Siciclando » november

Sicily: Baroque Towns Easy Biking

mark — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:41:09 +0000

Elaborate and easy. Baroque and biking.

Join us on this exciting journey through the southeastern part of the island where the baroque towns and rolling landscapes are abundant. This tour is similar to our Baroque Towns and Rolling Hills Biking Tour, but offers different routes which are more gentle and shorter. You’ll bike along quiet roads with open views of the Iblei countryside with its deep canyons carved by the fast flowing streams. Enjoy the beauty of the vast orange and lemon plantations.

Cycle to Vendicari, a protected white beach where many different species of birds build their nests. You’ll discover relics and monuments, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, caves excavated in the rock walls from the 13th to 7th centuries which housed some 5,000 tombs. You’ll cycle through Noto’s Valley, which in 2003 was included as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover several baroque towns such as Noto, Modica, Syracuse-Ortigia, and Palazzolo Acreide. Each town showcases intricately carved portals, windows and railings. You will love the richly decorated churches and palaces. Astonishingly beautiful and best seen by bike!

Sicily will capture you by the food; unique cuisine developed over time by the influences of many cultures. Choose from such tasty dishes as caponata, parmigiana, pasta with sardines, tuna, fresh tomato sauce, or sauce with a base of fresh olive oil. All are enhanced by regional wines. And, of course, a piece of Sicily’s famous and elaborate dessert, cassata, a cake you will never forget.

Cost: € 1235 (group) $
€ 960 (self-guided) $
Duration: 8 days/7 nights
Start/End: Syracuse/Syracuse
2010 Start Dates: April 10, May 8, May 29, September 4, September 25, October 16, October 23

Highlights of the tour

Explore the town of Syracuse and its archeological sites including a famous Greek theater and the little island of Ortigia, the historical city center with narrow streets and baroque duomo square
Bike through several small villages richly decorated by baroque architecture
See the city of Noto, the capital of Italian Baroque
Experience Vendicari Nature Reserve with beautiful white beaches and migratory birds
Discover the ancient sites and villages of Akrai, Noto Antica, Ragusa, and the Necropolis of Pantalica.
View the Iblei Mountains with its excavated caves and canyons
Traditional Sicilian cuisine and wine

Itinerary
Accommodations
Photos
Maps
Notes
Pricing

Day 1 – Welcome to Sicily!

Arrival at Catania Airport. Transfer on your own to Syracuse-Ortigia by bus, taxi or train.

Twenty-seven centuries of history separate the origin of this city from present days. Ortigia, the little Island very close to the coast, is the ancient heart of the city. It was from Syracuse the Greek’s began colonization of Sicily. It’s delightful to wander through Ortigia with small routes leading to artisan shops. Walks along the beach are stunning with the rise of the sun or a fresh breeze in the afternoon. An overnight stay in Ortigia or in Syracuse in a three-star hotel with b&b service (close to the archaeological theatre site). Please check your voucher, more options are available.

Day 2 – Ortigia to Noto (train & bike) and from Noto to Vendicari Nature Reserve (18 miles/30 km)

Noto is universally recognized as the capital city of the baroque style. It offers a cross section of buildings that came about after the 1693 earthquake. The Spanish governor, at the time, chose to re-build the city instead of renovate damaged buildings. New aesthetic values were applied, including and above all the ostentatious nature of the political and religious powers. You will notice in Noto the imposing design of palaces and churches, classic of the baroque style, that mix with cozy, hidden courts.

On to the Vendicari Nature Reserve, famous for bird-watching of several species coming from Africa. In autumn it is possible to observe larger wading birds. Overnight stay in Noto, with dinner on your own.

Day 3 – Noto to Noto Antica by bike (16.4 miles/27.4 km)

Today a circular bike route of about thirty kilometers with as much up as down. We will reach Noto Antica. Little is known of its origins. Over the centuries its strategic position always made it the object of attention, with each successive domination adding to its cultural wealth. The Siculs, Greeks, and Arabs turned it into one of the most beautiful towns in Sicily, until the earthquake of 1693 reduced it to rubble. You can reach the ancient ruins via the Porta Reale gateway. The route overlooks the surrounding area of “cave” (canyons). Overnight stay in Noto, with dinner on your own.

Day 4 – Noto to Ragusa-Ibla (train & bike) (3 miles/5 km)

Ibla is adorned with “grinning masks” carved out of stone on the buildings. By light of day, you feel like you can almost talk to these faces. If you take a night-time stroll through the alleys and see the laughing masks of Ibla, you may feel it is all a dream.

SanGiorgio Cathedral towers overhead and watches over the town. Overnight stay in Ibla with dinner on your own.

