Discover cycling tours in
Sicily

A quick jaunt across the Strait of Messina, off the toe of Italy, will take you to the enchanting isle of Sicily. The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily is a unique landscape which is best explored by by bicycle. The moment you set foot onto Sicily you can tell you’re in a different part of Europe; from the uniquely spicy food to the Sicilian language, things are a bit different down here. Trying to fit all the sights of Sicily into one cyling tour is next to impossible, so most tours stick to either the north or the south of the island. The northern city of Palermo is the capital of Sicily and the starting point for cycling the north coast. The city is fairly dirty and hectic, yet still retains a fair amount of cultural charm. Palermo has been an important economic and industrial centre for Sicily for thousands of years, and features some of the island's most significant cultural and architectural sites. Most tours depart Palermo and head east along the Tyrrhenian coast, where they wind their way through orchards, vineyards and beachside resort towns, slowly working their way to the eastern coastline and the shadow of Mt. Etna.

Mt. Etna is Europe's largest volcano; it is by far the most dominant feature of the Sicilian landscape, its smoke-billowing crater sitting well above the treeline. The resort city of Taormina is a great place to see Etna and offers some of the world's best beaches. You will find multiple ways to get up and around on Mt. Etna. Cities and towns circumnavigate the active volcano with roads that reach fairly high up; there are tour operators who will take you even higher. From Taormina south is the iconic Ionian Coast, which is dotted with beaches, Roman and Greek ruins, and gorgeous cities; all of it, of course, in the shadow of Mt. Etna. Halfway down the Ionian Coast lies Sicily's second city, Catania, a cleaner, less hectic version of Palermo. Beyond Catania is the historically important city of Syracuse, once one of the world's most powerful cities. Syracuse was one of ancient Greece’s most powerful and important cities, as has been recognised with its UNESCO World Heritage designation.

The southern coast of Sicily is lined with smaller cities and villages that have a strong sense of heritage and authenticity. Cycling Sicily is an absolute treat as the experience is forever contrasting between busy and slow, new and old, and mountains and beaches, all within a day's ride.