Scialai Comfort Beach Cafe

Scialai sits at Portopalo di Capo Passero on Sicily's southernmost tip, close to the Isola delle Correnti where the Ionian meets the Mediterranean. The setting is dunes and Mediterranean scrub rather than a promenade, and the meeting of two seas means the water is often lively and the wind a real factor; the club links to a wind forecast from its own site, which tells you how much it matters here. Shade comes from African cane umbrellas and canopies rather than plastic parasols. Published rates run 30 euros for rows three to five in low season and 35 euros in high season, with front rows at 35 and 40 euros, and a canopy with two loungers for up to four people at 60 to 70 euros; hot-shower tokens are included, and August weekends and the mid-month peak carry supplements. Facilities cover showers, cabins, toilets, wifi, a lifeguard, a children's play area and accessible access. The bistro serves lunch and dinner built on local produce, with fresh fruit juices, cocktails and Sicilian wines, and the bar keeps going through sunset with a DJ. House rules are firm: no animals on the beach, children over 12 need their own lounger, and arrival is preferred by 11am.