Month: June 2022

More than 15,000 visitors in just two days and queues of up to 50 minutes to get in: record numbers for the first edition of the Bicycle Tourism Fair, the event organized last March 12 and 13 by Bikenomist in collaboration with RM Ideas Factory and Estro Comunicazione, which gathered in Milan a large number of two-wheel enthusiasts in search of inspiration and new ideas for upcoming trips.

In the spaces of the Fabbrica del Vapore, a fascinating example of industrial archaeology, more than 50 exhibitors including tour operators and national and international entities gathered to promote the destinations, with a surprising participation of southern Italian regions, including Sicily and Basilicata among the main sponsors.

A series of meetings, the “talks,” designed for direct dialogue with the public, enlivened the event and thrilled visitors through the experiences, routes and destinations narrated by authoritative speakers, including champions and former professional cyclists of the caliber of Gianni Bugno and Marco Aurelio Fontana.

Mediterranea Trekking, which has strongly believed in the project from the earliest stages, participated in the fair presenting to a passionate and attentive audience its range of bike tours, organized with the support of Gravel in Sicily and Mediterranea Bike, the companies created to rent gravel bikes and mountain bikes.

From unusual itineraries along the majestic Peloritani mountain range to touring southeastern Sicily among splendid Baroque masterpieces, from challenging and exciting climbs to the summit of Europe’s highest active volcano to evocative sunsets on the salt route from Trapani to Marsala: these are just some of the many fascinating bike tours offered by Mediterranea Trekking.

History, nature and food and wine: a perfect trinomial that finds one of its greatest expressions in the southeastern part of Sicily, where the marvelous and fertile landscapes of the hinterland are enriched by the evidence of a glorious past that emerges powerfully at every glance.

We are in the “Val di Noto,” the ancient “Vallo” that from the Norman period until 1812 constituted one of the administrative districts of the Kingdom of Sicily, corresponding today to the eight towns-Palazzolo Acreide, Caltagirone, Ragusa, Modica, Noto, Scicli, Catania and Militello-that after the terrible earthquake of 1693 were rebuilt in splendid late Baroque style, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.

Our itinerary, which will take us from Pantalica to Syracuse, is of medium difficulty and to be traveled in at least four days crossing provincial roads, reserves and dirt roads.

We start at the Pantalica Oriented Nature Reserve in the province of Syracuse, a naturalistic area of poignant beauty. Here the Anapo and Calcinara rivers over millennia have carved deep canyons, whose towering walls are cloaked in lush vegetation characterized by oleanders, willows and poplars and, in spring, by the explosion of colors of wild orchids and irises. Suggestive natural pools with crystal-clear, icy waters, whose hues range from turquoise to emerald green, are reminiscent of high-altitude alpine lake landscapes and invite an invigorating bath after the long ride.

We choose the entrance to Sortino to embark on the beautiful 24-kilometer (a/r), mostly flat, dirt road route along part of the old railway line that connected Syracuse to Vizzini and that, crossing bridges and tunnels, gives us unforgettable glimpses of Europe’s largest Necropolis, with its 5,000 rock-cut tombs dating back to the period when the Siculians lived in the eastern area of Sicily, between the 13th and 7th centuries B.C.

Enraptured by the beauty of these places we continue to Palazzolo Acreide, the pearl of the Hyblean Mountains, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. The ancient Akrai holds some magnificent vestiges of Greek rule: the Acropolis with the “theater of heaven,” so renamed because of its dominant position over the valley, and the Bouleterion, the place where the city senate met. Alongside the Greek vestiges, Palazzolo holds splendid Baroque masterpieces, such as the beautiful churches of San Sebastiano, San Paolo and the Annunziata, which place it among the must-see stops in the Val di Noto.

Don’t miss a visit to the historic butcher’s shop Corsino to taste the excellent Palazzolo Acreide sausage, a Slow Food presidium, made from the traditional processing of Sicilian black pig, which also includes the addition of fennel seeds. Either eaten fresh (raw or barbecued) or dried, it is well worth a stop.  We move a few kilometers further west to enter the province of Ragusa and find another extraordinary slow food presidium, the Giarratana onion, further proof of how much the cultural and scenic richness of the area corresponds to an incredible gastronomic variety. The uniqueness of this onion lies both in its considerable size (which can reach up to three kilos in weight) and in its incredible sweetness, so much so that it is appreciated across the Channel even by Prince Charles of England. Raw, baked or as a basic ingredient for tasty omelets, the Giarratana onion is one of the still little-known but no less important excellences in the panorama of Sicilian cuisine.

