The Realm of the Baroque

Cycling from Ferla to the necropolis ruins was fabulous. Unfortunately, the Anapo valley was closed for walking so we decided to cycle instead. The road, although there-and-back, was very scenic and to be recommended. There are lots of alternative cycling options in this region so it’s great to extend the planned rides. We cycled approximately 500km over the week which we thoroughly enjoyed. Fantastic choice of hotels. The fresh produce markets are amazing for variety, quality and low price. We made several visits to buy gorgeous fruit, salads, bread and cheese and olives. The espresso coffee is universally very fine indeed. Cycling requires confidence in the cities, however we experienced no aggression whatsoever. Cars and scooters sometimes pass close but that is just road culture in Italy - it’s not scary or intimidating, rather part of the fantastic experience.

Biggest tip is 'Don't cycle in Sicily'

We very much enjoyed the self-guided bike tour through southern Sicily. All the places we stayed in were varied and interesting - so much history in that part of the world! We had amazing weather for late October and even stopped for a swim on our first day when passing through Avolo. After day 1 we found the routes quite challenging and would rate the trip Moderate+ rather than moderate. But we managed just fine nonetheless. We did however decide to take the Regional train back on the day trip to Modica from Ragusa. There is a large descent into the heart of beautiful Modica. Taking the train was an easy cultural experience for only 2.5€ each including the bikes. The bikes were great. Staying at the Agriturismo Sacre Pietre was lovely but unfortunately the Necropoli di Pantalica was closed due to heavy rains the day before. Overall it was wonderful to ride through the Sicilian countryside and small towns and meet local people along the way.

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday; all the hotels were lovely and the staff very friendly and helpful. We were surprised that the Archeological site in Siracusa was not mentioned in the notes as it was an extremely interesting and remarkable place. The cycling routes, apart from the first day were challenging , and we thought the routes should be graded 3. Having said that we managed to complete all the routes, and enjoyed the small towns and countryside very much. The architecture was outstanding and my favourite place was the Cathedral square in Siracusa - so beautiful.  The food everywhere was delicious, especially the Polpo ( octopus) which I had on numerous occasions!

A reasonable level of bike fitness is needed for this trip, although there were very few steep hills there is a fair bit of steady climbing for several kilometres at a time and the weather can be very hot. There is a nice mixture of city and country and the cycling is mainly on good quality roads, some of which are busy, others deserted. This was our 5th Inntravel cycling holiday and once again the service and organisation was superb.

A brilliant holiday - no two days the same. Plenty of baroque combined with some magnificent scenery and views of rural Sicily. Great food everywhere - almost impossible to have a bad meal. We suggest using a hire car at Ragusa to explore or go to the beach. Be sure to carry enough water at all times (but especially on the walk in the Pantalica Reserve in the Anapo Valley).

Crumbling vibrant towns steeped in history set in beautiful countriside - we have rarely seen so many wild flowers along the road. Food was stunning and we had many encounters with complete strangers who greeted us as friends. A wonderful part of the world we will definitely visit again. Cycling here is only advised for those used to challenging urban traffic and road cycling.

Brilliant, well thought-out holiday from start to finish. We felt really like Inntravel had done a fantastic job of creating a holiday that ticked all the boxes for us. It was really well organised and hassle free. All the accommodation was excellent, we loved Sacre Pietre as the owner was so friendly and welcoming and the Anapo valley is incredible and worth spending as long as possible hiking around. The cycling was within our fitness range, as we cycle all the time anyway, but if you don't then best take an ebike as it is hilly on some days. 

The cycling tour of the Realm of the Baroque is an exceptional way to see this exciting part of Sicily and Inntravel provided first rate support from start to finish. All of the hosts and accommodations were wonderful in all regards; the hospitality of Vincenzo and the tranquillity of his Agriturismo Sacre Pietre were a highlight. We booked at the very start of the season and we accepted some cooler weather with winds over all that comes with more traffic & queues during the peak summer season. We are glad that we booked an extra day in both Noto and upon completion in Siracusa.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed our Catania City add-on at the Il Principe Hotel followed by our Realm of the Baroque self-guided cycling holiday.

