“Discover the Sicilian treasure from your bike!”
8 Day Baroque Towns Bike Tour in Italy
Piazza Armerina, Province of Enna, Sicily, Italy
Self-Guided Bike Tour Italy
Join a self-guided tour that lets you discover the treasure trove of art, history, and nature of Sicily, Italy! Apulia Bike Tours believes that a bike tour is the best way to get in harmony with this region, to explore its landscapes, cultural heritage, and rural areas.
Key information
- Trip type: Self-guided
- Lodging: Point to Point
- Starts in: Piazza Armerina
- Ends in: Syracuse
- Total Distance: 192 Miles / 308 Kilometers
- Type of bike: hybrid bike (included) and road bike (70 EUR)
- E-bike: 150 EUR per week
- Minimum 2 participants
Highlights
- 6 days of self-guided riding
- Riding through baroque towns and UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 7 nights accommodation
- Breakfasts
- Bike rental and luggage transfers
- Access to a mobile navigation app system with preloaded tracks
Skill level
- Intermediate
6 days with instruction in English
Group size: Minimum of 2 participants
Airport transfer available:
Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (US$ 149 per person)
Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (US$ 149 per person)
Accommodation
During this tour, you can choose between two categories of accommodation. You can stay in a combination of bed and breakfasts and economy three-star hotels or deluxe four- or five-star hotels.
Program
Daily itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Piazza Armerina
Individual arrival in Piazza Armerina, a pretty and historic town nestled into the heart of Sicily. Have a chance to wander around its beautiful winding streets. There are many wonderful buildings to see including the 18th century Duomo, which dominates the town standing on top of a hill, the elegant town hall, and grand old palazzi such as the Palazzo Trigona.
Apulia Bike Tours highly recommends visiting the famous Villa Romana del Casale, a majestic imperial villa that dates back to the 4th century A.D. and is one of the most luxurious of its kind. It is especially noteworthy for the richness and quality of the mosaics considered the most beautiful and best-preserved of their kind, which made the Villa a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Overnight stay in Piazza Armerina.
Day 2: Piazza Armerina - Caltagirone
Bike and road map delivery, route description. After passing through the village of Mirabella Imbaccari, you will reach today’s destination, which is Caltagirone, one of the Baroque towns of the Val di Noto, known as the town of ceramics. The highlight is undoubtedly the 142 steps of the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte that connect the lower town with the older upper town. The upright of each step is decorated with ceramic tiles, offering a colorful alternative to the grey lava stone of the horizontal parts. Overnight stay in Caltagirone.
- Distance: 35 kilometers / 22 miles
- Elevation: 635 meters / 2084 feet
Day 3: Caltagirone - Palazzolo Acreide
From Caltagirone, you will ride on a scenic route in the heart of the Hyblaean Mountains, passing through some pretty tiny villages such as Vizzini and Buccheri, before arriving in Palazzolo Acreide, Akrai for the Greeks. A city of great cultural interest, it owes its fame to the nearby archaeological excavation. Thanks to the many fascinating buildings in the Baroque style, Palazzolo Acreide has been included in the list of World Heritage since 2002. Overnight stay in Palazzolo Acreide.
- Distance: 70 kilometers / 44 miles
- Elevation: 1200 meters / 3937 feet
Day 4: Palazzolo Acreide - Ragusa Ibla
Today, you will cycle along the Hyblaean Plateau, characterized by dry-stone walls that divide swaths of land, heading to Ragusa. This area offers some of the best red wines of Sicily and wonderful cheeses which are still made by hand. The town is divided into three parts: the modern Ragusa, the upper town Ragusa Superiore, and the oldest part, Ragusa Ibla, which is the most interesting for visitors. Ragusa has been inscribed by UNESCO World Heritage as "representing the culmination and final flowering of Baroque art in Europe. Overnight stay in Ragusa Ibla.
- Distance: 42 kilometers / 26 miles
- Elevation: 720 meters / 2363 feet
Day 5: Ragusa Ibla - Ispica
Today, the tour leads you from Ragusa Ibla to Ispica. The first stop will be Modica, one of the area's UNESCO-listed Baroque towns. Particularly famous for its chocolate, Modica is situated in the dramatic landscape of the Monti Iblei. From here, you will continue your ride to Scicli, where you can visit The Church of San Bartolomeo. Finally, you will reach Ispica.
The center of Ispica is home to a handful of elegant churches, such as Santa Maria Maggiore, with its splendid collection of frescoes, and the Chiesa dell'Annunziata. The town's streets and squares, some lined with fine palazzi, such as the current town hall, will lead you to the former covered market, which now houses a café and restaurant. Overnight stay in Ispica.
- Distance: 60 kilometers / 38 miles
- Elevation: 780 meters / 2559 feet
Day 6: Ispica - Noto
Leaving Ispica, you will come across Marzamemi, one of Sicily's prettiest seaside villages. Here, you can see the small and characteristic houses of the fishermen that border the main square. They were renovated during the construction of the Palazzo of the Prince of Villadorata. Then you will continue cycling towards the Vendicari Nature Reserve, a mixture of lagoons (pantano), dunes, rocky coastlines, and sandy beaches.
