35.513° N, 12.557° E
Complete guide
Spiaggia dei Conigli: beach guide
What the beach is like
Spiaggia dei Conigli lies in the municipality of Lampedusa e Linosa and is the heart of the Isola di Lampedusa nature reserve, established in 1995 to protect the southern strip of the island. The reserve's managing body describes it as a site of great beauty and natural interest, but at the same time fragile and vulnerable. Because of its small size and the presence of areas at hydrogeological risk, it can only host a limited number of people.
The beach is one of the sandy inlets that form where the valleys of the southern coast, similar to African wadis, open onto the sea. Zone A of the reserve includes Isola dei Conigli and the large valleys that run down to the sea. On the islet the garrigue is particularly lush, with growths of caper and Atriplex halimus. The islet is the realm of the yellow-legged gull, which nests there with about a hundred pairs. It is also home to the large psammodromus lizard, which has its only Italian site here.
The beach is a nesting site of the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta. It is one of the Italian sites of regular nesting that have been studied and monitored for the longest time; according to the managing body of the reserve, over the last 27 years it has hosted from 1 to 7 nests a year. Among the threats, the managing body lists rats, gulls and stray dogs, crowding on the beach, bathing, coastal erosion and storm surges.
Getting there
The village of Lampedusa lies 4.6 km as the crow flies east of the beach. The reserve's managing body mentions scheduled buses leaving from piazza Brignone and notes that the protected area is also easy to reach on foot or by bicycle. The beach itself, however, cannot be reached by bicycle.
The bay is reached along a state-owned path that starts at the checkpoint at the entrance to zone A of the reserve. In its final section the path is classified as hazard level P4 by the hydrogeological plan of the Isole Pelagie, but in 2026 it had not been closed by any order of the municipality. In the reserve, beaches included, there are no medical posts, lifeguard service, refreshment points, toilets or water points. It is therefore worth bringing water and everything needed for the day.
When to go
Based on the orientation of the coast, QualeSpiaggia data show that the beach faces south-west, onto the Strait of Sicily (Canale di Sicilia). With the south wind (ostro), the south-westerly (libeccio) and the west wind (ponente), the wind blows in from the sea and the beach is exposed to waves. With the north wind (tramontana), the north-easterly (grecale) and the east wind (levante), the wind blows from the land and the sea near the shore tends to be calmer. The sirocco (scirocco) and the mistral (maestrale) strike it from the side. This is an indication derived from the orientation of the coast, not a forecast.
In 2026, until 7 June, access was not limited, but the opening hours from 8:30 to 19:30 had to be respected. From 8 June to 18 October 2026, by contrast, access is limited and booking is compulsory. On summer nights, between June and August, the sea turtle comes up the beach, digs a hole and lays about 100 eggs in it. Incubation lasts about 60 to 70 days and when the eggs hatch, usually at night, the hatchlings head straight for the sea.
Seabed and sea
The stretch of water in front of the beach lies in zone A of the Isole Pelagie marine protected area and has sandy and rocky bottoms. In the tidal zone there are vermetid reefs (trottoir a vermeti), platforms formed by the shells of Dendropoma petraeum cemented together by calcareous red algae. In the littoral zone there is a meadow of Posidonia oceanica, and just below the surface the stony coral Astroides calycularis forms a continuous red-orange belt.
Along the shores of the reserve 40 fish species can easily be seen, including white seabream, gilthead bream, moray eels, amberjacks and saddled seabream, and the dusky grouper along the coast of Isola dei Conigli. In the 2025 season the water at Spiaggia dei Conigli was rated excellent by the European Environment Agency.
Facilities and free beach
The beaches of the reserve are not bathing establishments but natural environments. Only beach umbrellas and towels are allowed on the beach, while chairs, deckchairs, sunbeds, sunshades and inflatables may not be used. The use regulation of 24 July 2021, referred to in the 2026 decision, divides the usable area into three lots: umbrellas are allowed in lot 1A, while in lots 1B and 2 no umbrellas or other equipment may be set up. The managing body reports an information point of the reserve, open during the day at the entrance to zone A.
Rules and protected areas
According to the managing body's decision of 18 May 2026, in 2026 entry takes place in two shifts, from 8.30 to 13.30 and from 14.30 to 19.30. Each shift admits a maximum of 550 people: in 2026 the places were 465 with online booking, 50 via a daily entry list and 35 for residents and law enforcement officers permanently stationed on the island. In 2026 booking is done on the website prenotazionespiaggiaconigli.it and costs 1.30 euros, used to cover costs and to protect the turtle's breeding site. The 2026 rules allow booking only once a week, for a single shift and for up to 2 people, but not on the same day as the visit. In 2026 children up to 6 years old and people with disabilities using the sea accompaniment service of the Isole Pelagie marine protected area enter without booking. Under the 2026 decision, those who have booked must show up within an hour of the start of the shift and leave the beach at 13.30 or 19.30.
The same decision provides for the area to be closed during an orange or red weather alert for hydrogeological risk, and for 24 hours after an earthquake felt in the area or exceptional rainfall. The parts of the beach and coast outside the usable lots are reserved for conservation and may not be entered. The reserve's visitor rules prohibit smoking on the beach, bringing dogs except guide dogs, using drones, fishing and disturbing the peace with music without headphones or with ball and racket games. Camping, bivouacking, lighting fires and leaving litter are also prohibited in the reserve. To protect the turtles, reserve staff guard the beach from sunset to dawn and fence off and watch over the nests throughout incubation.
Nearby
Cala Pulcino lies 0.5 km as the crow flies to the north-west and is also a sandy inlet at the mouth of a valley. The managing body reports closed areas both at Cala Pulcino and at Cala Galera. Among the reserve's routes, one path follows a stretch of coast and overlooks the Cala Galera valley, where centuries-old junipers and carob trees survive. Hikes are permitted only along marked paths.