We continue by bike, along the ancient paths originally traveled by monks and pilgrims among olive trees, wheat fields and abandoned mills, to Chiaramonte Gulfi, a town located 679 meters above sea level in the heart of the Iblei Mountains.  The town is known not only for its magnificent location, which has earned it the nickname “Balcony of Sicily,” with a marvelous view that sweeps from Mount Etna to Gela, but above all for its excellent oil, among the best in Italy, obtained from the “tonda iblea olive,” an indigenous variety that lends elegance and sweetness to the final product.

In the town where the pork is “magnified,” as the epigraph of the well-known Majore restaurant, a must for those passing through, elegant historic buildings and a complex of eight museums round out the cultural offerings. The time has come to climb back into the saddle, heading for Ragusa, the city of two patrons and three bridges. Its oldest part, Ragusa Hybla, holds one of the finest examples of Baroque in all of Sicily, the church of San Giorgio.

Leaving Italy’s southernmost capital behind us, we pedal along State Road 115 in the direction of Modica, famous nationwide for its famous chocolate (to be tasted in the ancient Bonajuto sweet shop), still prepared according to the ancient Aztec recipe that strongly characterizes its texture and flavor. The city of the “hundred churches,” divided into two areas, Modica alta and Modica bassa, is a wonderful nativity scene set in the Hyblean rocks.

Here the main churches, such as St. George’s Cathedral and St. Peter’s Church, have the peculiarity of overlooking impressive and scenic stairways rather than squares. And speaking of scenic views, at Pizzo Belvedere, the highest point, it is possible to enjoy a beautiful vantage point. Before returning to the Syracuse province, a tasting of the local street food, the delicious Ragusan scacce, flatbreads that are stuffed with various toppings, from the classic with tomato and caciocavallo cheese to that with ricotta and parsley, is a must.

Between bucolic dry stone walls and the smell of the dusty countryside dotted with olive, carob, almond and prickly pear trees, we arrive at the southernmost point in Europe, Portopalo di Capo Passero, a fishing village between two seas, the Ionian and the Mediterranean.  We are ready to head up the eastern coast of Sicily toward Marzamemi, a pretty seaside village where we allow ourselves a brief stop to admire the picturesque little Regina Margherita square, surrounded by the fishermen’s Arab “casuzze,” now converted into bars and restaurants. On either side is the beautiful church of San Francesco di Paola and the palace of the Prince of Villadorata, connected at the back to the tuna fishery dating back to Arab rule, which over the centuries assumed great importance until it became the second in all of Sicily, after that of Favignana.

We shop for tuna and other delicious products obtained from its processing (bottarga, ventresca and tarantello) at Campisi’s before reaching the southern entrance to the Vendicari reserve, an oasis of peace whose quiet is “disturbed” only by the wind that caresses the face and the passage of numerous species of birds that inhabit the marshy areas and ponds of this area of great importance along the migratory routes from Africa.

We leave our bikes at the parking lot to ride the 14 kilometers (for those with little time, it is possible to choose one of the 3 paths-blue-orange-green, access to which is guaranteed by several gates) surrounded by the scents of the Mediterranean scrub, among juniper forests, old salt marshes, quagmires and the suggestive tonnara, lapping the famous beaches of San Lorenzo, where turtles nest in July and August, Cala Mosche and Marianelli. Just a short walk from the latter, the Marianelli agriturismo is a must stop for an aperitif to sip at the first light of sunset, when the structure’s beautiful limestone is tinged with orange and pink hues.

Only 26 km separate us from the plateau on which the undisputed capital of Baroque, Noto, towers, dominating the Asinaro Valley.

From the Porta Reale, an imposing 19th-century triumphal arch built on the occasion of the visit of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon, we enter Corso Vittorio Emanuele, where the sun never ceases to illuminate its masterpieces thanks to its east-west orientation, offering to our view such wonders as the Convent of St. Francis, the Church of Santa Chiara, Palazzo Ducezio and the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. On the adjacent Via Nicolaci, where stands the splendid and opulent palace that originated as the urban residence of the Nicolaci family, marvelous floral decorations are made that adorn the street on the occasion of the “Infiorata,” the traditional greeting to spring held every year on the third Sunday in May that attracts many visitors.

