The Beach

‘As a child I used to lay down on the straw-coloured sand of Gela, on the shore of the ancient sea of Greece with many dreams in my fists; fists that I kept close to my breast’. There, the exiled Aeschylus measured inconsolable verses and passages, in the gulf burnt by the sun the eagle saw him and his last day came’.

This is how Salvatore Quasimodo described the beaches of Gela, where the bright sun caresses the high, changing dunes with its rays.

Nowadays the beaches of Gela are to be considered as a natural heritage of extraordinary value, an immense space, about 40 km long, interspersed with rocks that emerge from the sand, just like islands.

The dunes are characterized by the typical lush Mediterranean vegetation (maquis), now protected and reevaluated by operators. In March, the white broom, one of the protected species, colors the high dunes white by blooming.

Over the last decade many marine species have come back to repopulate the beaches and the sea, including velellas, starfish and sea sponges, a sign of the regained health of this stretch of coastline.

The beaches of Gela are now a popular destination for water sports lovers. At different times of the year, when the west wind blows particularly strongly, many kitesurfers gather on the coast of Gela, creating a sports show that is unique in Italy. Dozens and dozens of sails float in the sky like wings, windswept, drag along the coast up and down, drawing the bathers’ attention.

The numerous beach clubs in the stretch of coast near Gela are immersed in the sand dunes and provide bathers with facilities and services. For those who love wild and unspoilt nature, Gela has more than 20 km of free beach!

Written by: Giuseppe La Spina