ENVIRONMENTAL ITINERARY: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN ITALY
BETWEEN BEACH GALLINA (AVOLA) AND RAGANZINO (POZZALLO)

The Terre dei due Mari overlook the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Beautiful sandy coasts, interspersed with coves and promontories, are the setting for crystal clear waters that change color with the changing seasons. A very fine and siliceous sand forms dunes rich in Mediterranean scrub, where it is not rare to find plants that are well suited to the salty and marine environment. The most beautiful beaches are located in the most southern lands of Italy: they are tens, more or less small, sometimes hidden, enclosed between rocks, cliffs and caves, sometimes imposing in their extension almost as far as the eye can see. This itinerary combines, with a unique route, some of the most fascinating beaches in the area. To the north east of the city of Avola, along the SS 115 from Avola to Cassibile, you reach Contrada Gallina, from which the beach takes its name: you enter through a dirt road (signaled) from the state road. Along a path leading to the promontory, you reach this suggestive beach of great white pebbles and crystal clear sea: 500 meters of sandy coastline characterized by a cordon of dunes protected by white rocks and degrading to the sea. The beaches of Avola are all wonderful and well-kept: after the city's promenade, you get to the Pantanello beach, also called "Ferro di Cavallo" for its particular arched shape, so a stop is in the Mare Vecchio beach, overlooking the sea. 'antica tonnara, near the village of Marina di Avola. In the territory of Noto we visit two different coasts, fascinating in their morphology. The northernmost beach is that of the Lido di Noto, a stretch of coastline adjacent to a delightful tourist village, characterized by a beach of fine and amber sand, crystalline waters that gently degrade to the open sea. Present delicious bathing establishments, also equipped for water sports. To get to this delightful seaside village, take the provincial road from Avola. Along the coast there is the possibility to park the car. Going along the provincial road, towards the south, you arrive at the Vendicari Wildlife Oasis (which is also the Oriented Nature Reserve): here you can visit the beach of Calamosche, defined in 2005 by the Blue Guide of Lega Ambiente, the most beautiful beach in Italy . It is a suggestive sandy cove about 200 meters wide, with transparent and always calm waters, surrounded by two rocky promontories characterized by rich coast vegetation, which gently degrade on the sea, giving ravines, inlets and backdrops for snorkelers. You arrive after a walk of about 1km from the secondary access of the Reserve (from the provincial road Noto - Pachino). Going down the last strip of Europe, the southernmost beach of Sicily and Italy, is that which is joined by a strip of land to the Isola delle Correnti, in the municipality of Portopalo di Capo Passero.Unlike the name, which identifies the meeting between the two seas and therefore between the currents, the beach is enclosed in a small gulf, which often makes the water quiet and allows you to admire the spectacle of the currents. To reach the beach it is necessary to pass the village of Portopalo, the port harbor and follow the signs for Isola delle Correnti. To the west of the beach there is an asphalt parking and one on a dirt plateau. In the Territory of Pachinonon you can not visit the beach of Carratois: you can get there along the provincial roads n.6 and n.8 from Portopalo, and then follow the signs Carratois. Extraordinary strip of sea in front, limpid and almost always quiet, protected on the left from the Isola delle Correnti and on the right from Punta delle Formiche. The beach is free, wide and of fine sand. You can park your car in the streets bordering the beach. In summer, but also in winter, the beach is filled with fans of Windsurfing and Kitesurfing. Departing to the west towards the Ragusa area, through the provincial road that runs along the coast, there is a very long ivory beach: it is Santa Maria del Focallo, in the municipality of Ispica. The beach is free, easily accessible by road, also equipped with public showers. Extraordinary the back dune, rich in Mediterranean scrub. A few kilometers further northwest is Pozzallo: under one of the most ancient fortresses in the whole area, Torre Cabrera, one of the most beautiful beaches in Italy is Pietre Nere. Very wide beach near the promenade, characterized by beaches and services, easy to reach and free access. A few hundred meters to the west from this is another incredible beach, that of Raganzino, directly accessible from the road that leads from the city to the port areas.

Source GAC dei due mari