Day 5 – Biking from Ibla to Palazzolo Acreide, on to Anapo Valley (32 miles/53 km)

Today you bike to Palazzolo Acreide, another jewel of the Val di Noto area, where the baroque is in contrast to the ancient ruins. Akrai was founded by the Siracusans in 664 BC as a strategic position overlooking the surrounding countryside and the “via Selinuntina”, the road that joined Syracuse to the coastal towns in the south of the island. Historian Tommaso Fazello discovered Akrai at the end of the 16th century. The archaeological excavations ran until the beginning of the 19th century under the direction of baron Gabriele Iudica.

Pantalica, located inside the Valle dell’Anapo (Anapo Valley), is another fascinating archaeological site with its mysterious origins dating back to 2300 years ago. You will see the Necropolis of Pantalica, the biggest in Sicily and one of the most important in the world. More than 5,000 tombs were excavated into the rock overhanging the Anapo and Calcinara Rivers. An overnight stay in the Anapo Valley in a farmhouse, dinner included.

Day 6 – Anapo Valley – your choice of options

Today a free day in the Anapo Valley with several options: relax, walk on your own, hike a nature trail with a guide, ride on the back of a donkey or take a cooking class. In the valley you can enjoy the shade trees such as Plans, Ashes and Oaks. You’ll become intoxicated by a thousand smells of this little Eden. Walk along the cold waters of the river, hike the coastal paths or perhaps along the track of the old narrow gauge railway that passed through these valleys until 1956. Overnight stay at an Anapo Valley farmhouse, dinner included.

Day 7 – Anapo Valley to Ortigia by bike (17.6 miles/29.4 km)

Our route will take us back to Ortigia by bike. Syracuse offers classical plays at the Greek Theater. If our timing is right, it is possible to tie a performance into our last day of the tour. Overnight stay in Ortigia or in Syracuse (close to the theatre archaeological site) in a three-star hotel. Please check your voucher, more options are available. Dinner is on your own.

Day 8 – Departure Day

End of the tour. Back to Ortigia-Catania by bus. Ciao!

Actual tour itinerary may vary slightly due to unforeseen circumstances.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Siciclando carefully chooses every aspect of a tour, including the accommodations.

Our choices are based on comfort and quality. We often choose hotels that are family-owned and operated because they provide a richer experience and because it is important to us to support the efforts of these individuals. We have developed relationships with many wonderful hotel operators. Here is a sample of the hotels on this tour.

Tour accommodations will be based on availability and the time of year. Once you have made your final payment for the tour, we will send you a confirmation letter that includes daily accommodations and contact information.

Level of difficulty: Easy

This tour is an easy one not only because of the total distance you’ll cover along the week (ony 87 miles!), but also because of the rest days you’ll enjoy on day 4 (option ride is available anyway) and day 6. Besides: the rest day more at the beginning of the tour allows you the possibility to have a gentle beginning of your holiday. The mix with the railway is another point which gives you an opportunity to have relaxing stops from the cycling and more opportunities to share your experience with the local people.

Travel notes

The reference airport for this tour is Catania.

Books

Salvatore Quasimodo, poet and writer: Ed è subito sera, Giorno dopo giorno, Dare e avere. Modica
Gesualdo Bufalino, novelist Diceria dell’untore (the plague sower), Le menzogne della notte (Night’s lies). Comiso
Jacopo da Lentini (sec XIII), poet. Lentini
Vitaliano Brancati, novelist: Don Giovanni in Sicilia, Il Bell’Antonio, Paolo il caldo. Pachino

Movies

Divorce, italian style 1961, film director: Pietro Germi. This movie It won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay.
Anni difficili 1948, film director Luigi Zampa, from the novel of Vitaliano Brancati, “II vecchio con gli stivali”
Gente di rispetto 1975, film director Luigi Zampa, from the homonymous novel of Giuseppe Fava
Kaos 1984, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, from several novels of Luigi Pirandello
The star maker or best known as L’Uomo delle stelle 1995, Giuseppe Tornatore

Group tour price

€ 1235 (minimum 8 people) – currency converter

Additional options and fees

High season surcharge – € 120 (effective July 1– August 31)
Private room – € 230
Half-board – € 135 (5 dinners, 2 dinner are already included in the standard package)
Bike rental – € 130 (€ 18 each additional day), which includes 1 bike pannier per bike, helmets and a cycle computer.
Cooking class – € 45 per person (included for the group tour)
GPS rental – € 35 (Garmin E-Trex Venture HC)
Transfer rates per person (two person minimum)
- Catania airport to Syracuse – € 35
- Syracuse to Catania airport – € 35
- Noto to Ragusa Ibla – € 40
- Extra transfers – € 30

Included

One English-speaking trip leader
Seven nights in three-star hotels, all rooms with en suite bathroom
Seven breakfasts and two dinners
Baggage transportation between hotels
Detailed route information and maps
Van support

Not included

Admission to museums and archaeological sites
Tickets for trains or any public transportation
Wine or beverages
Airfare
Transfers to the starting point or from the finishing point unless specified; we can assist you in planning and arranging for any necessary shuttles
Transport of bike case (for guests who bring their own bike)
Personal expenses (laundry, personal supplies, phone calls, etc.)
Gratuity

Self-guided option

This tour is also available as a self-guided option at a cost of € 960 per person. Non-Monday departures incur an additional charge of € 70.