The weather was sunny and warm (low 20s) the majority of the time, apart from being overcast occasionally and a thunderstorm we got caught in. Owing to the possibility of thunderstorms and torrentially heavy rain at this time of year, good quality wet weather biking gear (which we lacked) we would recommend as essential. 

We really enjoyed the day walking in the Anapo valley, although some of it was closed following 4 days of rain. It was fascinating to see the necropolis. It is quite rough walking and we had taken walking sticks which were very useful (I am 75 and my husband is 83).

This is a really fantastic way to see this extraordinary part of Sicily. You stay in UNESCO World Heritage site towns and there is so much to see. The food is generally fantastic..Il Barocco in Ragusa recommended, but hard to go wrong. Stay extra nights to make the most of Siracusa and the Greek and Roman sites and museum. Pantalica necropolis is really worth exploring. 

Do get fit as it is definitely challenging, or hire the ebike for a bit of help with the hills!

Taking an extra day in each of Noto, Ragusa and Siracusa was well worthwhile as it gave the time needed to do justice to the remarkable Baroque churches and the other charms of the towns not least the wonderful Sicilian food and wine. This was a real highlight as was the friendliness of both our hosts and the locals. Regrettably our day in the Anapo valley was cut short by a violent thunderstorm, something apparently more common than it has been historically. Climate change deniers please note.

We really enjoyed  every part of  this holiday except for the first day. If we had realised how dangerous we would find the narrow roads filled with fast traffic that we encountered leaving Siracusa  we would have opted to catch the train with our bikes directly to Noto. There is enough sightseeing in Noto to fill a day – or we could have done the optional extra ride from Noto to the coastal reserve.

If you have the time, taking extra days is well worthwhile. We used them to wander Siracusa, take in both interiors and exteriors in Noto, take a bus to Scili and walk in Pantalica. We also ate better than ever in Italy. Prices vary, but there are some superb restaurants. We particularly enjoyed Il Liberty in Noto, Bella Vita in Siracusa, Ciciulena in Catania. and in Ragusa, Quattro Gatti and Il Barocco. To watch the day pass in Catania, Gulen on the main piazza is great.

We particularly enjoyed the day hiking in the Pantalica Reserve and exploring Ragusa and Siracusa. We would recommend eating in the Hotel Gutkowski restaurant.

This was a delightful time of year to cycle in south east Sicily, not too hot as we worked up the steady inclines, generally quite dry save one spectacular thunderstorm and some residual flooding for a few hours. The orange and lemon groves were lovely and the Baroque and much older Roman and Greek architecture were stunning.

This was a wonderful holiday with varied scenery and weather! We would highly recommend using e-bikes unless you are young and very fit as the route is hilly and we encountered strong head winds for 3 days. The bikes were excellent as were the hotels. It is well worth booking an extra night in Noto in order to visit the Vendacari nature reserve or other sites nearby. We were disappointed with our visit to Catania as it seemed scruffy and full of graffiti after such lovely places as Noto and Ragusa. The Pantalica reserve was another highlight not to be missed.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers added a separate stay at the Il Principe Hotel in Catania, onto the end of their cycling holiday.

Perfect October weather , blue skies, sun and light breezes every day. Cycling from amazing baroque town to town gave a brilliant combination of exercise, landscape and architecture. With great food and drink to end each day. The pantalica walk was a welcome change of era and mode, nice to be on foot and in the Bronze Age.

It was lovely to discover the quiet back roads in Sicily and have time to chat to the olive growers, small shop and cafe owners. A sufficiently challenging cycling holiday with superb accommodation and beautiful stop overs. We would highly recommend this holiday. Be aware some of the roads are rough and you may not encounter anyone else along the way.

The itinerary was great and we really felt we had a fine exposure to Sicilian Boroque and everything else. If we were to do this trip again (and we might, we rode in the rain one day, lost the next day's ride to rain and missed the Pantalica Reserve-closed due to rain damage!) we would take the train to Avola and take the extra night in Noto for the extra ride. Perhaps you should include these as standard. The last ride into Syracuse was short, and we easily fitted in a trip to the Greek Theatre and Roman Amphitheatre on the way to the hotel. This was simple and rewarding and I think you should include this in the itinerary as well.