Guitgia, the beach a few minutes from the centre of Lampedusa
It is the only beach on Lampedusa you can walk to in a few minutes, with fine sand and shallow water. The price is sharing it with half the island in August.
Today: north-easterly (grecale) 12 knots. This cove is sheltered, the sea should be calm. Full wind guide
Guitgia is the beach for people staying in town. It sits on the bay beside the harbour, a few minutes on foot from the centre, and you need no scooter, no car and no booking to get there. The sand is fine and pale, the water creeps in slowly and stays shallow for a long stretch, and the bottom is smooth sand with no rocks to stand on. That is why you see families with toddlers, older visitors and anyone who landed on the island without wheels.
The trade off is just as clear. This is the only beach on the island with beach clubs, bars and sunbeds for hire, so it is also the busiest, and in August the free sand shrinks badly between midday and four. There is no natural shade, the sandy bottom gives a snorkeller nothing to look at, and the background sound is a working bay rather than a hidden cove. If you turn up expecting Cala Pulcino you will be disappointed, if you turn up for a swim before dinner Guitgia works beautifully.
| Access | on foot from town |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1 km from town, 15 minutes on foot |
| Seabed | sand |
| Depth | shallow near the shore |
| Shade | very little |
| Facilities | beach club, bar and rentals |
| Parking | limited |
| With children | excellent |
| Snorkeling | good to start |
| Sheltered from | northerly (tramontana), north-easterly (grecale), mistral (north-westerly), westerly (ponente) |
| Exposed to | southerly (ostro), sirocco (south-easterly), south-westerly (libeccio) |
Getting there
- From the centre walk down via Roma to the harbour, then follow the seafront on your right, past the moored boats.
- Beyond the harbour the road curves around the bay and shortly after you reach the beach entrances.
- There is more than one way down to the sand, the central one to the serviced stretch, the side ones to the free sand.
- If you drive, parking around the bay is scarce and fills up early in August, so it is easier to leave the car in town.
- The route works with a pushchair, because it is paved from end to end.
The water and how far you can stand
The water at Guitgia is the gentlest on the island. The bottom drops away at a minimal gradient, you can stand for tens of metres and a child can walk a long way without losing their footing. Because it is sand rather than rock, the seabed stays smooth, with no sea urchins, no sharp stones and no acrobatic entry. In calm weather the water is clear and takes on the pale turquoise typical of sandy bottoms, which is a different thing from the deep blue of the coves out west.
Further out, towards the middle of the bay, the bottom deepens and the moorings begin, so that is not a stretch worth swimming into. When there is a bit of swell the sand lifts and the water near the shore turns milky for a few hours, even when the surface looks flat. It is not dirt, it is the bottom being stirred up, and it is usually enough to get in from the more sheltered end of the bay or to put the swim off for half a day.
Morning, late afternoon and the swim before dinner
Before ten Guitgia is a different beach. The light is good, the water is still, you find a spot without negotiating for it and the background noise is the harbour going about its business. Between eleven and four the crowd arrives and, since there is virtually no natural shade, you feel the heat in full, so either you have an umbrella or you do not stay long. In the middle weeks of August that is the slot to avoid, not because of the sea but because of the space.
From five onwards the beach empties out and becomes the best place on the island for that hour. The light softens, the water stays warm because it is shallow and has been heating up all day, and the last swims happen with half the sand free. That is the real advantage of being just a few minutes away on foot, because you can come back twice in the same day without organising anything. Then you walk up towards the village and by nine via Roma is already full of people strolling.
The wind that saves it and the wind that ruins it
Guitgia faces south, so it follows the rule of the island. With the mistral (north-westerly) the wind comes off the land, the bay stays flat and the water clear, and those are the days when this beach is at its best. With the sirocco (south-easterly) the opposite happens, meaning short waves on the shore, sand in suspension, umbrellas flapping and underwater visibility cut to almost nothing. On days like that move your morning to the eastern side, towards Cala Pisana, Cala Creta or Mare Morto.
With children, and what you will not find
For a small child Guitgia is the simplest choice on the island, with shallow water, sand to play in, toilets and a bar a few steps away and your accommodation close by if you need to go back. It is also the only beach where you can hire a sunbed and an umbrella instead of carrying everything with you. What you will not find is snorkelling, because a sandy bottom shows you little or nothing and for the first proper fish you are better off at Cala Francese or on the eastern side. Do not expect natural shade or the quiet of a remote cove either.
The two visit trick
Since you get there on foot, split the day. A long swim from eight to eleven, back into town for lunch and the worst hours, then back down around five for a second swim and a shower before dinner. You skip the peak of the crowd and the hours when the sun is unbearable, and the beach costs you a short walk instead of half a day of logistics.
Watch the boats and the traffic in the bay
The bay is shared with the boats going in and out of the harbour and with the moorings offshore. Stay close to the shore, inside the buoyed area where there is one, and do not swim across the bay, especially with a mask or a lilo, because from a moving boat a head at water level is spotted late.
Where Guitgia is
Nearby coves
Frequently asked questions
Can you walk to Guitgia from the centre of Lampedusa?
Yes, and that is the whole point of it. It is a short, flat walk from the centre along the harbour, with no footpaths and no steps. It is the only beach on the island you do not need a scooter, a car or a bus for, and the route is paved the whole way if you have a pushchair.
Is Guitgia suitable for small children?
It is the most suitable on the island. The bottom is sand and stays shallow for tens of metres, there are no rocks to climb over on the way in and services are a few steps away. The only limits are shade, which you have to bring or hire, and the August crowd in the middle of the day, so with very small children early morning is the better call.
Is Guitgia any good for snorkelling?
You can try, but it is not the right place. The bottom is sandy and uniform, so there is little life to see, and visibility drops as soon as a bit of swell lifts the sand. For snorkelling from the shore you are better off on rocky bottoms such as Cala Creta, Mare Morto or Cala Francese, picking a day with a calm sea.
Which wind makes Guitgia worth it?
The mistral (north-westerly), the tramontana and northerly winds in general, which blow off the land and leave the bay flat. Avoid it in a sirocco (south-easterly) or any southerly wind, which raise a swell along the whole south coast and cloud the water. Check the forecast the evening before and keep the eastern side as your fallback.
How crowded is it in August?
Very, in the middle of the day. As the town beach it collects everyone staying in the centre, everyone without transport and everyone spending half a day there, and the free sand fills up between eleven and four. Before ten and after five the picture changes completely and you find space without any trouble.