Self-Guided Bicycle Tours in Italy: Western Sicily Self Guided Tour Tour Itinerary

The Facts | Full Itinerary | Interactive Map

Day 1: Transfer from Palermo Airport to Monreale

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Highlights: Monreale's Cathedral beautiful mosaics and its Benedictine Abbey
Arrive in Monreale today and take time to visit its world-renowned Cathedral, a dazzling mixture of Arab, Byzantine and Norman artistic styles framed by traditional Romanesque architecture, all combined in a perfect blend of the best that both the Christian and Muslim worlds of the 12th century had to offer. The beautiful mosaics in the Cathedral of Monreale cover 6.340 square meters of the interior surface of the Duomo and the splendid cloister of the Benedictine Abbey alone would make Monreale famous. We suggest a number of restaurants for dinner. Today we'll do a bike fitting and a brief introduction meeting to your tour. Daily mileage: If you arrive early you'll have time for a short warm up ride.

Day 2: Ride from Monreale to Ficuzza

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Highlights: The little Hamlet of Ficuzza and the Palace of the King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon
Today you'll leave Monreale for a beautiful hilly countryside. A gentle ride first, with some harder stretches, will take you away from the town. Our ride will pass through two little towns: San Giuseppe Jato and San Cipirello, before reaching our accommodation for tonight set into the forest. Along the way you'll recognize the shape of Rocca Busambra (1613 m/5292 feet), an enormous rocky raft that formed over 200 million years ago in the depths of Tetide sea, the Mediterranean sea ancestor. In Ficuzza you'll have time in the afternoon to enjoy Ferdinand IV of Bourbon palace, or the surrounding forest. Dinner included tonight. Daily Mileage: 51 km (32 miles)

Day 3: Bicycle from Ficuzza to Contessa Entellina

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Highlights: Corleone and its Duomo, Contessa Entellina rich of ancient Greek-Albanian culture, organic farm homestay
While biking from Ficuzza to Contessa Entellina you'll pass through Corleone and its territory rich in prehistoric archaeological sites. During the Muslim occupation this was an important staging point on the Palermo-Sciacca route thanks to its central position on the Belice river basin and the Saracen tower is still there! Corleone became famous recently for its connection with the Mafia and for the strong reaction of the government, but you'll not find any Al Pacino or Marlon Brando there. You'll reach Contessa Entellina today, where the persistence of the Albanian language and of the Greek Orthodox rituals are the distinctive marks of the area. They have survived up to these days and are still practiced by part of the population. Your accommodation for today is an organic farm that produces fresh vegetables and olive oil! Daily Mileage: 43 km (27 miles). Dinner included tonight.

Day 4: Loop ride to Chiusa Sclafani, Giuliana and Santa Maria del Bosco

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Highlights: Small villages and countryside ride, the abbey of Santa Maria de Bosco
Loop ride today in an agricultural area where they produce olives, almonds, grapes, cherries and peaches. You'll pass through small villages witnesses of the long and complicate history of Sicily: not only Greek, Normans, Arabs, French, Austrian, Spanish shaped this land, but also volcanoes and earthquakes. Today it is possible to have a brief guided tour and wine tasting in a small winery close to your accommodation that includes a light lunch as well (not included, it needs to be booked in advance). Dinner included tonight. Daily Mileage: 56 km (35 miles).

Day 5: Bicycle from Contessa Entellina to Selinunte

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Highlights: The Greek Acropolis of Selinunte and its temples
Today you'll reach Selinunte, in the flat vineyards and olive fields around Castelvetrano. The visit of the abandoned ancient Greek city, with the ruins of the Acropolis and its numerous temples is an experience that you don't have to miss! The city was founded in the seventh century BC, and effectively destroyed in 409 BC. Selinunte's glorious heyday lasted for a period of about two centuries, when it was one of the most progressive Greek cities in Sicily, famous throughout Magna Grecia. You'll overnight in an agriturismo, a family run farm where you'll taste genuine olive oil. Dinner included tonight. Daily Mileage: 55 km (34 miles).

Day 6: Bicycle from Selinunte to Mazara del Vallo

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Highlights: The Greek quarry of Cusa, the Arab and Norman city of Mazara del Vallo
From Selinunte you'll ride south-west, with the blue sea stretching out in front of you towards Africa. This is a wonderful easy countryside ride, between the sea and vineyards. Along the way don't miss the visit to the Cave di Cusa, an old Greek quarry were temple columns were dug out of the rock on the spot. Everything was abandoned as it was on the very same day the Carthaginian army arrived to destroy the Greek city. You'll arrive in Mazara del Vallo today a city that reached its maximum splendour under Arab and Norman domination and where this two ancient cultures are still very evident. Daily Mileage: 44 km (27 miles)

Day 7: Bicycle from Mazara del Vallo to Marsala

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Highlights: Marsala wine and vineyards, the Greek statue of the Satyr
Another easy ride with some gentle stretches of climb. Today you'll get the town from where the unification of Italy started in 1860 led by Giuseppe Garibaldi and his "Thousands" soldiers that conducted an attack against Naples Kingdom, thus paving the way for Italian Unification. Today Marsala is the most populous town in Trapani province, his economy is based on the wine production and the famous homonymous dessert wine. You'll still have time to wonder around in Marsala and to take a look to the famous satyr, a Greek bronze statue discovered in the sea in 1998 about 1500 feet deep. Daily Mileage: 32 km (19 miles).

Day 8: End of the tour

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Highlights: Marsala
Your bike tour of Western Sicily finishes today; you can spend more time in Marsala, or take the train to Palermo to continue your exploring. A perfect way to conclude your cycling experience in West Sicily is a three day extension that allows you to enjoy the North-West coast of the island and to the Greek majestic ruins on Segesta. If you can't get enough of the biking, see our longer version of this tour, which spend other 3 nights in North Western Sicily.