The history of Mt. Etna is not only that of the most active volcano in Europe, but it’s also the history of Eastern Sicily itself. A bike ride through the Sicilian hinterland, in the shade of mighty Etna and among extraordinary national parks, it’s a journey that shifts between history and mythology to the discovery of enchanting tiny villages and foregone flavours.
This tour of medium difficulty will allow you to visit Taormina, the ‘pearl of the Ionian sea’, the mediaeval village of Randazzo, Castiglione di Sicilia, which lies on the Valley of Alcantara and the Baroque seaside town of Acireale. You will visit some of the most spectacular national parks of the island such as Mt. Etna national park, Alcantara national park and Forre Laviche del Simeto nature reserve. Our tours are designed for those who love to travel with some autonomy but also enjoy a range of services which will make our guests’ cycling holiday comfortable and unique.
The route follows mainly less frequented secondary roads. Most of the parts are flat or lightly uphill sections, with a couple of more demanding ascents. This tour is suitable for all healthy persons with a minimum of bike practice.
Included and Not Included Services
Accommodation in B&B and hotels - 3*** category
Breakfast buffet or full breakfast
Dinner; If you have booked half board
Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
Well planned routes
Detailed documents (maps, route description, places to visit, important telephone numbers)
Telephone service hotline for the entire tour
Arrival to the starting point of the tour
Departure at the end of the tour
Drinks, tourist tax and all extras
Lunch, Dinner (if not booked)
helmet rental
Bus ticket or private transfer from Nicolosi to Rifugio Sapienza (1st stage), transfer to/from airport
Not mentioned entries
Rental bikes and Travel insurance
All not expressly mentioned under the item „Included services“
Please note: For the excursion with the alpine guides, cableway and Jeeps on Mt. Etna trekking shoes and warm clothes in spring and autumn are necessary. During high season (mid June until end of August) on the coastal stages more intense traffic is to be expected. Stage Nicolosi/Etna: possibility to go up to the Rifugio Sapienza by bike or with a private transfer organized by the B&B in Nicolosi: € 25 p.p./min. 2 people. It is also possible to go up to the Rifugio Sapienza by public bus but it does not accept bikes.
Day 1: Arrival at Nicolosi
Individual arrival at Nicolosi, handover of the bikes and the roadbook and maps containing all the information you will need.
Day 2: Etna-Nicolasi
(approx. 20 km)
Using a public bus or with a private transfer, you will reach Rifugio Sapienza (1900m); possibility to go further up the Etna mountain with funicular, four-wheel-drive and a guide. After your excursion you will take a bus or ride down to Nicolosi along a scenic road which winds its way along 1200m of difference in level. In case of adverse weather conditions, you can opt for an excursion to the old town of Catania by public bus.
Day 3: Nicolosi - Bronte
(approx. 49 km)
After leaving Nicolosi behind, you will be riding mostly downhill along quite secondary roads until you reach Forre Laviche del Simeto nature reserve. Here you can see and explore a very special kind of canyon carved by the Simeto river through an old lava flow. You can also see Ponte dei Saraceni, an old bridge dating back to the Roman era. Large pistachios groves preannounce the proximity to Bronte, a village at the foothills of the volcano, famous for its ‘green gold’. You will be staying at an old manor surrounded by pistachios groves.
Day 4: Bronte - Maniace - Randazzo
(approx. 30 - 36 km)
Leaving Bronte behind you and by riding along a scenic secondary road that stretches North towards Parco dei Nebrodi, you will soon be arriving to Maniace, where you can visit Nelson Castle and the ex-Norman abbey of S. Maria di Maniace. Back on the same road as earlier, you will finally arrive in Randazzo, an interesting village of mediaeval origins.
Day 5: Randazzo - Castiglione - Gole dell‘Alcantara - Giardini Naxos
(approx. 44 km)
Today’s itinerary, easier in terms of altitude, will take you along ‘Mt. Etna wine road’, where you will have the chance to visit several wine canteens. Do not miss the old town of Castiglione from which you can glance, in the distance, at your next stop, the Alcantara’s valley which separates Nebrodi’s mountain chains from the Peloritani’s. Your final destination will be Giardini Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily and it’s here that you can finally enjoy a refreshing dip in the Ionian Sea crystalline waters.
Day 6: Giardini Naxos - Taormina - Giardini Naxos
(approx. 20 km )
Only a few kilometres from Giardini Naxos you will find Taormina, ‘the pearl of the Ionian sea’, a town of great charm, nestled on a hilltop, that has attracted travellers, poets and writers for centuries. If you keep climbing up for a further 5km, you can also visit Castelmola, a pretty medieval hamlet with a breath-taking view of the splendid gulf below, of smoky Etna and of the Italian peninsula’s coastline. Back to Giardini Naxos.
Day 7: Giardini Naxos - Acitrezza
(approx. 37 km)
This easy trip takes you along the Ionian coast, also known as „lemon riviera“. After a short uphill slope you reach Acitreale and it‘s interesting baroque city center. The stage finishes in Acitrezza.
Day 8: Acitrezza
After breakfast end of tour and individual departure or extension with additional days.
| Standard | ||
|---|---|---|
| Package | view calendar | |
| Half board supplement | 250 € | |
It is recommended to purchase an optional travel cancellation policy. Prices valid subject to changes in the offer, omissions, printing errors or arithmetic.
| Price per night in double room with breakfast | Nicolosi | 40 € | |
| Single room supplement per night | Nicolosi | 20 € | |
| Price per night in double room with breakfast | Acitrezza | 50 € | |
| Single room supplement per night | Acitrezza | 20 € | |
It is recommended to purchase an optional travel cancellation policy. Prices valid subject to changes in the offer, omissions, printing errors or arithmetic.
| 24 or 27 gear bicycle (Sicily) | 100 € | |
| fitness/hybrid bicycle (Sicily) | 110 € | |
| electric bicycle (Sicily) | 180 € | |
| Tandem (Sicily) | 190 € | |
| trailer (max. 40 km - Sicily) | 50 € | |
It is recommended to purchase an optional travel cancellation policy. Prices valid subject to changes in the offer, omissions, printing errors or arithmetic.
By plane: airport Catania. We can organise your airport transfer to the first hotel (on request and not included in the price).
Accommodation in B&B and hotels - 3*** category.
Attention: Tourist tax – if requested – has to be paid on the spot
Catania Airport – Nicolosi at a price of € 35.00 per person- reservation upon booking and payment on the spot (minimum 2 persons).
Acitrezza – Catania Airport € 35.00 per person- reservation upon booking and payment on the spot (minimum 2 persons).
For arrivals or transfers after 10 pm a supplement of € 10.00 per person is charged.
24 or 27 -gears women‘s or men‘s bicycle
Fitnessbike (hybrid)
E-bike (unisex bike)
Tandem
Trailer for kids (max. 40 kg)
Tour information
- Duration 8 days
- Difficulty Level Media
- Distance 200 - 206 km