Cala Capreria: The Best Beach In The Zingaro Nature Reserve

Cala Capreria (AKA Cala della Capreria) is perhaps the best beach in the Zingaro Nature Reserve (Riserva dello Zingaro) in Sicily, Italy. In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about visiting Cala Capreria.

About Cala Capreria

Cala Capreria is a stunning beach that you’ll find on the northwest coast of Sicily at Riserva dello Zingaro in the province of Trapani. It’s a small sandy pebble beach that’s surrounded by immense orange-cloured cliff walls and sea caves. Certainly, Cala Capreria is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sicily. If you want to explore the best beaches in Sicily, then Cala Capreria should be high on your to-do list. To help you plan your visit, let’s look at a map of where the beach is located below.

FYI – Zingaro Nature Reserve goes by many similar interchangeable names. These include Riserva dello Zingaro, Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro, La Riserva dello Zingaro, Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve, Zingaro Reserve and Zingaro National Park.

Cala Capreria Map

To help you get your bearings, feel free to press on the image below to access an interactive map on Google Maps.

Now you know exactly where Cala Capreria is located, let’s look at how to visit this spectacular beach.

How to Visit Cala Capreria in the Zingaro Nature Reserve (Riserva dello Zingaro)

To visit Cala Capreria, you’ll need to enter Riserva dello Zingaro.

Because of Zingaro Nature Reserve’s relative remoteness, the beaches in the nature reserve aren’t super quick or easy to reach. Indeed, it’s not a case of simply parking your car next to Cala Capreria and then strolling onto the beach.

Thankfully though, Cala Capreria is the closest beach in Riserva dello Zingaro to the southern entrance. So, out of all of the spectacular beaches to visit at Riserva dello Zingaro, Cala Capreria is one of the most convenient to reach. From the southern entrance, the beach is around 1km away, taking most people around 15–20 minutes to walk to.

Personally, Beck and I explored Cala Capreria as part of the popular Sentiero Costiero, which is an immense coastal path in the reserve. As it turned out, Cala Capreria was the first beach we stopped at during the sublime coastal walk. Of course, it’s totally up to you if you just simply want to visit the beach on its own, spending the day there chillin’ out. Otherwise, we highly recommend visiting Cala Capreria as part of doing Sentiero Costiero.

Unfortunately, you won’t have free access to Cala Capreria. Let’s look at the entrance fees and opening hours of the Zingaro Nature Reserve below.

Entrance Fee and Opening Hours For the Zingaro Nature Reserve

At the southern entrance, you’ll need to pay an entrance fee to access Zingaro Nature Reserve. It’s €5 per person to enter.

Between October and March, the nature reserve is open from 8am to 4pm. From April to September, the opening hours are extended from 7am to 7pm.

Visiting Cala Capreria

Starting at the southern entrance, you’ll soon pass through a large tunnel. When Beck and I passed through, it was swarming with bees. So, we had to get a little jog on, mainly because I’m allergic to bees!

You’ll then pass a visitor centre and museum with toilets. Having toilets near the beach is very convenient for visitors, compared with the remoteness and lack of facilities at other beaches in the nature reserve.

Near the museum, you’ll find a trail leading to Cala Capreria. As you follow the trail, you’ll enjoy extensive views of Punta della Capreria, which is the crystal clear body of water surrounding the beach. After gradually descending the trail and steep set of steps, you’ll arrive at the small beach.

Personally, we think Cala Capreria is the best beach at Riserva dello Zingaro. But, given its closeness to the southern entrance and relative ease of reach, it’s often one of the busier beaches at the reserve.

Additionally, like many of the beaches at Zingaro Nature Reserve, it’s a small beach. This means it can get become quickly crowded, particularly during the peak season in summer. So, during peak season, we recommend visiting early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid crowds. Because Beck and I visited in March, during the off-season, we enjoyed the beach to ourselves in the morning, which was absolute bliss.

Other Beaches at the Zingaro Nature Reserve

Other than Cala Capreria, Riserva dello Zingaro is home to many breathtaking beaches. Below, you’ll find a brief overview of the other beaches at Zingaro Nature Reserve.

• Cala del Varo: this beach is so small that it isn’t included on the official Zingaro Nature Reserve map that you’ll be given at the entrance. We didn’t notice any obvious trail leading to it. So, we simply passed by this beach.
• Cala della Dissa: another pebble beach that’s a bit smaller than Cala Capreria. Similarly, you’ll enjoy a well-protected beach, surrounded by incredible orange-coloured cliff walls and caves.
• Cala Berretta: this is one of the smallest beaches at Zingaro Nature Reserve that’s easily accessible. Beck and I didn’t stop at this beach for long.
• Cala Marinella: a stunning bay with clear turquoise water. You’ll find steps carved into the orange-coloured rock platforms that lead you down to the water.
• Cala del’Uzzo: one of the best beaches at the reserve. Unlike Cala Capreria and Cala della Disa, Cala del’Uzzo isn’t surrounded by cliff walls. Rather, the small pebble beach is surrounded by tropical plants and trees.
• Cala Tonnarella dell’Uzzo: the largest pebble beach at Zingaro. Given its closeness to the northern entrance, Cala Tonnarella dell’Uzzo is likely to also be busy. You’ll find a museum near Cala Tonnarella dell’Uzzo, which also has toilets.

