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Sheltered beaches in Sicily today

Which side of Sicily is sheltered from today's wind? 462 beaches ranked by the forecast, updated every 2 hours.

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At a glance

Sicily beaches at a glance

462
Mapped beaches
109
Sandy beaches
43
Pebble beaches
6
With a lifeguard
Where the beaches face
N110NE52E49SE49S72SW70W10NW50

Most beaches face north (110). Wind from that side reaches them first; wind from the opposite side leaves them sheltered.

Shelter by wind direction

Which beaches are sheltered in each wind?

Wind direction decides everything. These are the Sicily beaches that stay most sheltered, and the ones that get roughest, in a strong wind (6 Bft) from each direction. It is computed from how much open sea lies upwind of each beach.

Beach guides

More guides for Sicily

A guide for every kind of beach, each one re-ranked live for today's wind.

Sea temperature

Sea temperature in Sicily, month by month

The average temperature of the sea near the beaches of Sicily, from 30 years of satellite measurements (NOAA, 1991–2020).

Warm-water seasonJul – Oct≥ 22 °C
Warmest month26 °CAugust
Coldest month15 °CFebruary
Sea temperature in Sicily, month by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNovDec
15°15°15°16°18°22°25°26°25°23°20°17°

The sea is 22 °C or warmer from July to October, and warmest in August, at about 26 °C.

Sea temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1, average of 1991–2020 (public domain). Close to the shore the water can be a degree or two warmer or cooler.

Best time to go

When to go to Sicily

  • Sea temperature
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNovDec15°15°15°16°18°22°25°26°25°23°20°17°

Every beach

Beaches on Sicily

462 beaches mapped. The most sheltered first, then every other beach with a name; each one opens its own page.

More beaches on Sicily (138)

Questions

Frequently asked questions

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Which side of Sicily is most sheltered in a north wind?

In a north wind (tramontana or mistral) the beaches of Sicily facing south and south-west stay the flattest: Beach near Borgo Fenicio (2), Beach near Calabernardo, and Beach near Casuzze. Beaches facing north are exposed to it.

How do you know which beaches are sheltered?

For every beach we measured how much open sea lies in each of 16 compass directions, using OpenStreetMap coastlines. Waves build over open water, so a beach with land close by in the direction the wind comes from is sheltered. Today's wind forecast from MET Norway is then applied, and the result is refreshed every 2 hours.

Are the forecasts reliable?

They are estimates. The model does not include swell from distant storms, and local gusts can be stronger than forecast. Always follow lifeguard flags and local warnings.

Which winds matter on the Italian coast?

Italian waters are shaped by several named winds: the tramontana from the north, the mistral from the north-west, the grecale from the north-east, the levante from the east, the scirocco from the south-east, the ostro from the south, the libeccio from the south-west and the ponente from the west. A beach is rough when the wind blows from the sea towards it and flat when land lies upwind, which is why this page lists the sheltered and rough beaches for each direction.

How warm is the sea in Sicily?

The sea is 22 °C or warmer from July to October, and warmest in August, at about 26 °C.