Sicily Tour

Several mafia bosses have come from small towns such as Prizzi and Corleone, well known as the birthplace of several fictional characters in The Godfather - most notably Vito Corleone. Taking a photo is a must do before we'll start riding to the island's western end, well known for its salt plains where so called white gold is still produced in the traditional way. Scenic wind mills around Trapani give a special atmosphere to the large flat plains. Late at the afternoon we'll welcome Erice, magnificent medieval town on the top of the hill with splendid views over the west coast where we'll end the day.

Chicken marsala, an Italian-American dish made from chicken cutlets, mushrooms and Marsala wine is perfect and original here. We'll ride south-east combining scenic coastal roads with twisty inland ones. We'll end the day welcoming Agrigento, once the fourth-largest city in the known world and home to Sicily's most impressive Greek ruins. The Unesco-listed Valley of the Temples is one of the most important sites in the Mediterranean, boasting the largest and best-preserved ancient Greek buildings outside of Greece, including seven monumental Greek temples in the Doric style, constructed during the 6th and 5th centuries BC.

This is one of Sicily's most visited spots. The famous Villa Romana del Casale, built in the middle of the 4th Century A.D. as a hunting lodge by a Roman patrician, is home to some of the best preserved and extensive examples of Roman mosaics spread over 3500m2. Leaving the Roman villa, we'll pass by Caltagirone, centre of ceramic art and finally reach south-eastern part of the island. Whole area is well known for its marvelous baroque architecture, especially in the old towns of Noto and Syracuse.

In its heyday, Syracuse was the largest city in the ancient world, bigger even than Athens and Corinth. Some easy riding north will lead us toward Catania - second largest city on the island and further into the ancient town of Taormina. Small chic town, located on the top of the hill is a tourist resort since ancient times, thanks to its favorable locale, mild climate and magical atmosphere. All day long the magnificent Mount Etna above us will be a temptation for the next day.

Spectacularly perched on the side of a mountain, Taormina is Sicily's most popular summer destination, beloved of holidaying high-rollers and visiting celebs. And while it is unashamedly touristy and has a main street lined with high-end designer shops, the town remains a beautiful spot with gorgeous medieval churches, a stunning Greek theatre and sweeping views of the Gulf of Naxos and Mt Etna.
It's not all about relaxing today. Early in the morning we'll start fantastic riding on the scenic and twisty road to Mount Etna. At 3,329 m high, it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity. Due to its natural beauty and rich flora and fauna, Mount Etna was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The scenery is awesome, as is the road on and off the mountain.

Several of the peaks are above 1500 meters high, forming the Sicilian Apennines, together with the Madonie and the Peloritani mountains. Twisty roads are going to lead us through forests of thick cork trees all the way up to mountain pastures and back down to Cefalu. The squares, streets and churches of this medieval town are so postcard-pretty that we just have to explore the narrow, cobbled streets of the town. The little port is lined with narrow fishing boats and populated with local fishermen who can often be observed maintaining their boats, mending their nets and discussing the day's catch.

It was part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973. Just before Palermo we'll visit Monreale royal hill, located in a panoramic position above the Gulf of Palermo. The cathedral on the top contains 6.500 square meters of impressive gold and glass mosaics. Returning to the biggest Sicilian city early in the afternoon gives us a chance stroll its chaotic streets, admire magnificent buildings like the Palazzo dei Normanni, Piazza Pretoria, Teatro Massimo, cathedral and other sights. Wandering the streets of the Old City is a key to understanding the city's unique culture.

If you have an afternoon flight planned, you can have your last Italian pizza. There's a good chance you won't eat pizza that good for a while!