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PuntaSecca:Montalbano'sBeach
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There is a place on the Ragusa coast where an ordinary house became the most famous in Sicily. A small villa with a terrace overlooking the sea, blue shutters, waves arriving almost at the door. Inspector Montalbano's house. But Punta Secca is much, much more than a television set. ## A suspended hamlet Punta Secca is a hamlet of Santa Croce Camerina, about 8 kilometres west of Marina di Ragusa. It is a tiny settlement — a few hundred permanent residents — stretching along a point of land between two sandy coves. On one side, the beach facing Marina. On the other, the beach facing Caucana and Casuzze. In between, the lighthouse. Those who arrive here off-season find a silence with physical weight. Empty streets, boats pulled ashore, the sound of the sea bouncing between low houses. It is the kind of place where time is measured by tides, not clocks. ## The east beach (Marina side) Punta Secca's main beach lies east of the hamlet, facing Marina di Ragusa. It is **fine pale sand** with a gently sloping seabed — similar to Marina's but shallower, making it perfect for children. The beach is not huge, but that is precisely what gives it an intimacy that Marina's larger beach cannot have. In high season it fills up, but never with the density of Marina's lidi. One or two establishments offer loungers and parasols; the rest is free beach. ### Montalbano's house Overlooking the east beach, **Inspector Montalbano's house** is instantly recognisable: the first-floor terrace, the shutters, the external staircase. In the RAI series adapted from Andrea Camilleri's novels, this is the house where Salvo Montalbano lives, eats Adelina's arancini and contemplates the sea. The house is private property (it operates as a B&B), but it can be admired from outside and from the beach. It has become a pilgrimage site for fans of the series — Italian and foreign alike — who come to take their photo with the sea behind them, in the same corner where Montalbano drinks his morning coffee. ## The west beach (Caucana side) On the other side of the point, facing west, a second more intimate and less visited beach opens up. The seabed here is slightly different: rockier in some stretches, with pools reminiscent of a miniature version of the Pietre Nere. It is the preferred side for those seeking quiet. ## The lighthouse The **Punta Secca Lighthouse** is the hamlet's highest point — and one of Sicily's most photographed lighthouses. Still operational, it rises on the rocky point between the two beaches. The interior is not open to visitors, but the surrounding area offers a 360-degree view: the open sea toward Africa, the coast toward Marina to the east, the Hyblaean countryside behind. At sunset, the lighthouse becomes a perfect silhouette against the orange sky. If you must choose just one spot to watch the sunset in the area, this is it. ## Eating in Punta Secca Punta Secca has a handful of restaurants and bars, clustered along the main street and the hamlet's small piazza. The offering is simple and genuine: - **Fresh fish** from local fishermen, grilled or stewed - **Arancini and rotisserie** at the village bars - **Artisan granita and gelato** Don't expect variety: expect quality. Here they cook what the sea brings, and it brings well. ## How to get there from Marina di Ragusa - **By car**: 10 minutes via SP 85. Limited parking in summer — arrive early - **By bike**: about 25 minutes on flat road. A simple, scenic route suitable for everyone - **By bus**: Tumino line 4 from Marina, limited stops - **Walking the coast**: for the more adventurous, you can walk from Marina to Punta Secca along the beach and coastal paths (about 1 hour 30 minutes). Bring water ## Tips - **Parking**: the main problem in summer. Arrive before 9:30 or come by bike - **Bring everything**: facilities are limited. Water, parasol, food if you plan to stay all day - **Combine with Casuzze**: on the road between Marina and Punta Secca, Casuzze beach is worth a stop. [Discover Casuzze →](/guida/spiagge-casuzze) - **Off season**: Punta Secca is beautiful in spring and autumn — the hamlet is deserted, the sea still good, the light perfect --- > *In Punta Secca the sea arrives almost at the front door. This is not a metaphor: it is literally true. And that is why Camilleri chose it for his inspector — because there are places where the boundary between life and the sea does not exist.*
