Sicily, Italy 

Cycling Trip to Sicily, Italy 

Monday: October 27

Shuttle to Taormina

11:15am

Estimated arrival into Catania Airport if taking the Easy Jet Airline flight from Milan. Regardless of your flight plan, be there by 11:15am on October 27 if you wish to board the arranged shuttle to our hotel in Taormina.

Taormina is considered the “jewel of Sicily” dating back to 734 BCE when Ancient Greece established it as the island’s first trading colony. After the fall of the Roman Empire centuries later, Taormina maintained its position as Sicily’s most important vibrant trading towns. Today, it continues as such with its blend of antiquity, its modern artsy vibe, its beaches, its Ionian Sea views and Mt. Etna serving as its daunting backdrop. 

UnaHotels Capotaormina

Via Nazionale, 105, 98039 Taormina ME, Italy Phone: +39 0942 572111

1:00pm:

Check into the hotel and hopefully our rooms are available upon arrival. Regardless, things to do! Enjoy our “meet & greet” lunch at 1:30 pm and meet our cycling support guides who will set us up on our rental bikes. In the afternoon, we will spin our legs for an “out-and-back” coastal ride or choose the hillier version up Forza D’Agro. Upon return, use your free time to plan a walk through Taormina. The hotel provides free shuttles to the town center.

3:00pm:

Cycling Day 1: Two optional afternoon ‘warm up’ rides:  A coastline out-and-back 20 miler/1522 elevation or a more challenging ‘climbing ride” total 9 miles/1590.

8:00pm:

Welcome Dinner at our hotel’s “White Lotus Terrace”. Plan for a good night’s sleep.

UnaHotels Capotaormina in the evening

Tuesday, October 28

Cycling Day 2: 

Part 1 - Taormina to Mt. Etna for a brief stop at Crateri Sivestri before descending to lunch at winery Tenuta Papale.  45 miles / 7860 ft elevation.   

6:30 am: 

7:00am sharp

Cyclists depart for Mt Etna. This will probably be the most challenging cycling day of our lives so let’s get this party started early! Plenty of road support to get picked up or driven forward to cut down on time and elevation. The goal is to make it to Crateri Silvestri (the peak at 35 miles/7860 elevation) by 12:30pm to enjoy the view of the fresh lava craters and coffee before descending to the winery lunch. Lunch is 1:30pm sharp! 

Cycling Day 2:

Part 2 - Tenuta Papale to Brucoli  48 miles/1400 elevation

6:00pm-6:30pm: 

8:00pm :

Dinner at Mangia’s Brucoli Resort 

Address: Contrada Gisira, 96010 Brucoli SR, Italy

Phone: +39 0931 994401

Wesbite: http://mangias.com/resort /brucoli-sicily/

Wednesday, October 29

Cycling Day 3:

Part 1 - Brucoli to Palazzolo Acreide 41 miles / 4500 elevation 

Our evening destination will be Ragusa which seems like a “town from a fairytale” as Fodors writes. Its Baroque architecture, church domes and towers peek out among the cascade of terra-cotta roofs that spill down a hillside. One of the best-preserved old towns in Sicily, and a Unesco World Heritage Site. We will enjoy a medieval wander through the old town's steep alleys on the way to our evening dinner in the old town piazza in view of the Duomo di San Giorgio. 

8:30am: 

9:00am:

Cyclists depart toward the town of Palazzolo Acreide for an outdoor lunch

1:30–3:00pm:

Lunch at Domus Hyblaea Ristorante 

Address: Via Giuseppe Campailla, snc, 96010 Palazzolo Acreide SR, Italy

Phone: +39 346 841 1331

Cycling Day 3:

Part 2 - Palazzolo Acreide to Ragusa 26.50 miles / 3100 elevation 

5:30-6:30pm: 

Cyclists arrive to Hotel Montreal in Ragusa Superiore. We will walk to our restaurant in the historic old center of Ragusa Ibla. Give yourselves 30 minutes for that walk through the winding medieval streets.     

Hotel Montreal

Address: Via S. Giuseppe, 14, 97100 Ragusa RG, Italy

Phone: +39 0932 621133

Thursday, October 30

Cycling Day 4:

Part 1 -  Ragusa to Licata 65 miles / 2700 elevation 

Agrigento was founded by the Greeks on the southwestern coast of Sicily around 580 BC. Perched on a hilltop on Sicily’s southwest shore, Agrigento – once called Akragas – is known all over the world for the preserved ancient ruins of that ancient Greek past. Our hotel is just a 10 minute walk to the entrance of the “Valley of the Temples”. Consider walking to view the ruins before dinner. 

7:30am:

8:00am:

Cyclists depart toward the coastal town of Gela where the Allied Invasion of Italy took place on July 10, 1943. We will stop there (mile 42) for a coffee at Manna Sea Café to regroup our own troops before the final 23 miles to lunch just outside of Licata.   

The coastal town of Gela where the Allies Invaded Italy on July 10, 1943 defeating the combined Italian-German forces

Lunch and optional swim in a cozy cove off the southern coast at Cala Del Re Ristorante

Address: C.da Torre San Nicola, 92027 Licata AG, Italy

Phone: +39 0922 761056

Cycling Day 4:

Part 3 - Cala Del Re to Agrigento 25 miles / 2300 elevation

3:00pm- 3:30pm:

Depending on your desire to stay at the beach after lunch or depart even earlier to arrive to Agrigento in time to visit the Valley of the Temple before it closes.