How to Get to the Zingaro Nature Reserve

The easiest and quickest way to get to the southern entrance of the Zingaro Nature Reserve in Sicily is to drive there yourself. You’ll find a large car park at the southern entrance. Although it does fill quickly. So, make sure to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

If you don’t have your own set of wheels, we recommend hiring a car. Personally, Beck and I picked up our car hire from Catania International Airport. For an automatic car, we only paid around €7 ($7USD) per day! Of course, with all car hire companies in Sicily, and Italy, make sure you’re fully aware of the rules and conditions of the car hire. That way, you won’t get hit with any unexpected fees from the car hire companies, which are usually all too eager to unsuspectingly charge you for something or other.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Public Transport

It’s possible to reach the southern entrance of the Zingaro Nature Reserve by using public transport. During the peak season, there is a bus service running from Scopello and Castellammare del Golfo. In the off-season, there are no public transport options to the southern entrance. So, during the off-season, it’s likely you’ll have to drive yourself there. Unless you want to splash the cash on a taxi.

• Scopello: from the village centre, the bus takes 15–20 minutes and usually costs around €1.90 per person one-way. During the peak season, there are usually half a dozen departures per day, starting at around 7:55am.
• Castellammare del Golfo: from the bus stop at Piazza della Repubblica, the bus takes approx. 45 minutes and costs around €3.20 per person one-way. On average, during peak season, there are three to four departures a day, ranging from roughly 7:30am to 6pm.

For more information regarding departure times, departure frequency and pricing, click here.

Where to Stay Near Cala Capreria

Most people visiting Zingaro Nature Reserve will do so from the larger cities of Palermo or Trapani. But, there are some more idyllic towns near the southern entrance of Zingaro, such as Scopello and Castellammare del Golfo.

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Palermo and Trapani, then we highly recommend staying at one of these towns closer to Zingaro. With this in mind, let’s look at the best accommodation options near the southern entrance of the reserve. For your convenience, we’ve handpicked the best budget, mid-range and luxury options in Scopello and Castellammare del Golfo.

Scopello Accomodation

Scopello is located right next to the southern entrance of Zingaro Nature Reserve. So, this would be the perfect base for visiting Cala Capreria.

Castellammare del Golfo Accomodation

If you’re looking for a wider range of accommodation options, then you may want to consider staying at the larger town of Castellammare del Golfo. Located around a 30 minute drive away from the southern entrance of Zingaro, Castellammare del Golfo is a popular base for visiting Cala Capreria and exploring the nature reserve.

Zingaro Nature Reserve Boat Tours

Other than beach hopping by foot, it’s possible to explore the Zingaro Nature Reserve by boat. Seeing the Zingaro coastline and mountains from the water is absolutely incredible. GetYourGuide offers very affordable Zingaro boat tours.

The Zingaro Nature Reserve and Scopello Cruise From San Vito lo Capo is an excellent boat tour. On this tour, you’ll explore Zingaro’s coastline, stopping at some of the best beaches (sometimes including Cala Capreria) and attractions along the way.

What to Wear and Pack

These are our gear essentials for visiting Cala Capreria.

• Swimming gear and towel
• Water shoes (aqua shoes): to help protect your feet when exploring the pebble beaches.
• Backpack: to store your gear.

Particularly, in summer, you’ll need to pack plenty of water for your trip to the Zingaro Nature Reserve. You won’t find shops in the nature reserve. So, make sure to pack plenty of supplies such as water and food. Also make sure you’re sun smart – if you’re not, you’ll get absolutely roasted out there by the Italian sun! So, apply plenty of sunscreen, wear a hat and cover your skin.

Otherwise, here are some general travel gear essentials for your trip to Sicily.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite travel gear, camera gear and hiking gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Bonus Tips

• Do Sentiero Costiero: this is possibly the best coastal walk in Sicily. Why not chill and swim at Cala Capreria after completing the epic coastal walk?
• Visit in the off-season: the beaches are much quieter and the weather is much milder and cooler. Although, it may still be a tad cold for swimming.
• Take cash: there are card machines at the Zingaro Nature Reserve entrances. But, sometimes they don’t work because of the remote location. Take cash just in case.

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