Rome Sightseeing

From our 4 star hotel base you can spend a day overcoming any jet lag or simply go out sightseeing. There is plenty to see and do in Rome including the Museums and ancient sites, the Vatican the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi fountain (as pictured) or the Coliseum. Rome also has some wonderful parks and as you stroll around there are many sites of archaeological interest. Naturally being a centre of fashion Rome has an abundance of shops with many top brands close to the Spanish steps. So, whether your interests (other than biking) lie in architecture, religion, archaeology, culture, cuisine, or even shopping, Rome has something to suit all tastes.

Rome to Civitavecchia - about 70km / 44 miles 1.5 hours riding

More sightseeing in the morning then off to collect the bikes in the afternoon.

We will need to catch a taxi to the bike depot which is on the other side of the city, so, mid afternoor we return to the hotel to load up. Depart hotel and make our way by taxi to collect the bikes.

Once set up we ride to the ferry terminal at Civitavecchia. We need to arrive well in advance of the 18:30 departure time so expect to depart the Rome about 16:00.

Palermo to Agrigento - 255km / 158 miles about 4.5 hours riding

We depart the ferry in Palermo about 9:30 and so have an reasonably early start to begin the trip around Sicily with some historical visits. We shall take a break at Monreal on the outskirts of Palermo for breakfast. There is a little bakery I’ve visited before where that croissants and pastries fresh from the oven are delightful and their coffee is nice too!  You will also want to see the Cathedral with tapesteries and mosaics some dating back to 1100.

The first sight seeing stop is at the well preserved Greek temple and amphitheatre at Segesta once the site of a major city of the Elymian’s, one of the three indigenous peoples of Sicily that some scholars believe originated from Troy. It is a great archaeological site and a most interesting stopping point.

The next section of the route heads south around Monte Genuardo and onwards to Parco dei Monti Sicani where the oldest findings of Sicily dating back to the Paleozoico period were found. We stop for a light lunch at Chiusa Sclafani, a village of medieval origin that sits on the  top of Mount Omo Morto. We then head south through Burgio and Ribera and we make our way to the coast. We end the journey heading east to reach our hotel, the 4 star hotel located on the seaside near Agrigento "The Valley of the Temples".

Agrigento loop 2 - 290km / 180 miles about 5.5 hours riding

This loop heads north from Agrigento towards Lercara Friddi passing through mountain villages including Castelermini onwards to Caltavuturo where we take a short break.

Next we take the historic Targa Florio circuit through valle di Sclafani to Aliminusa then San Giovanni Gemini and Castronovo di Siclia where we stop for lunch.

Onwards through Santo Stefano Quisquina then Lago Fanaco to reach the site Teatro Andromeda which at an elevation of 1000 meters has spectacular views.

This route takes us through more Sicilian villages including Cianciana and Raffadali before reaching the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, then back to the hotel.

Agrigento to Catania - 265km / 165miles about 4 hours riding

We depart Agrigento heading away from the usual tourist trail in an easterly direction and make our way inland for about 30 minutes to the town of Naro. The town is steeped in history with many Medieval and Baroque buildings remaining intact despite the historic feuding that the region is famed for. The residents claim that they live in one of the most picturesque cities in Sicily. At the 12^th century Chiaramonte Castle to the north end of the town and Piazza Roma at the southern end there are great views across the surrounding landscape. From here we snake through the farmland to reach Mazzarino which has two castles one dating from the 3th century, the former home of the Count of Mazzirini.

Changing direction to the north brings us to Enna. If you were to pit a pin in a map to mark the centre of Sicily it would more or less be at Enna. In Roman times it was claimed a rider could reach the coast in any direction from Enna within a days ride. Furthermore, the steep slopes and cliffs around the town it offered natural defences making Enna one of the strongest natural fortresses in the medieval world.

Another change in direction taking in in a southerly direction towards Piazza Armerina which although having prehistoric and Roman archaeology was largely developed during the Norman occupation of Sicily in the 11^th century. Today the baroque Cathedral dominated the city. From here we continue south easterly to Caltagirone which grew during the Arab occupation as a centre for ceramic production. A massive earth quake in 693 almost destroyed the city but it has been rebuilt since. For those feeling fit the Staircase of Santa María del Monte offers a great workout and has about 150 steps! I prefer to ride up to the nearby carpark and look down.

The final leg of this route heads north easterly to end the day in Catania, the second largest city in Sicily where the old town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Catania to Catanzaro - 320km / 200 miles about 6 hours riding

This could be a long day riding though here are many potential shortcuts if anyone feels it is getting too tiresome.

As we leave Catania heading north Mount Etna will be to our left all the way to Messina where we take the short crossing to mainland Italy where we make a brief stop at the National Archaeological Museum.

We leave the city we enter the mountainous region on the ‘toe of the boot’ passing through the Aspromonte and Serre National Parks on roads that just twist and turn mile after mile as they make their way through forest, vineyards and villages. 

We take a break at Santo Stefano. A nearby Ski resort is the closest to the sea of any in the world. Later we stop for lunch at Mammola and the final refreshment break of the day at Serra San Bruno

We end the day on the eastern side Calabria “the toe of the boot” at Catanzaro Lido in a nice 4 star hotel adjacent to the Marina and beach.

Catanzaro Lido to Trebisacce - 220km / 135 miles about 4 hours riding

The journey will take us north of Catanzaro Lido to Monaco (not the country, this is an Italian Village of the same name) then as we onto Lago Passante and onwards to Lago Avro. The roads we shall ride mainly twist through forest then drop onto the shoreline of these lakes. We break for morning coffee on the shore of Lago Avro where the café enjoys a southerly view across the lake.

