An Italian Beach On Sicily's Coast Looks Like A Slice Of Hawaii With White Sands And Sparkling Blue Waters

The island of Sicily is a bit of a vacation mecca. Why, you ask? How does over 2,600 hours of sunshine per annum sound? What about some of the very best food in Italy? Oh, and there are also millennia-old temples, plus seaside cities rammed with beaches. Talking of beaches, Sicily actually offers up 900 miles of coastline that's split in three between the east, southwest, and north. For its part, the north shore is a land of rugged coast mountains and rocky coves, which is precisely where you find the almost Aloha-esque beach of Cala Tonnarella dell'Uzzo.

Prep yourself, for it's a beauty. After all, you don't go and get a 4.8-star rating on TripAdvisor without sublime good looks, you know? It's even been hailed as potential commercial fodder for its chalk-white sands and waters so clear they look Photoshopped. The whole cove is a mere 190 feet from one end to the other, proving that size hardly matters when you have alabaster-tinged cliffs draped with palm trees and fish-filled waters to make the snorkelers out there drool.

If all that's got you reaching for the Speedos and sunglasses, first aim to get to northwestern Sicily. That shouldn't be too much of a chore: The city of Trapani, with its airport served by stacks of low-cost European carriers, and even-larger Palermo, where there's a major international airport, are both potential arrival points. Cala Tonnarella dell'Uzzo itself is tucked deep in the Zingaro Nature Reserve. No cars are allowed in, though, so you'll have to park up and hit the coast trail to reach the beach.

There are only two ways to reach Cala Tonnarella dell'Uzzo: by foot or by sea. There are organized boat trips that can whisk you over the waters and directly into the cove, leaving from nearby port towns like Castellammare del Golfo. However, that would mean skipping the ultra-gorgeous coastal paths that weave along the cliffs of the Zingaro reserve. They're said to offer some of the finest shoreline hiking on the whole island!

Walkers will need to choose between entering the reserve from the south and having a longer hike, or entering from the north for a shorter, but likely more crowded, path. From the northern entrance, you're looking at no more than 10 minutes before you see the glinting blue waters and glowing pebbles of the beach. Coming from the south, you'll have to hike almost a full 4 miles of the main, 4.3-mile coastal route.

The terrain on both trails is a lesson in wild northern Sicilian shoreline, as the path undulates between patches of lavender and scrub on the edge of mountains that rise straight from the cobalt Mediterranean Sea. Parking at the trailheads is free, but there's a small fee to enter the nature reserve. Be sure to pack plenty of water (it can get super-hot here), wear good hiking shoes, and take refreshments, as there are no shops or amenities inside the park itself.

Cala Tonnarella dell'Uzzo is an undisputed beauty. It's been named among The Boot's most idyllic secret escapes, and ranked among the very finest beaches in the whole of Italy. One of the largest coves in the area, Uzzo is especially famous for its swimming and snorkeling. The swells quiet a little in this corner of the Zingaro, making it easier to explore the reefs and spot the colorful fish that inhabit the surrounding waters.

Thing is, this also isn't the only beach worth its salt (no pun intended) within the preserve. There are actually six in all — ranging from Cala Tonnarella dell'Uzzo in the north to Cala Capreria in the south, each with its own tempting H2O and jaw-dropping surroundings. Capreria is, perhaps, the greatest rival to Uzzo on the beauty front — think sand, stones, and carved-out coastal caves washed with glass-clear sea.

For those who don't fancy pulling on the hiking boots at all, the town of San Vito lo Capo is located just to the north. There, a long scythe of golden sand is surely one of Sicily's best beaches. It's also a more developed affair, with runs of sun beds peppering the pure, sugar-white shoreline, wine bars in attendance, and seafood kitchens jostling for attention.