Sea to Volcano: Taormina Cycling Week

Make the Taormina area your home for the week and ride Sicily one spectacular loop at a time.
From the Ionian coast you’ll climb into Mount Etna’s otherworldly landscapes on legendary roads—Piano Provenzana, Rifugio Sapienza, Portella Mandrazzi—then sweep back down through lava-stone villages, fertile vineyards, and the dramatic Alcantara and Agrò valleys.
A perfect blend of challenge, authenticity, and comfort: big rides by day, and the ease of returning to the same hotel every night.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival

Arrival in Sicily, transfer to Taormina (when included), bike fitting and welcome meeting.

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Day 2 – The Godfather Loop | 60.5 km | 1,494 m elevation gain

First cycling day in Sicily mixes coastline and inland hills, starting from Letojanni with medium-length climbs, including a 12 km ascent to the Sanctuary of Madonna dell’Aiuto at 1,000 m in the Agrò Valley near Mount Kalfa.
The route then follows narrow, quiet country roads through a lush and spectacular area.
A cappuccino stop is at the famous Bar Vitelli in Savoca (featured in The Godfather), followed by a thrilling descent back to the coast and the hotel.

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Day 3 – Portella Mandrazzi Pass | 87.4 km | 1,422 m elevation gain

Today’s route climbs to Portella Mandrazzi Pass (1,125 m) via the Alcantara Valley. After Linguaglossa and Castiglione di Sicilia, we’ll reach Francavilla di Sicilia and begin the main ascent to the pass.
Stunning scenery all day with Mount Etna in the background—this climb has featured in the Giro d’Italia more than once.
From the top, we’ll descend to Giardini Naxos and roll back to Taormina… maybe with a sprint finish to close it out!

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Day 4 – Etna North Side | 95 km | 2,130 m elevation gain

Today we climb to Piano Provenzana (1,800 m), the Giro d’Italia 2020 stage finish.
The main ascent is 18 km long, mixing steady 5% gradients with tougher ramps, and the final 3 km are the hardest with slopes over 10%.
After the summit “finish,” we’ll regroup and descend to Fornazzo, then ride back to the hotel.

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Day 5 – Etna Vineyards | 103 km | 1,660 m elevation gain

We’ll ride out from Taormina and, once in Linguaglossa, we’ll take the Quota Mille road across Etna’s northern flank before dropping into Randazzo, the lava-stone “black town.”
We’ll pedal through a patchwork of vineyards, evidence of the area’s renowned wines, until we enter the Alcantara Valley and its striking basalt gorges shaped by lava and water.
A pleasantly rolling route of steady ups and downs will bring us back to the hotel.

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Day 6 – Southern Etna Challenge | 123 km | 2,588 m elevation gain

We’ll tackle Etna’s southern side, riding through villages along the volcano’s belt—Vena, Presa, Milo, Fornazzo, and Zafferana Etnea—an area that in recent years has become increasingly popular with pro riders too, many of whom base themselves at Rifugio Sapienza to train on the volcano.
After a pastry stop in Zafferana, the tougher part begins: a 17 km climb to Rifugio Sapienza (1,910 m), with steep ramps early on and again near the top, rewarded by spectacular views.
Following a quick lunch at the refuge, we’ll descend via Nicolosi and roll back through Zafferana before dropping all the way down to the coast and the hotel.

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Day 7 – Alcantara Valley | 91 km | 1,820 m elevation gain

On the final stage of the week, we’ll take on a long 15 km climb up the Agrò Valley from Sant’Alessio Siculo to Roccafiorita.
From there we ride toward Graniti, linking Mount Kalfa to the Alcantara Valley, a striking landscape shaped by ancient lava flows and the river that carved its famous basalt gorges.
In Graniti we’ll climb again to Castiglione di Sicilia, a beautiful hilltop village of lava-stone streets and sweeping Etna-and-valley views, before heading back to the hotel via Linguaglossa and Piedimonte Etneo.

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Day 8 – Departure

Transfer to the airport (when included in the package) and end of services.

What’s included in each package

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