Hotel Della Valle

Address: Via Ugo la Malfa, 3, 92100 Agrigento AG, Italy

Phone: +39 0922 26966

5:30-6:30pm: 

Group arrives to evening hotel.  Consider a 30 minute out-and back walk to see the Greek ruins even if the park is closed you can view from the road.   

8:00pm:

Dinner at hotel. Poolside bar will be opened for us after dinner – drinks at your expense! 

 Friday, October 31

Cycling Day 5:  40 miles / 5466 elevation 

5:30-6:30pm:

Arrive to Palermo and group splits and checks into two hotels:

Hotel Federico II Central Palace Palermo     Address: Via Principe di Granatelli, 60, 90139 Palermo PA, Italy    Phone: +39 091 749 5052    https://www.hotelfedericopalermo.it/

Hotel Mercure Palermo Centro   Via Mariano Stabile, 112, 90139 Palermo PA, Italy  Phone: +39 091 324911 

8:00 pm

Farewell Dinner in Piazza San Francisco at Antica Foccaria.     Address: Via Alessandro Paternostro, 58, 90133 Palermo PA, Italy   phone: +39 091 320264

Saturday, Nov 1   

5:30am:  Breakfast in hotel, bring luggage to bus for departure.                                             6:00am:  Bus departs to Palermo Airport for those heading home.   

Arriverderci Sicily!

Daily Mileage Summary:  (GPS routes)

Total ride over the 5 Days: 309 miles/ 29,128 elevation

Day 1: Monday, October 27 - Warm up ride A 

Version 1: Coastal 20 miler out-and-back / 1533 elevation

Day 1: Monday, October 27 - Warm up ride B 

Version 2: Forza D’Agro 8.7 miler out-and-back / 1590 elevation

In the Godfather Part I, when Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and his two bodyguards are walking in the hills, they see a picturesque village in the distance, they point and remark “Corleone”. The town in the distance is in fact Forza d' Agro a short drive from Taormina.  Forza d’Agro is an ancient hilltop town and is a warren of narrow streets and tiny houses leading up to a ruined Norman castle. Most of the stone paved lanes here are impassable by cars.



The town was also used as a filming location for The Godfather Part II and III.  In the opening scene of The Godfather Part II, following the assassination of young Vito Corleone’s father, the funeral procession was shot in the dry riverbed below Forza d’Agro, Michael’s older brother is assassinated in this scene after being found hiding in the hills.

The Duomo, known as the Church of Santa Maria Assunta and Annunziata which dates back to the eighteenth century is typical Baroque architecture. You will recognise the church from the opening scene of the Godfather Part II.   Outside the church to your left you will see a small cobbled alleyway, it is down here in The Godfather Part II that you see young Vito Corleone disappear hidden in the back of a donkey with cart. Walk down this quaint alley and further down you will recognise the houses, it is here at No5 Vico Roma where Michael tells Kay that this was his fathers’ childhood home.    On you visit stop and have a granita in the small piazza with a baroque fountain and don't forget to have your photograph taken on the bicycle which was used in The Godfather Part III in the scene where Kay is thrusted a bouquet of flowers by a passing priest on a bike. After exploring the historic part of town head back to the main piazza, it is here where Michael and Kay watch the traditional Sicilian puppet show and dance together among wedding guests.

Day 2: Part 1 - Tuesday, October 28

Destination: Mt Etna then Tenuta Papale lunch 44.11 miles/ 7861 elevation

Day 2: Part 2 -  Tuesday, October 28

Destination:  Mangia’s Brucoli Resort in Brucoli 47.74 miles/ 1402 elevation

Day 3: Part 1 - Wednesday, October 29

Destination:  Domus Hyblaea lunch in Palazzolo Acreide 41 miles/ 4490 elevation

Day 3: Part 2 - Wednesday, October 29

Destination:  Hotel Montreal in Ragusa 26.27 miles/ 3190 elevation

Day 4: Part 1 - Thursday, October 30

Destination:  Cala Del Re lunch in Licata 65.18 miles/ 2996 elevation

Day 4: Part 2 - Thursday, October 30

Destination:  Hotel Della Valle in Agrigento 24.95 miles/ 2296 elevation

Day 5 - Friday, October 31

Destination: Vecchio Felici lunch in Cammarata 24.95 miles/ 2296 elevation

Trip Cost

$3995 per person (single room) or $3795 per person if doubling up. Flight costs not included. 

We have contracted for three vehicle support to attend to our daily cycling rides and full-service luggage needs and we will be riding quality disc-brake Wilier road bikes.       

All-inclusive: ground transport to-and-from Catania and Palermo airports, rental race bike, luggage shuttles, single rooms in hotels (discount for doubling up), all breakfasts, all lunches, all dinners, water, all wine during meals.  Not included: Supplements for E-bike/carbon upgrades, helmets, course loaded GPS rental.

Save your spot: At this time, full payment is due to join us on this trip less than 5 months from now.  We need to follow travel industry standard “payment and refund policies” as other tour companies to avoid losses. Please review the chart below.

Checks made out and mailed to: “PV Sports & Wellness” and mailed to 16 De Hart Road Maplewood, NJ 07040

Venmo to John Profaci @John-A-Profaci (Greens Golf logo)                                                            Zelle johnp@colavita.com  908-468-7703

2025 Sicily Cycling Tour Fees & Cancellations:

Please email me if you have any further questions.   johnaprofaci@gmail.com