Spiaggi dei Conigli, located on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, is the second best beach in the world, according to TripAdvisor.
A breathtaking beach on a tiny European island has been named the coastal spot with the bluest waters.
Nestled on Sicily’s Lampedusa island sits Spiaggia dei Conigli – meaning Rabbit Beach – celebrated for its Maldives-like white sand and pristine turquoise waters. This southern Italian paradise recently secured second place on TripAdvisor’s rankings of the best beaches in the world.
The Sicilian beach has now been named by Omio as having the bluest waters in the world. The booking platform ran a number of famous beaches by ChatGPT and asked the bot to analyse the blueness of their waters. Spiaggia dei Conigli came out on top.
Part of the joy of the beach is that it’s quite difficult to get to, meaning it’s populated by those who really want to be there. It sits 5km away from Lampedusa town and is a bit tricky to find, but well worth the effort. If you don’t have your own transport, you can hop on the bus from Lampedusa, which departs every hour. The beach is accessible only by boat or on foot via a 15-minute trail off the main road (look for the sign of the lounging rabbit).
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To protect the natural environment, from 20 June to 15 October, access to the beach is regulated across two shifts: 8.30am to 1.30pm, and 2.30pm to 7.30pm, with a maximum number of 550 people allowed on the beach in each.
Beyond the spectacular water quality, it’s also renowned as a breeding ground for loggerhead sea turtles, also known as Caretta Caretta. On certain evenings throughout the year, the shoreline is sealed off so the reptiles can lay their eggs.
However, if you arrange a trip, you can visit the beach to witness the baby turtles emerging from their shells. The beach’s popularity has also drawn in numerous boat tours that will whisk you along the coast for a dip in the crystal-clear sea.
The broader island itself boasts an endless array of activities, from touring the stunning churches, hiking and cycling, to visiting the Lampedusa Turtle Rescue for a closer look at the marine life. For those addicted to social media, you can snap some Instagram-worthy shots at Scalette della Pace – a street adorned with vibrantly painted stairs and a boat.
Lampedusa sits much closer to Tunisia than it does to Sicily, with the tiny island roughly 200 miles from the Italian landmass. It does have its own airport which has domestic connections to Rome, Venice, Verona, Genoa and Bergamo airports. The shortest flight time is from Palermo Airport which is just an hour away. Sea crossings from Porto Empedocle just outside Agrigento are also available, but quite long: the fastest maritime journeys are by hydrofoil and take over four hours, while normal ferries take ten hours.
The beach can be reached by bus from the airport in under half an hour. Cars or scooters can be rented, but the island is small enough that that is unnecessary for most people.