This option includes:

Seven nights in three-star hotels, all rooms with en suite bathroom
Seven breakfasts and three dinners
Welcome meeting (tour explanation)
Baggage transportation between hotels
Detailed route information and maps
Telephone assistance

Tour code

Sicily: A Taste of Sicily Biking and Hiking

mark — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:21:50 +0000

Savor the richness of Sicily.

This is Siciclando’s most popular bike tour and best showcases the diversity and richness of Sicily – seaside bike routes, ancient towering temples, charming towns, and the power of the volcanoes. You’ll begin this tour in Sicily’s capital, Palermo, where you will explore its layers of history and beauty on a guided tour. We will transport you to western Sicily where you will taste the popular Marsala wines and discover the beautiful village of Mazara del Vallo and its treasure, the bronze statue of The Dancing Satyr, discovered 40 kilometers off the shores of neighboring Tunisia in the 1990’s.

Siciclando’s beautiful bike routes will take you to three of western Sicily’s most important archaeological sites: Segesta, Selinunte, and Cave di Cusa. Bike to these parks and step back in time thousands of years ago. Spectacular!

The next three days will be spent biking and hiking the stunning and powerful Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Salina provides a lovely green background for your bike tour. Lipari offers spectacular views of the other islands and the coast of Sicily. A visit to the island of Vulcano allows you to take a 40-minute hike of a volcano for the most fascinating view of the Aeolian Islands.

Vulcano is a wonderful place to begin a general study of volcanoes. It was considered by the Greeks as an island sacred to Efesto (God of Fire) and the crater of Vulcano was considered his workshop. The Romans later changed the name of the island to reflect the name for their God of Fire, Vulcano – which contributed to the word volcano used by most modern languages today. From here, enjoy the view of the island of Stromboli, another active volcano that explodes every 15-20 minutes; explosions which are sometimes visible. This volcanic activity is known as Strombolian and is used to characterize other volcanoes around the world with regular eruptions.

The tour takes us back to Sicily where you will spend two nights in charming Taormina, one of the pearls of Sicily with its ancient Greco-Roman theater and shop-lined streets.

You may also choose the optional hike of Mt. Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe and a fantastic day trip.

This Taste of Sicily will leave you wanting more!

Cost: € 1980 – € 2280 ($) see PRICING details below
Duration: 9 days/8 nights
Start/End: Palermo – Mazara del Vallo/Taormina
2010 Start Dates: March 12, March 20, April 3, April 17, May 6, May 15, June 15, August 30, September 18, October 18, October 30, November 13

Highlights of the tour

Discover the rich history and mix of cultures found on the largest island in the Mediterranean
Explore Palermo, the capital city of Sicily, on a guided tour — beautiful architecture, excellent cuisine, and a lively market will make this an exciting part of your experience
Enjoy the charm of Mazara del Vallo and its mysterious bronze treasure – The Dancing Satyr.
See the beauty of ancient Selinunte and Segesta – powerful, mysterious, peaceful
Picnic in the serenity of Cava di Cusa – ancient quarries that are now like a sanctuary
Taste two of the region’s most famous wines, Marsala and Malvasia
Experience three of the Aeolian Islands by bike or hike
Visit one of Sicily’s pearls, Taormina, with its spectacular ancient Greco- Roman Theater
Optional hike Mt. Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe – an addition to the tour
Discover Sicily’s unique and amazing array of foods, developed overtime with the influence of many cultures. Fresh seafood, handmade pasta, arrancini (rice balls), pasta with sardines, and caponata (stewed eggplant, olives, tomatoes, and capers). Devine!
See Video Highlights from the October 2009 Taste of Sicily Trip.

Itinerary
Accommodations
Photos
Maps
Notes
Pricing

Day 1 – Welcome to Sicily!

Arrive Palermo by coordinated shuttle from Palermo Falcone – Borsellino Airport and enjoy a guided tour of the city the first afternoon (3:00 p.m.). Palermo has so much to see – beautiful churches, lively food markets, and amazing architecture. Dinner is on your own tonight.

Day 2 – Transfer to western Sicily with a stop at a Marsala winery. (8.8 miles/14.7 km)

From Palermo, a private shuttle will transfer you near the town of Mazara del Vallo, where you will stay in a comfortable 5 star hotel. Along the way we’ll stop in the beautiful, little town of Marsala and then enjoy a guided tour of a winery for a taste of the popular Marsala wines. Upon our arrival at the hotel that afternoon, we will review the itinerary of the bike tour in more detail and enjoy a gentle warm-up ride to get comfortable with your bicycle. Tonight, dinner will be included.

