Lido Otello

Lido Otello works one of the better sections of Santa Maria del Focallo, the Blue Flag beach running along the Ispica coast in Sicily's south-eastern corner. The sand is fine and pale, the dunes behind it are largely intact, and the water shelves so slowly that it stays waist-deep well out from shore, which is why this coast fills with Sicilian families rather than international tour groups. Seating runs from ordinary sunbeds and umbrellas up to pagodas for anyone wanting more shade and more space. The kitchen is the club's calling card: a Mediterranean menu built on local produce and served through the middle of the day, with a panoramic bar above the sand handling coffee in the morning and cocktails from mid-afternoon. Sunday brings a DJ set, and the terrace is let for private parties through the season. There are spacious changing rooms and showers, a children's play area, summer animation for all ages and wifi across the site.