Turkish Steps

The Scala dei Turchi is one of those geological freaks you wouldn't expect unless you've been lying in the sun for a very long time—which, in Sicily, is not uncommon. It looks like a massive white staircase leading into the sea, or perhaps out of it, depending on whether you're coming or going.

Formed from marl – a rock that looks like chalk but behaves like soap – it was once the perfect landing place for pirates, who were all called “Turks” here for the sake of simplicity, regardless of whether they really came from Turkey or were just having a bad day.

Today, it's a photo magnet, an Instagram spot where people perch with the same reverence with which seagulls perch on freshly cleaned cars. And like so many great things on this planet, its edges are prone to erosion and its fate to administrative chaos.

A visit is definitely worthwhile, especially if you like standing where no one should be.