Lido San Vito Lo Capo

This is the Gruppo Emme lido on the great crescent of white sand at San Vito Lo Capo, about five minutes from the centre of town. The beach is the reason to come: shallow, pale-bottomed water that stays waist deep a long way out, backed by the sheer wall of Monte Monaco. The lido is a straightforward equipped-beach operation rather than a club with a scene. Rows of umbrellas and loungers are priced by distance from the water, running from 20 euros for a back row in June and September up to 45 euros for the front row in July and August. Only one extra lounger may be added per pitch, and it carries a supplement. Doors open at 8.30am and close at 7pm, seven days a week. Free wifi, security boxes at the pitches for phones and wallets, card and contactless payment, and beach equipment hire are all in place. The most useful thing on offer is free parking with a shuttle down to the sand, which matters a great deal in a town where August parking is genuinely painful. There is no restaurant on site, so plan lunch around the town's couscous places a short ride away.