It was instituted in 1984 and is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. The ride continues towards Lido di Noto and its sandy beaches, before ending in Noto, perched on a plateau overlooking the Asinaro valley, covered by citrus, olive, and almond trees. You can admire palaces, churches, balconies with wrought iron railings, and cherubs that decorate the facing. Noto is called the “Garden of Stone” because of its typical stone. Overnight stay in Noto.
- Distance: 63 kilometers / 40 miles
- Elevation: 590 meters / 1936 feet
Day 7: Noto - Siracusa
The final step will take you from Noto to Siracusa, a city among the most noble and elegant from all over the Mediterranean Sea. Full of charm, history, and natural landscape, enviable and envied, the city is divided into two different groups: the urban part of the city and Ortigia, the beautiful island of the city, increasingly rich in tourism. In 2005, Syracuse became part of the Unesco World Heritage. Overnight stay in Siracusa.
- Distance: 38 kilometers / 24 miles
- Elevation: 250 meters / 821 feet
Day 8
End of services and arrivederci Sicilia.
Bikes
1. Touring bikes
Halfway between city bikes and mountain bikes, touring bikes are the perfect solution to enjoy the itineraries, as you mainly cycle on secondary - and sometimes unpaved - roads. They are very good quality bikes, all equipped with a suspension fork and disc brakes. Thanks to their triple crankset, you will not need to worry about any climb. The models and brands provided vary according to size and availability.
- Frame: Aluminium
- Fork: Suspension fork
- Brakes: Disc brakes
- Speed: 3 x 7-10 speed
- Wheels: 28 inches
- Pedals: flat (SPD, SPD-SL, LOOK on request)
- Accessories: rear rack
2. Road bikes
For road bike lovers, Merida road bikes and racing bikes are now available.
a. Merida Ride 100
- Available size: S, S/M, M/L
- Frame: Ride lite
- Fork: Road carbon comp
- Front derailleur: Shimano Claris D
- Rear derailleur: Shimano Sora GS
- Shifters: Shimano Claris
- Brake lever: Attached
- Brakes: Road dual pivot
- Chainwheel: FSA Tempo 50-34
- BBset: Cartridge bearing
- Chain: KMC 8s
- Hubs: OV alloy or OV cassette
- Rim: Merida comp 20 pair
- Freewheel: Sunrise CS-8S 11-32
- Tires: Kenda K1018 700 25
- Handlebar stem: Merida Comp OS-6
- Handlebar: Merida Anatomic Road OS
- Headset: Big conoid semi-neck pro
- Seat post: Merida Road Comp SB12 27.2
- Saddle: Merida Race 5
- Pedal: No
b. Merida Scultura 100
- Available size: X/S, L
- Frame: Scultura lite
- Fork: Road carbon comp
- Front derailleur: Shimano Claris D
- Rear derailleur: Shimano Sora SS
- Shifters: Shimano Claris
- Brake lever: Attached
- Brakes: Road dual pivot
- Chainwheel: FSA Tempo 50-34
- BBset: Cartridge bearing
- Chain: KMC 8s
- Hubs: OV alloy or OV cassette
- Rim: Merida comp 20 pair
- Freewheel: Sunrise CS-8S 11-28
- Tires: Maxxis Detonator 23
- Handlebar stem: Merida Comp OS-6
- Handlebar: Merida Anatomic Road OS
- Headset: Big conoid semi-neck pro
- Seat post: Merida Road Comp SB12 27.2
- Saddle: Merida Race 5
- Pedal: No
3. E-bikes
If you love the idea of visiting new places by bike but you think you are not fit enough and need a little help with pedaling, Apulia Bike Tours can provide you with their electric bikes. They are equipped with an electric motor that can be activated to assist pedaling. With an e-bike, you get all the benefits of a cycling trip, with a bit of assistance to help you with long distances and hilly terrains.
- Frame: Aluminium
- Fork: Suspension fork
- Brakes: Disc brakes
- Speed: 1 x 8-11 speed
- Battery: 418-500 W
- Wheels: 27.5, 28, or 29 inches
- Pedals: flat (SPD, SPD-SL, LOOK on request)
- Accessories: rear rack, battery charger
Location
This bike tour will take you to explore Sicily's baroque towns in Italy.
Food
You will be served daily breakfast included in the price.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- Cycling tour
- 7 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast
- Touring bike rental
- Bike equipment (helmet, lock, and pannier)
- Repair kit (spare tube, pump, and tire lever)
- Luggage transfers
- Access to Apulia Bike Tours' mobile app including preloaded tracks, the roadbook, and practical and tourist information
- Luggage or health insurance
- Telephone assistance
What's not included
- Airfare
- Lunches
- Dinners
- Transfers from and to the airport
- Tourist taxes
- Everything else not listed as included
- E-bike (150 EUR)
- Roadbike (70 EUR)
- Extra nights
- Transfer on request
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CTA
Catania–Fontanarossa Airport
63 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 149 per person
Airport: Catania–Fontanarossa Airport
Airport transfer available:
Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (US$ 149 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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