Our journey continues north to Laga di Cecita before breaking for lunch at Longobucco within the Sila National Park. The town name is derived from Greek meaning Large Mouth and is derived from the Macrocioli torrent that flows nearby the current town. It is also though that Tempsa that Homer referred to in the Odyssey was the silver mine near this town. The mine was later referred to as Argentera and bandits of Longbucco fled to south America making their home in Argentina.

There are a few additional potential stopping places along the final leg before we join the SP253, a relatively straight road that will lead us along the coast to an Agritourismo Hotel near Trebiasacce.

Alternative route - 155 miles about 5 hours riding https://mc.tours/r351

Trebisacce to Matera - 175km / 108 miles about 2.5 hours riding

This will be an easy day with riding limited to the morning to take advantage of an afternoon at a vineyard visit.

First, we depart the farm and make our way briefly entering the Monte Pollino park area to Senise overlooking Lago di Monte Cotugno where we take a brief stop before continuing to Matera where we shall be staying in a ‘Cave Hotel’

It seems funny that in the 1950’s the Italian government cleared families from the cave dwellings that are now trendy hotels. Best to note that much of the town is inaccessible by vehicles and so we will need to park and walk.

We shall catch a taxi to the vineyard for a relaxing wine tasting session in the afternoon.

Matera Puglia Circuit - 300km / 190 miles about 4.5 hours riding

This day trip from Matera heads south to Parco Regionale della Murgia Materana where there are many abandoned cave dwellings some that appear almost as grand as those in Petra though as you need to access them by foot we shall continue onwards to Montescaglioso a market town and ecclesiastical centre  where the attractions include Convento delle Clarisse ora sede della Casa Comunale. We then turn north west to reach Alberobello a town famed for its Trulli houses where we take our first break to explore the streets and interssting building.

Continuing in a northerly course we reach the coast at Monopoli where the harbour makes and interesting stopping place for a coffee break or just to stretch the legs but as we shall be breaking for lunch soon we might just stop for pictures and press on up the coastal road towards Bari where more Trulli houses nestling in a field between the road and the sea. On the outskirts of Bari we deviate inland to Castello Normanno Svevo in Sannicandro di Bari, a Norman castle dating from 916 with Byzantines and the Hohenstaufens alterations at the centre of a historic town where we stop for lunch at a little bistro sitting in the shadow of the castle.

Sticking with a historic building theme the route into Alta Murgia National park brings us to Castel del Monte, a 13^th century octagonal structure that’s a UNESCO world heritage site.

The final leg of this route brings us back to Matera.

Matera to Praiano - 290km / 180 miles - 5 hours riding

We leave Matera heading west to Naples on a road that at first might appear to be one that runs straight as a die that the Romans were famed for, but we soon join the SP96 that is a lovely hillside road offering great vistas at every turn as at twists through the landscape as we head towards our first stop at Potenza, the capital of the Basilicata region and sites at the highest elevation to any capital in Italy. The city dominates a hill and will appear somewhat reminiscent to Enna that we visited in Sicily.

The journey continues west to the coast but first dropping in at Bellosguardo (beautiful view) within the Parc Natzionale del Cillento e Vallo di Diano where some might want to stop to take pictures of the fantastic views across the landscape. Later we shall stop in Roccadaspide where an old castle dominates the down for lunch then onwards to Salerno and rather unusually we use a dual carriageway for about 15 minutes before exiting for Castello di Arechi which affords super views across the bay Salerno.

We end the day at my favourite hotel on the Amalfi Coast, the Grand Hotel Tritone, at Praiano. It is almost as old as I am and has always been family owned and run. From the road you hardly know it is there but the building cascades down the cliff to its private beach and every room enjoys a southerly view. I’m sure once visited you will love it as much as I do.

Amalfi Circuit and Pompeii - 130km / 80 miles

This will be a lazy day riding around the Amalfi coast with probably more time off he bike than on.

We begin by heading west to Positano then onwards to near the end of the peninsula where we stop to view the Island of Capri. The path continues beyond where we shall stop but there are few turning points so we turn where its best to do so and continue our journey to Sorrento.

The road along the north side of the peninsula is relatively straight and affords great views over to Mount Vesuvius famed for a massive eruption in 79AD that buried Pompeii, Herculaneum and most of the surrounding villages.

We take a stop a the archaeological site of Pompeii or if preferred Herculaneum. Pompeii is a vast site and takes time to view fully. Herculaneum is smaller and better preserved and can be toured much quicker than Pompeii. Whichever is chosen, time can be spent touring the site before we begin the return journey crossing overland to Revello, along the coast to Amalfi and finally back to the hotel near Praiano.

Praiano to Rome - 315km / 195 miles - 5 hours riding

We leave Praiano heading east then join the SS366 that twists up the hillside before entering a tunnel that passes through the mountain where we descend to the modern day Pompeii. We then ride around the west side of Vesuvius and bypass Naples and ride largely past what are industrial areas. Riding through Naples can be rather like riding a kango hammer with its large cobbled blocks added to that the traffic can be a nightmare so best we stay to the main roads. Sadly, this means there is nowhere picturesque to stop but there are some roadside cafes in petrol stations that we can use if anyone needs a break. We shall break for lunch at Gaeta a lovely cities in south-central Italy's Lazio region. There is a Sanctuary out on a promontory that is a good spot to view the coastline. We shall stop nearby and possible dine in one of the fish bars near the harbour, there are also pizzerias though I think they tend to open only in the evening.

As we make our way back to Rome we hug the coast for a while and generally follow Via Appia, one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic, though the one we are riding has been widened somewhat from the Roman road. Needless to say there are historic sites along the route including an amphitheatre. We take a break near Cisterna di Latina a town that dates from 312 BC at the Gardens of Ninfa before passing Lago Nemi and Lago Albano on our return to Rome.