Biking Italy: Our Bike Tour of Sicily

Day 1: Scopello

We'll meet you at the airport for the transfer to Scopello. The tour of Sicily begins in Scopello, a tiny seaside village on the Castellamare gulf, at the entrance of the Zingaro park. For those interested, you can hike along the stunning coastal path of Zingaro Nature Reserve, one of the best-protected areas in Sicily In Scopello, you'll find a charming little hotel, a few cafes in the enclosed courtyard of a baglio, and a fortified farmhouse, now transformed into private residences. Be sure to try the famous pane cunzato, a traditional local bread cooked in a wood oven and filled with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, oregano, basil, sardines and fresh cheese... all of local specialties. A welcome dinner with Cinzia, your host, will initiate you to the week of gastronomic delights to come. Lodging: Tenute Plaia Farm or Villa Le Grotte

Day 2: (66.2 km)

Leaving Scopello, we will head south west through a rugged interior of towering limestone peaks to reach the coastal village of Nubia where we'll spend two nights at a comfortable hotel in the saltmarshes. The hotel is an old “baglio” in the nature reserve close to glistening salt flats and surrounded by windmills so typical of the area. Lodgings for the next two nights: Antiche Saline Country Hotel.

Day 3: (64.1 km )

Today you have many options to enjoy this corner of Sicily. Basically, the bike trip will have you cycling steeply uphill for a leisurely lunch in the medieval hilltop town of Erice (or you can take the easy option and go up by cable car!). Once there, you can fully appreciate the tranquillity and Old World charm of this mesmerising corner of western Sicily. Erice is located on the top of the homonymous mount that towers above Trapani. The town nowadays has a lovely medieval atmosphere but, in ancient times, it was an important religious centre for the Elymians, a population that lived in western Sicily before the Greek colonization. Another option would be to take a short boat trip from nearby Trapani to discover the remote and staggeringly beautiful Egadi Islands.

Day 4: (27.8 km)

Today offers a nice, relaxing pedal. The route, in the interior, will lead us to the Marsala Salt Marshes Reserve and to Mozia, a small, unspoiled Punic Island. You’ll cycle along virtually flat roads in the open country. Once you arrive at the sea, you’ll enjoy a magnificent view of the salt marshes and windmills. At the landing-stage to Mozia, you may choose to visit the Marsala Salt Marshes Reserve to learn about the process of salt cultivation, and how the windmills made it all possible. After Mozia, the day's last kilometers will lead us to Marsala where we’ll visit a noteworthy wine-producing firm and enjoy a wine tasting. The origins of Marsala, the most populous city in the province of Trapani, extend all the way back to 397 BC when the Greeks of Siracusa defeated Mozia. However, the town is better known today as the place where Garibaldi and the Thousands landed in 1861 — an event that played a vital role in the national unification of Italy. In Marsala, we recommend visiting the renowned wine co-operative store and the museum in order to better know the production secrets of this rare wine. Lodgings: Hotel Baglio Villa Favorita.

Day 5: (42.1 km)

Today's ride will take us along a flat countryside lined by vineyards until we reach the coast. A detour to the Cusa caves—a quarry from which the Greeks took the stones for the Selinunte temples—may be in order before you reach Selinunte itself. This cluster of age-old columns, when viewed stark against the setting sun, is simply unforgettable. The day ends magically in the seaside town of Marinella with a visit to the dunes and estuary of the River Belice. A short stroll from your inn will let us relax amid comfort and beauty to enjoy a well earned cocktail with the sun shimmering over a tranquil ocean. Lodging: Hotel Admento, Selinunte

Day 6: (34.2 km)

Today's ride is a challenge. You will leave the coast and make your way along the mountain ridges to enter the secluded heart of the island. Mythical names and stunning scenery, cradle of the Mafia and set to many famous movies— most notably Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather— all await you today. You will pass through the Poggioreale Ruins, where a 1968 earthquake left the town in rubble. Your destination for the evening is a secluded haven with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. It will more than make up for the day's hills, and you'll be well rewarded for your hard work with a sumptuous meal prepared by Paolo and his wife at your quiet retreat. Lodging: Rocca dei Capperi, Contessa Entellinaesi

Day 7: (36.2 km)

Another cycling day in the interior country side of west Sicily. We’ll ride towards north, to Segesta where you’ll stay in a comfortable accommodation close to the archaeological site.The Archaeological site of Segesta is one of the most important and representative in Sicily. The site is renowned for the temple, one of the most representative images of tourism in Sicily, and for the theatre that like a shell suspended in space looks towards the Gulf of Castellammare. Segesta, together with Erice and Entella, was a powerful city of the Elymians, population coming from Turkey, and was marked by several conflicts with Selinunte. During the first Punic War, under the rule of the Romans and the Greeks the town underwent periods of glory; then it was destroyed by the vandals and occupied by the Saracens and ceases to exist in the Early Middle Ages. Lodgings: Relais Angimbe

Day 8: Depart

After your farewell breakfast, reminiscing about the past week, you might head off on your own adventures, or perhaps you've made plans to further explore Palermo. We wish you the best in your journeys and look forward to the time when our paths will cross again. We’ll be sad to see you go, but happy to have made new friends!