Easter sicily bike way

The first stage starts from the city of Catania, and for about 60 km runs north along the sunny east coast of the island. The first step involves the village of Aci Castello, a fishing village whose name derives from the Norman castle built on a basalt rock overlooking the Ionian Sea. A few km away is Aci Trezza, known for the mythological stacks “Faraglioni dei Ciclopi”.
The journey heads for Taormina, a renowned historic center located at the foot of Mount Taurus, which you will climb in about 30 minutes. From Taormina you return south for a short stretch, then start the ascent again to Piedimonte Etneo, a village included in the itinerary of the Strada dei Vini Etnei.

Starting from Piedimonte Etneo, after a few kilometers, you will arrive in Linguaglossa, one of the largest towns in the northeast area of Etna. Leaving Linguaglossa, you’ll head for the Mareneve road, located about 1000 meters above sea level (a.s.l.). This road leads, crossing ancient lava flows, to Randazzo, a medieval village full of buildings, churches, and beautiful pavements made with lava stones. The journey continues towards Bronte, the city of pistachios, admiring along the way the wonderful landscape that the north side of Etna and the Nebrodi mountains offer.

You start the daily ride with the look turned on the north side of Etna and you lose altitude passing through the characteristic pistachio crops up to the Ponte dei Saraceni, a civil work dating back to the Middle Ages. Cross the bridge to go towards Centuripe, a small village of Greek-Roman origin known as the balcony of Sicily for its wide and spectacular views. A long descent and flat stretches will lead you to Ramacca, an agricultural town known for the cultivation of purple artichoke, a variety distributed all over the world.

Say goodbye to Ramacca traveling for about 25 km in the direction of Caltagirone, built between the mountains Erei and the Iblei. Caltagirone is the city of ceramics; the Staircase of S. Maria del Monte, with its 142 ceramic steps, is definitely worth a visit. You continue the journey towards Grammichele, a city with a perfectly hexagonal plan, to reach Vizzini. This town is situated on the hills of the Iblei mountains where you find the eighteenth-century village of Cunziria, known because Giovanni Verga imagined the unfolding of the final duel of the novel “Cavalleria Rusticana”.

From Vizzini, proceed towards Monterosso Almo, a village in the Iblei mountains that you circumnavigate for about 3 km at the base, following a suggestive dirt path surrounded by greenery. Continue towards Giarratana, the beginning of the Baroque itinerary, and proceed in the same direction through the two strips of Lake Santa Rosalia. We will then arrive in Ibla, the old quarter of Ragusa, full of churches and buildings in the Baroque style, such as the amazing Cathedral of San Giorgio.

The journey continues through the beautiful Baroque town of Modica, also known for chocolate. Leave Scicli behind to cover the last 25 km in the direction of Pozzallo, an important maritime town in southern Sicily.

Leaving the village of Pozzallo, cycle west towards the charming seaside village of Marzamemi, which grew around the trap and the residence of the noble Villadorata family. Proceed in the direction of the Vendicari Nature Reserve (a protected oasis) to reach Noto, the capital of the late Sicilian Baroque, full of churches and palaces from the eighth century. From Noto, passing through Avola, cross the beautiful and wild Gelsomineto beach, then continue to Ortigia, the historic center of Syracuse.

You will start the last stage by visiting Ortigia. Here, you will have the opportunity to admire the Temple of Apollo and the scenic Piazza Duomo with its beautiful Baroque and Rococo cathedral. Continuing north, you’ll cross the Natural Reserves of the Saline di Priolo and the Foce del Simeto. Cycling along the final stretch of the coast named Playa, you will reach the historic center of Catania. The city boasts many Baroque buildings such as the Town Hall, the Cathedral dedicated to the patron saint (Agata), and the Bellini Theatre. In the center of Piazza del Duomo is the Fountain of the Elephant (Liotru), carved in 1736 and characterized by a white stone obelisk placed on the back of the emblematic lava stone elephant, which has become the symbol of the city.