Gourmand stop at Caffè Sicilia, a renowned pastry shop whose prestigious awards place it rightfully among the best in Italy, to taste one of Corrado Assenza’s exquisite creations, ranging from more classic desserts such as cannolo and cassatina to innovative proposals resulting from his creativity, always united by the use of the best zero-kilometer raw materials.

Finally, Syracuse, the city that was called by Cicero the largest and most beautiful of all Greek cities, awaits us. It is impossible not to agree after crossing the entrance to the Neapolis park where the Greek theater stands out, which in the spring season welcomes after sunset the performance of ancient Greek tragedies, and the Ear of Dionysius, an imposing 23-meter-high cave with exceptional acoustics that, according to legend, was used by the tyrant Dionysius to listen to the words of his prisoners. There is no shortage of late Baroque jewels here either; in fact, one need only move a few kilometers by crossing one of the two bridges connecting Syracuse to Ortigia to find oneself among the intricate alleyways of this magical little island. Amidst opulent palaces and quaint craft stores, one arrives at the splendid Piazza Minerva. Enraptured by the beauty of the Duomo, whose facade shines under a warm light that enhances its beauty, we taste a refreshing granita thinking back to the beauty of this incredible itinerary.

An imposing mountain range with a lonely and fascinating landscape: we are in the northeastern extremity of Sicily where the Peloritan ridge, before meeting the Nebrodi near Rocca Novara and Montagna Grande, rises as a natural continuation of the Calabrian Apennines, with which it shares the geological composition as well as the characteristic fiumare, short streams impetuous in winter and dry in summer, with a wide, pebbly bed.

According to legend, the Peloritani are named after Pelorus, who was helmsman of the ship of the famous Carthaginian leader Hannibal. When the African general was driven into the Strait of Messina he believed he was in a landlocked gulf, since the Sicilian and Calabrian coasts were so close that they seemed to his eyes to be a single strip of land. Believing, therefore, that he had been deceived, he decided to have Pelorus killed, but realizing his mistake almost immediately, he undertook to have a huge statue erected in his memory on the northeastern tip of Sicily, which has been called Cape Pelorus ever since. The myth is recounted by several authors, including Valerius Maximus, who writes “from a height of that stormy strait a statue is offered to the eyes of those who cross it in both directions, placed as a testimony and reminder as much of Pelorus as of Punic temerity.” However, as early as the sixth century BC. B.C., three hundred years earlier, the cult of the nymph Pelorias was practiced, who is said to have inhabited the marshes in the area, and who was depicted on coins of the time.

More realistically, Peloritano would derive from a Greek term with the meaning of “boundless, gigantic,” as these mountains must have appeared upon the arrival of the Greeks in Sicily in the 8th century BC.

And along this ridge rich in legends is one of the most exciting mountain bike routes in Sicily, Provincial Road 50 bis, an unusual and fascinating 70-kilometer route that runs between Portella San Rizzo and Portella Mandrazzi, passing through unspoiled and majestic nature, breathtaking landscapes that open now on the Tyrrhenian side now on the Ionian side, and historical-religious testimonies that hark back to ancient times.

In fact, the route has great historical significance, being in the vicinity of Mount Scuderi, where the ruins of the ancient Byzantine city of Mikos stand. Moreover, the current sp 50 bis, since Roman times was a military road, a very important connecting route that linked the two passes of Portella San Rizzo and Mandrazzi. Even in medieval times and later periods it was traveled not only for military purposes, but also for commercial and strategic purposes, representing the shortest natural route for the inhabitants of the inland municipalities to travel to the coastal areas. During the Kingdom of Italy, access was then authorized only to the military to reach the defensive outposts of the Strait of Messina and the Plain of Milazzo: the Umbertini Forts and the Batterie.

The route, which runs mostly on dirt and in some stretches on screed, is challenging and requires MTB experience, but the effort will be rewarded by the extraordinary beauty of a landscape full of forests, canyons, gorges carved out by watercourses, small waterfalls and, certainly not least, places to indulge in pleasant gourmet stops.

In this regard, near the departure from Portella San Rizzo, we immediately find “Don Minico,” the historic eatery born of Don Minico’s intuition in the 1950s, now run by his children and grandchildren who have expanded the business by creating a farm and wine business. The specialty is the famous “panino alla disgraziata,” a wheel of wheat-flour bread stuffed with strictly local products: vegetables in oil, semi-seasoned cheese produced in the Peloritani and medium-grain local salami. One sits outside on the wooden benches, savoring the succulent sandwich while contemplating wonderful glimpses of the sea among the surrounding vegetation. Refreshment for the body and the mind.