SPIAGGE · Read
PuntaSecca:Montalbano'sBeach
There is a place on the Ragusa coast where an ordinary house became the most famous in Sicily. A small villa with a terrace overlooking the sea, blue shutters, waves arriving almost at the door. Inspector Montalbano's house. But Punta Secca is much, much more than a television set. ## A suspended hamlet Punta Secca is a hamlet of Santa Croce Camerina, about 8 kilometres west of Marina di Ragusa. It is a tiny settlement — a few hundred permanent residents — stretching along a point of land between two sandy coves. On one side, the beach facing Marina. On the other, the beach facing Caucana and Casuzze. In between, the lighthouse. Those who arrive here off-season find a silence with physical weight. Empty streets, boats pulled ashore, the sound of the sea bouncing between low houses. It is the kind of place where time is measured by tides, not clocks. ## The east beach (Marina side) Punta Secca's main beach lies east of the hamlet, facing Marina di Ragusa. It is **fine pale sand** with a gently sloping seabed — similar to Marina's but shallower, making it perfect for children. The beach is not huge, but that is precisely what gives it an intimacy that Marina's larger beach cannot have. In high season it fills up, but never with the density of Marina's lidi. One or two establishments offer loungers and parasols; the rest is free beach. ### Montalbano's house Overlooking the east beach, **Inspector Montalbano's house** is instantly recognisable: the first-floor terrace, the shutters, the external staircase. In the RAI series adapted from Andrea Camilleri's novels, this is the house where Salvo Montalbano lives, eats Adelina's arancini and contemplates the sea. The house is private property (it operates as a B&B), but it can be admired from outside and from the beach. It has become a pilgrimage site for fans of the series — Italian and foreign alike — who come to take their photo with the sea behind them, in the same corner where Montalbano drinks his morning coffee. ## The west beach (Caucana side) On the other side of the point, facing west, a second more intimate and less visited beach opens up. The seabed here is slightly different: rockier in some stretches, with pools reminiscent of a miniature version of the Pietre Nere. It is the preferred side for those seeking quiet. ## The lighthouse The **Punta Secca Lighthouse** is the hamlet's highest point — and one of Sicily's most photographed lighthouses. Still operational, it rises on the rocky point between the two beaches. The interior is not open to visitors, but the surrounding area offers a 360-degree view: the open sea toward Africa, the coast toward Marina to the east, the Hyblaean countryside behind. At sunset, the lighthouse becomes a perfect silhouette against the orange sky. If you must choose just one spot to watch the sunset in the area, this is it. ## Eating in Punta Secca Punta Secca has a handful of restaurants and bars, clustered along the main street and the hamlet's small piazza. The offering is simple and genuine: - **Fresh fish** from local fishermen, grilled or stewed - **Arancini and rotisserie** at the village bars - **Artisan granita and gelato** Don't expect variety: expect quality. Here they cook what the sea brings, and it brings well. ## How to get there from Marina di Ragusa - **By car**: 10 minutes via SP 85. Limited parking in summer — arrive early - **By bike**: about 25 minutes on flat road. A simple, scenic route suitable for everyone - **By bus**: Tumino line 4 from Marina, limited stops - **Walking the coast**: for the more adventurous, you can walk from Marina to Punta Secca along the beach and coastal paths (about 1 hour 30 minutes). Bring water ## Tips - **Parking**: the main problem in summer. Arrive before 9:30 or come by bike - **Bring everything**: facilities are limited. Water, parasol, food if you plan to stay all day - **Combine with Casuzze**: on the road between Marina and Punta Secca, Casuzze beach is worth a stop. [Discover Casuzze →](/guida/spiagge-casuzze) - **Off season**: Punta Secca is beautiful in spring and autumn — the hamlet is deserted, the sea still good, the light perfect --- > *In Punta Secca the sea arrives almost at the front door. This is not a metaphor: it is literally true. And that is why Camilleri chose it for his inspector — because there are places where the boundary between life and the sea does not exist.*