Our Best of Sicily cycling tour is a true coast to coast experience. Starting with exploring the west coast, you then roll east into the Noto Valley and Iblei Mountains, before heading to the south-west coast and on to the mythical Mount Etna.
Overall, we describe the riding on our Sicily bike tour as ‘tempo style’, meaning the undulating nature of the climbing allows you to find your own riding tempo. While the tour is rated a 9/10, this is due to its 9 days of riding back to back, however with most of the climbing sitting with an average gradient of between 3.5 & 5% and then Mt Etna at 7%, this is a riding experience that is absolutely achievable for most riders, but definitely requires preparation and training to enjoy the very best of it.
In this blog, we divide the tour into its three distinct parts and share with you what you can expect; we break down the numbers and share a more detailed description of the stunning landscape and style/intensity of riding that changes daily, and which sees you completing a total of 700km and 12,030m of elevation.
Part 1 | West Coast
After a pre-tour visit to Palermo, we’ll base ourselves on the wilder, west coast of the island for the first two nights of our tour. Here we enjoy an exploration with stunning coastal climbs and views, before transferring to the Valley of the Temples.
Day 1.
Your first day is about acclimatisation to the island, the riding terrain and to ensure that you’re comfortable with the setup of your bike, whether you’re hiring or bringing your own. The ride begins after lunch and is shorter, allowing enough time for the group to become familiar with each other on the road and stop to make any micro adjustments to your bike set up.
The total distance of the ride is 38.2km with 819m of elevation, and with one main climb for the day which is 14.8km long with a 5.6% average gradient, this is a beautiful afternoon out on the bike and the perfect introduction to Sicily.
Day 2.
You’ll roll out of our seaside town that in years gone by was also a thriving Roman port, and enjoy a 15km flat warm up that sees you hugging the coastline, before taking on the day’s four climbs, the first of which is 8.2 km, with an average gradient of 3.7%.
There will then be a little bump before coffee where we take in the stunning vista of one of Sicily’s most renowned seaside towns and beaches, and another on our way out of town as we dissect a rugged landscape of limestone mountains that tumble into the shimmering sapphire sea.
With all climbs averaging between 2 and 4% and taken care of before lunch, our final 30 kilometers sees us enjoying a thrilling 8k descent back to our seaside villa.
The total distance for the day is 86.9km & with a 981m elevation gain.
Day 3.
Today we’re on the move to our next destination. This is a great day on the bike as you find the right tempo for yourself and spin over and across an everchanging undulating landscape, ride past 2000 year old Greek temples, and enjoy a superb finish at our amazing hotel with views across the Valley of the Temples.
The day commences with a short transfer to a beautiful hilltop town of Arabic origins on the fringe of one of Sicily’s many beautiful wine growing regions.
You’ll ride a distance of 101.9km with a total elevation gain of 1686m, however you’ll be descending more than climbing overall, with a total descent of 1889 metres. This makes it a fast and fun day.
There are 11 climbs for the day, none of which are particularly long and in simple gradient terms, they range from 2.6% – 5%, with only a final push required at the very end of the ride where one corner hits a short, sharp pinch.
Part 2 | Noto Valley & Iblei Mountains
Based in the baroque heart of Sicily, here we’ll explore the beautiful UNESCO protected towns of the island and their world renowned Greek and Roman monuments, and enjoy the picturesque landscape with its valleys, canyons, lakes and endless stone walls.
Day 4.
You begin the day with the opportunity to experience one of the most outstanding examples of ancient Greek art and architecture of Magna Graecia, the Valle dei Templi, before another short transfer to our ride start location.
Today’s ride of 83.1km and 1499m of elevation gain is another day where we’ll descend more than we climb, with 1620 vertical metres of descending.
This is a truly sensational day on the bike. You’ll start in a hilltop town and descend through open golden fields, patches of olive groves, roads lined with spring wildflowers and cacti, and punctuated with small villages and hills. You’ll then climb up into more hilltop towns and along pastures with herds of cows, goats and rock lined walls that sit above dramatic ravines, before rolling into one of Sicily’s baroque hilltop jewels.
Day 5.
