Realmonte, Sicily: what to see in the town of Scala dei Turchi
Town 2 km from the Scala as the crow flies
Realmonte is the municipality in the province of Agrigento that Scala dei Turchi (the Turkish Steps) belongs to: the village sits on the hill, 2.3 km from the cliff as the crow flies and about 3 km by road. Besides the Scala, publicly owned since September 2023, it has a Roman villa by the sea, a 16th-century coastal tower, beaches with water rated excellent and, underground, a salt mine that is still working.
Where is it and how do you get there?
Realmonte borders Agrigento, Porto Empedocle and Siculiana. According to Wikipedia the village stands 144 metres above sea level and has about 4,400 inhabitants. From the centre you go down to the Scala on the SP 68, the provincial road towards Porto Empedocle.
Without a car there are the Lumia buses from Agrigento, which stop at "Via Rina" in the village and at "Bar La Sosta Durrueli" on the SS 115 main road, not at the cliff. According to Sicilia Target, in summer 2026 the municipality also ran a summer town bus linking Via Rina, Piazza Umberto I and the stadium with Lido Rossello, Scala dei Turchi and Punta Grande, with six runs a day in each direction; it is the only source, and fares and dates need to be checked with the municipality. Bus runs from Agrigento and the Temple Tour Bus are in our guide from Agrigento to Scala dei Turchi.
What is there to see in Realmonte?
Scala dei Turchi. Since September 2023 the formerly private plots of the headland have belonged to the municipality, which also holds the state-owned strip by the sea under a concession and runs the visit with a ticket and a closed area: everything is explained in our complete guide to Scala dei Turchi.
The Roman villa of Durrueli. The municipality lists it as the seaside villa of Publius Annius, from the 1st century AD, on Via Nereo, in the Punta Grande area. According to the Sicilian Region it has mosaics and baths, and it 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. You will find it on the Punta Grande page.
The Monterosso Tower. In the Pergole area: according to FAI, the Italian heritage trust, it is a tower on a square base about 12 metres per side, built on the site of an older round tower and later incorporated into the coastal defences of the Second World War. Sources disagree on its date; the coastal towers and the pirates of local tradition are covered in our guide to the history of Scala dei Turchi.
The Capo Rossello lighthouse. On the headland west of the Scala; we found no information on visits. See Capo Rossello.
The village. According to Wikipedia, Realmonte grew up after the Monreale family, dukes of Castrofilippo, bought these lands in 1681, and its patron saint is Saint Dominic, celebrated on 8 August; the entry itself is flagged for insufficient sources. In April 2026 Realmonte was the only Sicilian finalist in Borgo dei Borghi, the Rai 3 television contest for Italy's favourite village, finishing tenth. We have no verified sources on the churches, squares and museums in the centre.
Can you visit the salt mine?
Not as far as we know today. Under Realmonte there is a rock salt mine run by Italkali, one of three still working in Sicily, and inside it the miners carved out a large hall called the "Salt Cathedral". In the past it could be visited: by appointment with Italkali, according to sources from 2015 and 2019, or on the national mining day, as in 2016. But the latest dated news, from March 2021, said it was closed to the public, and no source confirms visits for 2022 to 2026; the Italkali website does not mention them. According to the local press, at least until 2021 a mass was held in the cathedral every 4 December, the feast of Saint Barbara. Don't turn up without written confirmation.
Which beaches are in Realmonte?
According to the Portale Acque, the Italian Ministry of Health's bathing water portal, all the bathing waters of Realmonte are rated excellent in 2026, with six samples each and the last on 15 September. The portal has no point called "Scala dei Turchi": the cliff lies at the edge of the Punta Grande bathing water.
| Beach | Where | Distance from the Scala |
|---|---|---|
| Punta Grande | Just east of the Scala | 0.9 km as the crow flies |
| Below Scala dei Turchi | At the foot of the cliff | 0 km |
| Lido Rossello | To the west, below Capo Rossello | 1.4 km as the crow flies |
| Giallonardo | Further west, towards Siculiana | about 6 km as the crow flies |
The portal also lists the bathing waters of Pergole, Pietre Cadute and the mouth of the Mulè stream, which we have not described yet. No beach in Realmonte has a Blue Flag in 2026.
Where to stay and eat near Realmonte?
From the village the Scala is about 3 km by road, and Lido Rossello and Punta Grande are on the same coast. Where to stay, in the village or near the sea, and where to eat are covered in our guide to hotels and restaurants near Scala dei Turchi. Leave time for the Roman villa, open every day until 20:00; and forget the Salt Cathedral until Italkali announces open visits.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Realmonte?
First of all Scala dei Turchi, publicly owned since September 2023. Then the Roman villa of Durrueli, from the 1st century AD, near the sea at Punta Grande, the Monterosso Tower in the Pergole area, and beaches such as Punta Grande, Lido Rossello and Giallonardo.
How far is Realmonte from Scala dei Turchi?
From the centre of the village to the cliff it is 2.3 km as the crow flies and about 3 km by road, along the SP 68 that runs down towards Porto Empedocle.
Can you visit the Realmonte salt mine?
Not as far as we know today. In the past the Italkali mine, with its Salt Cathedral, could be visited by appointment or on the national mining day, but in March 2021 it was closed to the public and no source confirms visits for 2022 to 2026. Don't turn up without written confirmation.
Which beaches are in Realmonte?
Realmonte's beaches include Punta Grande, the beach below Scala dei Turchi, Lido Rossello and Giallonardo; the Portale Acque, the Italian Ministry of Health's bathing water portal, also lists Pergole, Pietre Cadute and the mouth of the Mulè stream. In 2026 all of Realmonte's bathing waters are rated excellent.