Day 3 – Tour of Mazara del Vallo, The Dancing Satyre, Cave di Cusa and Selinunte (30.1 miles/48.4 km)

Today, before biking, we will tour the beautiful harbor town of Mazara del Vallo. This is the home of the mysterious bronze treasure – The Dancing Satyr. You will enjoy a guided tour of the town and the museum housing the statue. From here we will bike on a lovely ride to the peaceful archaeological site of Cave di Cusa where we will enjoy a guided walk and picnic. These were quarries used for more than 150 years in the 6th Century BC. They were the main source of stone for the temples of Selinunte. We will then bike to the ancient Greek town of Selinunte, one of the most important Greek colonies in Sicily at that time. Here you will be guided through the remains of an acropolis and five temple sites, one of which has been re-erected. You will be transferred back to the hotel by shuttle. Dinner included in the village of Mazara del Vallo.

Day 4 – Ancient Segesta and the Aeolian Islands (25.7 miles/42.9 km)

We leave the main island to get to the volcanic archipelago, the Aeolian Islands.
We’ll first cycle to Segesta, once the political center of the Elymians, one of three ancient inhabitants of Sicily. After a guided visit of the site and lunch, we’ll shuttle to Milazzo and then take a hydrofoil to Lipari, the largest island of the archipelago. We’ll stay in another comfortable 5 star hotel. Dinner is on your own tonight.

Day 5 – Lipari loop ride (16.3 miles/27.1 km)

Enjoy a loop ride on the island, giving us an opportunity to understand more
about the place and the archipelago. The views are outstanding and we expect that you will enjoy your bike tour of Lipari…and perhaps a granita (flavored ice) at our favorite place. This afternoon we are excited to offer a cooking class – a great way to learn and enjoy Sicilian-Aeolian Cooking.

Day 6 – Salina loop ride (13.7 miles/22.8 km)

We’ll take a ferry to the island Salina where we’ll take an amazing loop ride on our bikes. The first stop is small fishing village, Lingua, located along the Roman salt marsh. Here we will stop for a granita or coffee and perhaps a tour of the local museum. We’ll bike on, enjoying the breathtaking views, as we head to a local winery to enjoy a glass of Malvasia wine and a light lunch. Dinner is on your own tonight.

Day 7 – Walking on the Vulcano’s volcano and back to the main island of Sicily

After breakfast, we’ll take the hydrofoil to Vulcano Island for a hike to the crater of the
volcano with our volcanologist. After lunch, we’ll transfer to Sicily to the beautiful town of Taormina. There will be a guided tour of the magnificent Greco-Roman amphitheatre – from here you will get a fantastic view of the Ionian Coast, Mt. Etna, and the city. The rest of the day is free to explore the city. Take a relaxing walk along the Corso Umberto with its classical music cafés, pastry shops, art galleries and clothing boutiques. Dinner is on your own.

Day 8 – Biking to Randazzo and to the Alcantara Gorge (28.4 miles/47.3 km)

After breakfast, a shuttle will take us to the starting point of the bike ride at Linguaglossa. This ride gently rolls along the north side of Mt. Etna volcano, which is amazing in the spring with the wild flowers covering the low sides of the volcano and spectacular in fall because of the rich brown colors of the vineyards. The scenery is accented with old ruins and lava stone walls outlining the fields and vineyards. We bike to the charming village of Randazzo, where we will have lunch at one of our favorite sandwich shops. After lunch enjoy a gentle downhill into the Alcantara Gorge – a beautiful end to the route and to our tour. A bus shuttle will take us back to our hotel in Taormina. We will enjoy a final dinner together tonight.

Day 9 – Departure Day or optional extension Hiking Mt. Etna

After breakfast, departure and end of our services. Ciao!
If you choose the Etna excursion you’ll be shuttled to the southeast side of the volcano for a walking tour.

Actual tour itinerary may vary slightly due to unforeseen circumstances.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Siciclando carefully chooses every aspect of a tour, including the accommodations.

Level of difficulty: Easy to moderate

Sicily is a hilly island, as is the Aeolian archipelago. For this reason we rate the tour between easy and moderate. The most difficult parts of the tour are in some stretches on the two loops in the Aeolian Islands (Lipari and Salina), which can be avoided by taking a van shuttle.

The other moderate part of the tour is the hiking on Etna on day 8, which is an optional activity, a chance to discover the contrast between the forest and the lunar landscape of the volcano.

The tour allows you to have a very good overview of Sicily from several points of view, in terms of

history, archaeology, and nature. You’ll also learn about the volcanic activity of the Mediterranean and its different aspects, in visiting the volcanoes of the Aeolian archipelago and Mount Etna.