Description

Cycling Trip Mount Etna to the Ionian Sea

Cycling holiday Mount Etna – Self-guided Cycling Trip from Mount Etna to the Ionian Sea.
From March until November.
For guided options from 4 persons or more send us an email

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Cycling holiday from Mount Etna to the Ionian Sea on a road bike

The history of Mount Etna is not only that of the most active volcano in Europe since 2011, 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 fantastic journey because of the shifts between history and mythology to the discovery of enchanting tiny villages and foregone flavors.

You will ride through tiny villages with always the azure blue Mediterranean Sea in the vicinity of the track. Your start will be in Nicolosi with its stunning natural landscape and excellent weather all year round. From Nicolosi, you follow the way along Mount Etna. Cycle around Mount Etna and visit medieval villages like Randazzo and Bronte before arriving on the coastline of the Ionian Sea. For the last 2 days, you will visit old historical villages such as Taormina & Giardini Naxos. This region around Mount Etna is perfect for a great cycling holiday because of the sunny climate and all-year-round warm climate. Sicily is the perfect island for a great cycling holiday. You won’t be the first one to discover that Sicily is a cyclist’s paradise. In addition, this beautiful historical bike program on Sicily islands includes unique features. Enjoy fitness with the qualities of life in “Ancient Sicily”

Immerse your Cycling Holiday in Europe and Cycle Sicily!

Mount Etna National Park with breath-taking scenery
Mount Etna wine tasting & experience the Sicilian cuisine in Randazzo
Visit old historical places like Taormina & Giardini Naxos
Relax on one of the many spectacular beaches
Nicolosi, a pleasant town known as the “Door to Etna”
The wine road”, the “Gorge of the Alcantara River” (natural park)

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Day 1

Check in

Check-in around 14.00 at your hotel in Nicolosi. Introduction, bike fitting, and description of the tour. After the briefing, you can store your bikes or take a look at the bikes you may have rented.

Day 2

Etna to Nicolosi / +20km

Using a public bus, you will reach Rifugio Sapienza (+1900m), the starting point for organizing your trip up Mount Etna. After your excursion, you will ride down to Nicolosi, along a scenic road that 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 to Bronte / +49km

After leaving Nicolosi behind, you will be riding mostly downhill along quite secondary roads until you reach the 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 Porte dei Saraceni, an old bridge dating back to the Roman Era. Large pistachio 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 pistachio groves.

Day 4

Bronte to Maniace to Randazzo / +30km or +36km

Leaving Bronte behind you, and riding along a scenic secondary road that stretches North towards Parco dei Nebrodi, you will soon be arriving at 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 medieval origins.

Day 5

Randazo, Castiglione, Gole dell'Alcantara to Giardini Naxos / +44km

Today's itinerary, easier in terms of altitude, will take you along Mt. Etna's 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's crystalline waters.

Day 6

Giardini Naxos, Taormina - Giardini Naxos 20km

Only a few kilometers 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 travelers, 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 breathtaking view of the splendid gulf below, of smoky Etna, and of the Italian peninsula's coastline. Back to Giardini Naxos.

Day 7

Giardini Naxos to Acitrezza 37km

This is a tranquil and relaxing ride that will lead you along a unique stretch of coastline, named the Riviera dei Limoni, for a good reason! Here, at the foothills of Mount Etna, you can immerse yourself in the intoxicating and wonderful smell of Zagara, the lemon and orange flower from the many trees that abound in this area, and the unmistakable smell of the sea. Timpa's climb, 2km long, preannounces the proximity to Acireale, a lovely town with an interesting historical center in Baroque style. The itinerary ends in Acitrezza, also by the sea.

Day 8

Departure day

Departure day... Time to say goodbye, a good flight back home, or a pleasant stay in Italy. Transfers on request

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Booking Information

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All prices are based on double rooms - for bookings & inquiries: send an email to info@cycleclassictours.com
Price €750 basic package per person in double
Every Saturday from March - November
Departure on other weekdays is possible on request. Minimum 2 participants

Extra Information

Fill out and submit the online booking request or send an email to info@cycleclassictours.com
We tend and try to send all over within 48 hours.
Please do not make travel plans until you receive our confirmation.
Please be advised that we make every effort to ensure that all the information given on this site is accurate. All statements and information have been researched and supplied by third parties.
The information given is accurate and reliable, to the best of our knowledge. Should errors be found, we will rectify them as quickly as possible. However, we accept no responsibility for errors or inaccuracies.

Included

Accommodation with breakfast for 7 nights in 3-star-hotels and B&B
Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
Detailed maps and roadbook
Phone assistance

Not Included

Rates:

Basic package per person in a double room is €750
Single room supplement €200
Extra night in Nicolosi in DBL per person €38
Extra night in Nicolosi in a single room €53
Extra night in Acitrezza in DBL per person €45
Extra night in Acitrezza in a single room €65
Half board supplement (drinks excluded) €210
Supplement high season (July and August) €100
single participant supplement €130
City bike rental €100
Fitnessbike (hybrid) €110
E-Bike rental €180
Tandem €190
Trailer for kids (max. 40 kg) €50
Private transfer Rifugio Sapienza €25 pp

Child reduction (with 2 full paying pax in a double room):

0-5 years 100%
6-10 years 50%
11-13 years 25%

Transfer per person, min 2 pax (to be paid on-site):

Catania Airport – Nicolosi €35
Acireale – Catania Airport €35

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Mount Etna to Ionian Sea

Combine cycling with archaeology, panoramic medieval villages, sunshiny beaches, and small mountain ranges. Visit Taormina, Randazzo, Acireale, and Mount Etna or Alcantra National Park.

Moderate

March-Nov

3* Hotels

€750

€110

€180

€190

€100

€200

Description

Cycling Trip Mount Etna to the Ionian Sea

Cycling holiday from Mount Etna to the Ionian Sea on a road bike

Immerse your Cycling Holiday in Europe and Cycle Sicily!

Itinerary