it takes about 25 minutes on foot from Punta Grande. According to some reviews from around August and September 2026, there is no shade on the beach or on the climb back up to the upper car parks: bring water and a hat. At the entrance to the cliff you pay the €6 ticket: how the visit works is explained in our guide to Scala dei Turchi tickets.

In a 2014 photo taken in the area, the Scala shows in the background, with flat rocks in the foreground. Other spots for photographing it are in our guide to Scala dei Turchi photo spots.

What are the beach and the water like?

In the photo at the top, taken in 2014, the beach is sandy and equipped, with umbrellas, pedal boats and the Majata beach club. What it is like today, which beach clubs there are and what they cost, we have not checked.

According to the Portale Acque, the Italian Ministry of Health's bathing water portal, the "Punta Grande" bathing water is rated excellent: six samples in 2026, the last on 15 September, all within limits. The area starts at Scala dei Turchi, which lies at its western edge, and runs to just beyond the headland; the portal has no point called "Scala dei Turchi". The rating measures microbiological quality and does not tell you where swimming is safe.

What is there to see?

The Roman villa of Durrueli. The municipality of Realmonte lists it as the seaside villa of Publius Annius, from the 1st century AD, on Via Nereo: according to the municipality's coordinates it is about 1.3 km east of the Scala as the crow flies. According to the Sicilian Region it stands at the mouth of the Cottone river, has mosaics and baths, and reopened on 1 June 2023 after works funded by the Valley of the Temples Archaeological Park. It is open every day from 08:30 to 20:00, with last entry at 19:30; a ticket costs €4 full price and €2 reduced. Where to buy: on site only, from ticket machines run by the Park's custodial staff.

A coast cleaned up. There used to be an eyesore here: the unfinished Scatur hotel, built in 1989 on a 1983 development plan and seized in 1992, was demolished in June 2013. In autumn 2015 the last illegal building in the Scavuzzo area was also pulled down, with the support of FAI, the Italian heritage trust. The story of the cliff is in our guide to Scala dei Turchi news, ownership and UNESCO.

The marl layers. For geologists, the layers of Punta Grande, together with those of Punta Piccola, are the most recent part of the reference section of the Pliocene: our guide to the geology of Scala dei Turchi tells the story.

Which rules apply?

• Cliffs. The 2026 beach safety order of the Porto Empedocle Coast Guard, which also covers the Realmonte coast, bans standing or walking within 10 metres of the top of sheer cliffs and of their base, and bans diving or jumping from the cliffs.
• Turtles. In 2025, according to Balarm citing the Mareamico association, a loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nested at Lido Majata, near the Scala. If you see a turtle or a fenced-off nest, follow the advice in our guide to nature and turtles.
• Dogs. We found no rules for this beach.

What is the best way to go?

From Punta Grande, according to a 2024 guide, you reach the Scala without steps: you leave the car near the Discesa Majata and walk on the sand. Set off early in summer, bring water and a hat for the way back, and if you are interested in history, ask the municipality whether the Roman villa is open. On the other side of the Scala lies Lido Rossello; further east is Porto Empedocle.