Today is a superb little loop of 95.4km and 1546m that will see you roll along the smaller farming roads of the region, lined with ancient rock walls and spring wildflowers, through open plains, down into and up out of ravines, and over green rolling hills that make way for roads which hug the edge of rock-strewn hills.
This day of 8 climbs between 1 – 9km long and with gradients between 3 – 5.5%, will see us climb through two of the region’s more important towns, with views that take in the amazing architecture of the historic centres below, and which will have you mesmerised and wondering just where were all the hills? The scenery and experience is simply spectacular.
Day 6.
Another seriously beautiful day with a distance of 104.1km and 1264m of elevation gain, but with only 4 climbs! We’ll start with a climb of:
- 4.6km and an average gradient of 5.5%, followed by
- 11.2km and an average gradient of 4.0%, then
- 1.9km and an average gradient of 4.3%, and finally
- 1.1 km and an average gradient of 5.1%
However these statistics are a little deceiving as this day is another where we’ll descend 400m more than we climb (1682m).
After our mid-ride coffee in one of the piazza’s of sandstone gem Palazzo Acreide, we’ll start our descent along an undulating ridge, before we have one of the most amazing lunches of the tour, a delicate pasta with home-grown produce. Buonissimo.
After lunch, only 40km remain and it’s a combination of a descent with stunning vistas and hairpin laden corners, and flat open olive and orange groves by the sea, before arriving onto the island of Ortigia – an island filled with centuries of history and beautiful baroque architecture.
Part 3 | South-West Coast & Mt Etna
A rest day in the charming atmosphere of ancient Ortigia is the perfect tonic for the mind, heart and body, before taking on the mythical Mt Etna and our magical final two days of the tour.
Day 7.
Today is our coffee ride, with a distance of 44.4km and an elevation gain of 338m. Designed to keep the legs rolling while also seeing Siracusa and Ortigia from two different directions, this short ride is followed by a free afternoon to explore the little streets and hidden piazzas of this magical place, and to give your legs a little time to rest before the big finale of days 8 and 9.
Day 8.
Today’s ride distance is 68.5km & 1952m, and is broken into two climbs and 2 descents.It is a very unique day as you climb above the tree line and enter the black lava landscape.
We’ll start the day with a short transfer across to the base of Mount Etna’s south side, before taking in a pre-ride espresso and tackling the first climb of 27.8km and an average gradient of 5.8%.
This however is unlike the climbs of preceding days where you can ride at a nice tempo. When you split the first climb into two, the first 13km section has an average gradient of 4.1% and the second 14km has an average gradient of 7.1%, and with both of these sections, there are a handful of 13% pinches. However with all the preceding days’ riding, you’ll be ready for the challenge.
You’ll take some time to absorb the landscape over lunch at the top of the climb, before a truly memorable descent again through the lava flows and around hairpin corners with a view of the sea beyond. There is a second climb for an undulating 6.8km that has an average gradient of 4.3%, before the final 10k descent into our new mountainside village.
Day 9.
Our final ride is to conquer Mt Etna Nord, the northern facing ascent. After an incredible breakfast, you’ll leave our mountainside village and start climbing from the first pedal stroke. We’ll first pass through a couple of villages, before taking the only road up that will lead us through forest and old lava flows, with an endless number of twists and turns during a 20km ascent and 6.8% average gradients, before reaching the rifugio at the road’s end.
You’ll have the chance to enjoy the view as we take in some refreshments, before our very fitting finale and epic descent back to our mountainside resort.
It is the perfect culmination ride on a cycling tour of Sicily and we’re sure you’ll love every minute of this incredible and unique riding experience.
On a final note…
We always say to our guests to not be overly preoccupied with Mt Etna because what usually occurs with most riders, is that they ride into form – meaning that by the time you arrive at the foot of Mt Etna, the preceding 7 days of conditioning and 500+km in your legs, will ensure you find the long ascents less daunting than expected.
We do offer guidance on how to best prepare and also offer training programs to guests if desired. If you would like more information on our Best of Sicily Cycling tour, click here.
We invite you to enjoy the amazing adventure of Sicily with us!
