From the elegant Baroque towns to the cultural capital of Magna Graecia
We are very fond of this tour. Versatile and adaptable to your pace and interests, it will take you through the South-Eastern region of Sicily, so very rich of historical and natural treasures. This area is known as the Val di Noto, completely rebuild, after the terrible earthquake which struck in 1693, in the elegant Baroque style which still characterizes it nowadays. This tour, which winds its way through the Hyblaean Mountains, will accompany you to the most famous Baroque towns such as Palazzolo Acreide, Modica, Scicli and Noto, the most important and elegant of all. Siracusa, the ancient Greek colony, will be the reward that waits for you at the end of your tour. The coastlines are a wealth of history and nature and boast wonders like the Oasi of Vendicari, the fishing hamlet of Marzamemi and the Islands of Capo Passero and delle Correnti.
Our tours are designed for those who love to travel with some autonomy but also enjoy a range of services which will make your cycling holiday comfortable and unique.
Individual arrival at Palazzolo Acreide, handover of the bikes and the roadbook and maps with all the information you will need.
Before you start cycling today, we suggest visiting the historical Old Town of Palazzolo Acreide, with its many baroque building and the churches San Sebastiano and San Paolo, two wonderful examples of Sicilian Baroque. Then you will cycle through the beautiful territory of the Monti Iblei, a unique landscape, where rugged and wild areas alternate with pleasant green scenery, characterized by the typical stonewalls. The stage stops in Ragusa Ibla, one of the most beautiful baroque towns of the “Val di Noto”, picturesquely located on a hilltop, and ends in Modica, another baroque jewel of our tour. Do not miss to visit the church of San Giorgio.
Before you leave Modica you should taste the famous chocolate, e.g. spiced with hot chilli peppers. The recipe has been brought from the Aztecs by the Spaniards to Sicily. Cruising downhill through a beautiful Iblei canyon, you will arrive at Scicli, another city of the “Val di Noto” and well worth a stroll through the small alleys, before you continue down to the coast to Pozzallo with its long sandy beaches. The perfect opportunity to finish the stage with a refreshing bath in the sea.
This day the road will be completely flat. You will pass through some typical wetlands, the “Pantano Longarini” and “Pantano Cuba”, a popular stopover amongst the migratory birds on their trips between Africa and Europe. Cycling along the shore you will reach the southernmost point of Sicily, the island “Isola delle Correnti”, which lies on the same latitude as Tunis and marks the watershed between the Ionian and the Mediterranean Sea. Continuing through Portopalo di Capo Passero and Marzamemi, an ancient fishing village, you will finish your ride in San Lorenzo.
On a flat road heading north along the coast, you will reach the entrance of the nature reserve and wildlife sanctuary “Oasi di Vendicari”, a wonderful and uncontaminated coast full of interesting plants and migratory birds like flamingos and kingfishers. You will then continue to the inland, through vineyards to Noto. Noto is the capital of Sicilian Baroque with numerous magnificent palazzi and churches.
Today you have two options. Either following the coast further up north. Or a detour through the inland to the vista point of the Cavagrande del Cassible gorge and then a spectacular downhill with hairpins to the coast. Along the coast, you continue to Siracusa, the metropolis of ancient Greece, where you certainly will want to visit the stunning archaeological park with one of the biggest Greek theatres of the Magna Graecia. You should finish the day with a stroll through the picturesque historical centre, the Island Ortigia.
End of tour and individual departure or extension with additional days. We recommend visiting the fascinating Ortigia island, the historical and cultural centre of the city. The Old Town of Siracusa captivates immediately with more than 3000 years of history and archaeological evidence of practically all great civilizations of the Mediterranean. Also in Ortigia is the lively Fishmarket of Syracuse.
Path difficulty:
On day 6 it is possible to choose, according to one’s physical fitness, among two alternative paths, different from each other in length and slope steepness.
Tour description:
This tour is mostly on level roads but occasionally presents a few short legs uphill. For most of the tour, cyclists will ride on secondary roads, with reduced car traffic. We advise this tour to participants who are already familiar with cycling.
The rates include:
6 nights with breakfast in the chosen category
luggage transport from hotel to hotel
roadbook and maps with a detailed description of every stage (1 kit per room)
telephone assistance
The rates does not include:
helmet rental
dinner and lunch
wine tasting, entrance fees, tips
city taxes
transfer from/to airport
anything not mentioned above, under “rates include”
Transfer (price per person):
Catania airport – Palazzolo Acreide € 65
Syracuse – Catania airport € 50
A supplement of € 5 per person will be applied for arrivals or transfers after 10PM.
Individual departures:
Every day from February to November 2024. Minimum 2 persons.
Rates (per person):
Category Comfort (3* or 4*-hotels)
base package in double room € 720
single room supplement € 240
extra night in Palazzolo Acreide in double room per person € 50
extra night in Palazzolo Acreide in single room € 70
extra night in Syracuse in double room per person € 70
extra night in Syracuse in single room € 110
high season supplement (July/August) € 110
half board supplement (drinks excluded) € 220
supplement tour with single participant € 120
city bike rental € 100
fitness bike (hybrid) € 110
e-bike rental € 180
tandem € 190
trailer for kids (max 40 kg) € 50
Child reduction(with 2 full paying pax in double room):
0-5 years, 100%
6-10 years, 50%
11-13 years, 25%
Cancellation policy:
28 to 14 days prior to the beginning of the tour, 50% of the total amount*
13 to 4 days prior to the beginning of the tour, 70% of the total amount *
3 days prior to the beginning or no-show day, 90% of the total amount *
