From the Sea to the Mountain

From the Sea to the Mountain

Excursion duration: Up to 8 hours
Bike difficulty
Easy
Middle-Easy
Middle-Difficult
Difficult
Challenging
E-Bike difficulty
Easy
Middle-Easy
Middle-Difficult
Difficult
Challenging

Description

Experience an amazing adventure through history and nature, cycling mostly on off-road paths with an e-mountain bike – you can use a regular one, too!

We’ll take you to discover the Pizzo Cane, Pizzo Trigna, and Grotta Mazzamuto Oriented Nature Reserve, a real treasure of Sicily.

We’ll start by taking a train from Palermo, and then, once we’re on our bikes, we’ll dive into stunning landscapes. We’ll ride through beautiful forests and to viewpoints that will blow you away, with views of the coast and Mount Sant’Onofrio.

We’ll see the ruins of Casina Artale, an old hunting lodge, and venture into Grotta Mazzamuto, a place full of history and mystery, inhabited since prehistoric times and famous for its prehistoric animal fossils.

 

 


Location


Tour Plan

We’ll meet up, get you fitted for your bikes, and then head over to the Palermo train station. We’ll take a short 30-minute train ride with our bikes to San Nicola L’Arena.

Once there, we’ll begin our cycling tour, heading towards the entrance of the “Pizzo Cane, Pizzo Trigna and Grotta Mazzamuto” Nature Reserve. Leaving the paved road behind, we’ll begin our bike ascent of Monte Sant’Onofrio. The route follows a fantastic, panoramic dirt road with incredible views. As we cycle, the landscape will gradually change, and we’ll find ourselves immersed in a beautiful forest.

Our first stop on this bike tour will be at the ruins of the Casina Artale. This was the country residence of the Artale family, and a hunting retreat for the Marquis Artale of Collalto, Baron of Colla Soprana. The Torre Artale estate, spanning over 400 hectares, was surrounded by a dry stone wall (much of which is still visible along our cycling route). It was reserved for the baron and his noble guests to enjoy hunting. The “Casina” itself covered an area of over 2,000 square meters.

We’ll continue cycling to an exceptional viewpoint with panoramic views of the coast all the way to Palermo. From there, we’ll descend by bike to the Mazzamuto Cave, where we’ll stop for a visit. The cave is also known as the “Giant’s Throat,” and it’s a large cavern of great historical and paleontological interest, with a karstic origin.

Inside the cave, you’ll see both stalactites and stalagmites. The site has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times, and it’s where remains of dwarf elephants and hippos have been found. In centuries past, caves like this one contributed to the idea of Sicily as a mythical land. People once believed that giants inhabited them, and the fossil remains of Elephas mnaidriensis were mistaken for the bones of gigantic humanoids.

After our visit to the cave, we’ll continue cycling to San Nicola L’Arena, where we’ll catch the train back to Palermo.


Point of Interest (POI)

  • Marchese Artale’s Hunting Lodge
  • Saint Onofrio’s Mount
  • The Mazzamuto Cave
  • Saint Nicola l’Arena and its harbour
  • Pizzo Cane Nature Reserve

 



Book info







    Price info

    INCLUDED SERVICES:

    • Cycling tour guide;
    • Whisper two-way radio system with disposable earpiece;
    • Rental of a e-mountain bike equipped with a protective helmet (regular MTB or Gravel bike available upon request);
    • Train transfer to the starting point of the bike tour (and return at the end of the activities);
    • 50 cl bottle of still water;
    • Tasting of local products at the end of the activities;
    • VAT, taxes, and service charges;
    • Accident insurance.

    EXTRA SERVICES:

    • Private minivan transfer supplement from your hotel to the starting point, replacing the train journey: €200.00 max 4 people;
    • Supplement for lunch and extension to a full-day tour: upon request.
    • Personal extras, tips, and miscellaneous expenses.

     

    Up to 2 participants: € 400,00* (overall price) Fee for each additional participant: € 100,00 Max 6 participants

    Conditions

    ×

    INCLUDED SERVICES:

    • Cycling tour guide;
    • Whisper two-way radio system with disposable earpiece;
    • Rental of a e-mountain bike equipped with a protective helmet (regular MTB or Gravel bike available upon request);
    • Train transfer to the starting point of the bike tour (and return at the end of the activities);
    • 50 cl bottle of still water;
    • Tasting of local products at the end of the activities;
    • VAT, taxes, and service charges;
    • Accident insurance.

    EXTRA SERVICES:

    • Private minivan transfer supplement from your hotel to the starting point, replacing the train journey: €200.00 max 4 people;
    • Supplement for lunch and extension to a full-day tour: upon request.
    • Personal extras, tips, and miscellaneous expenses.

     

    Departure date
    On request

    Departure from/to
    Palermo

    Total Km by bike
    33 km

    Total ascent
    1.000 mt

    Useful information
    This excursion meets the safety requirements for Covid-19. Sportswear and trainers are recommended.