The setting of Don Minico’s “House of Cure,” as the son has renamed his father’s creation, is original and welcoming and worth a visit in itself, with the posters and slogans extolling the magical virtues of the wretched sandwich, not a simple piece of stuffed bread, but a food with “saving” power, able to cure any ailment with its goodness. Today, patrons’ opinions are divided between longtime fans, who consider the sandwich not up to the standard of what it once was, and, on the other hand, current admirers, who are certain that the quality and taste are still the same as they once were. Whichever way you look at it, Don Minico is and remains an institution as well as being, logistically speaking, ideally located to stock up on food in anticipation of the long leg ahead.

The route from Portella San Rizzo starts immediately with a challenging climb in the midst of a very green forest of pines, chestnut trees, holm oaks and downy oaks that reaches the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Dinnammare, located at 1,130m above sea level, whose name is said to derive from the Latin word “bimaris,” indicating precisely the spectacular view from this place over the two seas, Tyrrhenian and Ionian. We are in fact at the highest part of Cape Peloro, in a magnificent position overlooking the Aeolian Islands, the Bay of Milazzo, Tindari, the Strait and Scilla. The Sanctuary, often shrouded in a haze that adds to its aura of mystery, stands on top of the mountain of the same name and is an extraordinary crossroads that attracts a melting pot of visitors: not only cyclists engaged in the route of the Peloritanian ridge who after the arduous climb take a breath here breathing in the immensity of its panoramas, but also groups of bikers riding their motorcycles, faithful pilgrims, hikers who penetrate the paths within the Peloritani, birdwatchers intent on observing the migration of birds of prey over the Strait in spring and autumn and finally simple excursionists hunting for views to immortalize with a photographic shot. An evocative and emblematic place that combines spirituality with an exceptional natural and scenic setting.

After the sanctuary, the itinerary proceeds for 40 km between climbs and descents that reveal striking views of Etna, the Aeolian Islands and, between Pizzo Bottino and Pizzo Cavallo, coastal stretches. We pass by the Casa degli Alpini refuge (859 m a.s.l.), nestled in the beautiful Fiumedinisi Reserve, the only protected area crossed by the ridge. Here the landscape is characterized by beautiful specimens of chestnut trees, sycamore maples, hollies and laurels and the Fiumara di Fiumedinisi. Not far from the refuge, next to a spring, is a superb view of Etna’s northern slope. We continue along the Santissima, a 7-kilometer descent that just before ending in the village of Fiumedinisi boasts an excellent family-run refreshment point in a splendid stretch of unspoiled wilderness: “Rusti e Mancia Cannetti.” Set in a deep, narrow green valley, the farmhouse, located on the side of the road, with its spartan wooden structure reminiscent of a mountain cabin blends perfectly into its surroundings. Accompanying the greedy lunch is the lapping of small freshwater waterfalls that form pools on the bed of the Nisi River, just below the agriturismo. Everything here is homemade: from the pasta made by the skillful hands of Mrs. Carmela, in the two variations “alla norma,” with tomato, chunks of fried eggplant and a generous sprinkling of ricotta cheese, and “con il sugo di maiale” (the latter deserves special mention), to the meat – sausage, Messina chops and veal stew – cooked by her husband Giovanni. Welcoming patrons is the kindness of Santina, who with her brother helps run the restaurant. The formula is that of a set menu: as a prelude to the “strong” dishes described above, a good mixed appetizer is served that encompasses the specialties of the area, from cheeses and cured meats to sun-dried tomatoes and olives, along with delicious meatballs, vegetables and ricotta cheese in batter, while delicious ricotta cheese fritters close the meal. In the summer season, baked mutton, made with a long cooking time of at least six hours according to the dictates of ancient Messina tradition, is tasted. By reservation, the restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner, with flexible hours based on requests received.

Refreshed, we continue to the third highest peak in the Peloritani Mountains, Pizzo di Vernà (1,287m a.s.l.), with a landscape of untouched vegetation: arboreal heather plants, farnie and poplars along the streams. From the summit of Vernà springs, moreover, the Mela stream, which is an important site for the presence of Woodwardiaradicans, a very rare fern.

The route draws to a close at Portella Mandrazzi crossing one of the most picturesque areas of the trail, whose lush forests along with panoramic views will remain an indelible memory of this magical route.