Gravel E-bike Tour in the Heart of Sicily

30km with 100 metres of elevation gain.

Highlights: Visit Catania’s old town, Ursino castle and Aci Castello castle while stopping for a taste of local Sicilian street-food along the way. Dinner and overnight stay in local hotel.

Meet with your guide for a tour briefing and test ride the gravel e-bikes. Then we begin by cycling towards the old town centre of Catania, around the Ursino Castle area, where we stop for a visit. After that, we head northwards along the coast in the direction of Aci Castello to see the Norman castle there. During our ride we will stop to taste the famous arancino, one of Sicilian street-food specialities, and refresh ourselves with a lemon soda from the local kiosk. After visiting the castle of Aci Castello, we return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

50km with 900 metres of elevation gain.

Highlights: Cycle on quiet, old Roman roads past miles of citrus groves and admire the stunning Sicilian countryside before arriving at a Norman village. Dinner and overnight stay in restored rural farmhouse with pool and wellness centre.

Transfer by minibus to Paternò and departure from the Rocca Normanna, heading towards the Sicilian interior. The departure from the Rocca Normanna in Paternò marks the start of a tour dedicated to discovering the historical and natural beauty of this part of Sicily. As we leave Paternò we cycle alongside the Simeto river, follow ancient Roman roads and immerse ourselves in the beautiful Sicilian countryside. Much of the route is flanked by extensive citrus groves while the landscape changes as we head into the centre of Sicily and towards the charming Norman village of Troina at an altitude of 1,000 metres. In the background Mount Etna watches us during the ascent. Dinner and overnight stay at the Querce di Cota, a delightfully restored, ancient, rural farmhouse, ready to welcome us with its swimming pool, wellness centre and typical Sicilian dinner made with local products.

43km with 1,000 metres of elevation gain.

Highlights: Ride through winding pastures and valleys in the remote province of Enna leading to a beautiful medieval village. Dinner and overnight stay at local farmhouse.

We set off from the Querce di Cota and head towards Gagliano Castelferrato, the route taking us through a winding landscape of pastures and valleys. We are now in the province of Enna, one of the most remote and least well-known parts of Sicily which make it all the more interesting and authentic. We will stop to take a look at the medieval village of Gagliano Castelferrato before continuing to the Agriturismo la Stragola on the outskirts of Nicosia, an important town which was famous in the past due to the 24 noble families who used to live there. Dinner and overnight stay at the agriturismo.

60km with 1,200 metres of elevation gain.

Highlights: Admire the old Sicilian cave houses and a beautiful medieval castle along with beer tasting at a local craft brewery. Dinner and overnight stay at local farmhouse.

We start off from Nicosia and cycle in the direction of Sperlinga where we will see the cave houses and the fascinating medieval castle, but first we will stop off at the 24 Barons Craft Beer Brewery for a short guided tour and, of course, a tasting. Along the route, we will notice the changing landscape of mountains, wide clearings and woods. The Madonie mountains, also known as the mini Dolomites of Sicily, appear in the background and we will see the village of Gangi (once a village known for its bandits) perched up high. Moving onwards towards Leonforte we will take a break at the wonderful baroque fountain of the 24 Cannoli. Near Leonforte we will stop off at a farmhouse for dinner and overnight stay.

30km with 800 metres of elevation gain.

Highlights: Visit a former important sulphur mining site, cycle the disused railway line, visit Piazza Armerina and the famous Roman mosaics. Dinner and overnight stay at local farmhouse hotel.

After leaving the farmhouse in Leonforte, we ride through the magnificent Enna countryside with its hilly landscapes dotted with fields of wheat, olive groves and green pastures. This scenery displays Sicilian nature at its finest and might seem designed by an inspired painter. Along the route we come to the Floristella Mining Park where we will stop to visit what was once one of the most important sulphur mining sites, not only in Sicily but also in Europe. After that, we follow part of the old railway line that used to connect with Piazza Armerina which passes by the ancient Masseria Bannata. We will leave our bikes here at this old noble house that has been skilfully restored and returned to its former glory and in the afternoon we will do a minibus tour of Piazza Armerina to visit the old town centre and see the splendid mosaics of the Villa del Casale. Dinner and overnight stay at the La Bannata farmhouse hotel.

50km with 800 metres of elevation gain.

Highlights: See Aidone and visit the archaeological site of Morgantina before turning back towards Mount Etna and have a walk around Catania centre. Overnight stay at city centre hotel.

Departing from the farm stay, we pass through the hill-top town of Aidone not far from Piazza Armerina. This area was the heart of Sicily in the past and these places were considered to be both the belly of the island, as well as the granary of Italy. After a visit to the archaeological site of Morgantina near Aidone, we turn towards Catania province where the landscape changes to wider hills, large citrus groves and green pastures once again. In the background Mount Etna looms, reminding us that we are approaching Catania where we will be transferred by minibus to the city centre. Overnight stay in a hotel in the old town of Catania.

ransfer from the hotel to Catania airport.