Lido Poseidon

Poseidon occupies a plot on Cefalu's Lungomare Giardina, the long sandy strip below the old town, which means you can walk from the Norman cathedral to a sunbed in a few minutes. The beach here is sand rather than pebble and shelves gently, and the view back along the shore takes in the Rocca looming over the medieval rooftops. The lido has been part of this seafront for decades and is as much a restaurant business as a beach one: there is a proper dining room, a pizzeria with a wood-fired oven and a bar, and waiters will bring food and drinks out to your umbrella. Hours are split, with the beach open 9am to 7pm, the restaurant and pizzeria from 11am to 11pm, and the bar running through to midnight. Alongside loungers and umbrellas there are changing cabins, hot showers and a children's play area, and the watersports desk hires out pedalos, canoes, jet skis and a banana boat. Access is level enough for wheelchairs. This is a busy, unpretentious town-beach operation rather than a design-led club, and it works best if you want to combine a swim with a long lunch and then walk straight back into Cefalu.