The 10 wonderful Sicilian beaches not to be missed according to Vanity Fair

Sicily, with its crystal-clear waters, golden beaches and breathtaking landscapes, is one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations. This summer, Vanity Fairthe renowned society and lifestyle magazine, has compiled its ranking of the 10 most beautiful beaches on the island, offering a selection of enchanting places to take a dip and enjoy the sun. It is important to emphasise that this list represents only a small part of the many Sicilian beaches that are worth visiting, but still provides an excellent guide for those who wish to discover the wonders of this land.

Riserva dello Zingaro, San Vito Lo Capo (Trapani)

The Zingaro Nature Reserve is a small world where everything is in its place, far from the noise, no roads to take by car, only paths to follow while listening to the sounds of nature. The seven coves are distributed along the seven kilometres of coastline of the Zingaro Reserve and can only be reached on foot or by boat in the case of Cala del Varo. In this case, it is useful to hire a dinghy or boat. The closest cove to the southern entrance is Cala Capreria and can be reached on foot in about 20 minutes. The closest cove to the northern entrance is Tonnarella dell'Uzzo, less than a 20-minute walk away.

Spiaggia di Sovareto, Sciacca (Agrigento)

Sovareto beach in Sciacca - also known as Torre del Barone beach - occupies a long stretch of sandy shoreline, ending in a white rock face. The sand is fine and clear. Some parts of the beach are free, others are equipped with sunbeds and umbrellas. It is a few minutes' drive from Sciacca and there is a large car park. The sea is shallow for many metres, so it is also perfect for families.

Litorale di Vendicari, (Siracusa)

Vendicari beach is one of the most fascinating coastlines in the Reserve. It is located in the southern area, between Calamosche and San Lorenzo beaches, and has a very long sandy shoreline with a shallow seabed that gently slopes down towards the open sea. The first few metres of the seabed are inhabited by a Posidonia forest about 5 metres wide. Just beyond this, the water remains proco deep and crystal clear. In front of the beach, the islet of Vendicari emerges from the water and a few metres further along the coast the remains of the old tuna fishery and the old fishermen's houses.

Isola Bella, Taormina (Messina)

Together with the Greek Theatre, Isola Bella is the symbol of beautiful Taormina. Connected to the mainland by a thin tongue of sand, it is one of the most beautiful and famous beaches in Sicily. Its name was coined by Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden, a German aristocrat who lived in Taormina in the second half of the 19th century. There are some free stretches of beach and others equipped; the first stretch of the seabed has large stones, so it is recommended to enter the water with slippers.

Isola delle Correnti, Portopalo di Capo Passero (Siracusa)

This beach is also located within the Vendicari Reserve and is the beach of a small island of the same name, with a rounded shape of about 10,000 square metres and reaching a maximum height of 4 metres above sea level. It is connected to Portopalo by a fine tongue of stone and inside, the few signs of man's passage are the lighthouse, a small disused military structure, and a few dwellings where the lighthouse keeper and his family once resided. Due to its location, the island of Correnti represents a kind of border between the Ionian and Mediterranean Seas and is so called because of the intersection of the currents of these two seas.

Mondello (Palermo)

Mondello is the beach of the Palermitani, located 12 km from the city centre and is a bay enclosed by two promontories that are nature reserves. The white sandy beach is about 1.5 km long. Mondello used to be a fishing village, but in the early 20th century it was transformed into an elite tourist destination as Art Nouveau villas and buildings show. Mondello's landmark building is the old bathing establishment by the sea, an Art Nouveau pile-dwelling structure designed in 1910 by Rodolfo Stualker and inaugurated in 1913.

Isola dei Conigli, Lampedusa (Agrigento)

The nature reserve of the island of Lampedusa is part of the Pelagie archipelago in Sicily. On this island so far from the mainland that it feels like being in another world, there is this beach that is considered one of the most beautiful in the world and is reached by a walk of about 20 minutes. As to the origin of the name, there is still no clarity; it could indeed derive from the presence of a colony of rabbits, or more likely from a linguistic misunderstanding that transformed the Arabic word, rabit, or connection, into rabbit, rabbit in English.

Cala Junco, Panarea, Isole Eolie (Messina)

Cala Junco is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island of Panarea, in the Aeolian archipelago. It is located along the southern coast of the island and is one of two beaches that can be reached on foot. The cove is a beautiful natural pool with transparent turquoise-hued waters, enclosed amphitheatrically by high rock walls. In 1977, the Milanese lawyer Piero di Blasi, a friend of Renato Bazzoni, the 'father of FAI', donated to the Foundation an area he owned located right by the cove. Di Blasi had long been active in protecting the island, having founded with Bazzoni, Pino Tovaglia and Marialuisa Gioia the 'Committee for the Defence of the Environment of the Aeolian Islands'.

Spiaggia di Guidaloca, Castellamare del Golfo (Trapani)

Guidaloca beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the area, well-kept and washed by crystal-clear waters. Partly an equipped beach with deckchairs and umbrellas and partly free, it has a large car park nearby. The eastern part of the bay, having a rocky seabed, has even clearer and bluer water than the sandy area, and is ideal for snorkelling enthusiasts. Being a cove sheltered from the winds, the sea is almost always calm, also suitable for families with children.

Calamosche, Vendicari (Siracusa)

Calamosche is perhaps the most famous beach within the beautiful Vendicari Reserve, and is known by the locals as Funni Musca. It is a sandy cove that stretches for about 200 metres, bordered by two rocky promontories that shelter it from the currents and make the sea always calm and crystal clear. Thanks to this and its seabed, it is also a popular beach for snorkelling. Direct access to this beach is provided by a dedicated entrance. Once you arrive at the car park, you have to take a path of about one kilometre.