We meet in the charming port town of Santo Stefano di Camastra. The town is situated at the foot of the northern slopes of the Nebrodi Mountains, on a hill in a panoramic position over the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the Aeolian Islands in the distance. The hills around the town are a source of excellent clay which has made Santo Stefano the ceramics capital of Sicily. Famous for the production of quality ceramics, the town itself is homage to the art with colorful panels in the squares, street numbers, signs and floors of shops. As the main ceramics center in western Sicily, its repertoire is extremely rich of forms and colors, including among its main motives. The main street is lined with merchants and manufacturers displaying all manner of beautiful and useful objects, from traditional to modern designs, from small plates to giant urns. 

Our first day's ride is along what I consider the most scenic stretch of coast in Sicily. The ride is not long today so that we have enough time to enjoy the incomparable beauty of our destination, Cefalu. Cefalù is notable for beautiful sunsets and unpretentious charm. In town visitors can admire the picturesque harbor, alleys and medieval buildings. Set in the medieval district, one of Cefalù's great tourist attractions is the town's Duomo, a handsome and imposing two-towered Norman cathedral. Begun in 1131, this mighty church dominates the rooftops of the centro storico. Towering above the Duomo and the town center is the massive crag called the Rocca. It's a steep ascent to the top of the hill (take a bottle of water and don't attempt the climb in very hot weather) but it's well worth the effort. Near the top you'll reach the evocative ruins of the so-called 'Tempio di Diana' (temple of Diana), an ancient megalithic stone structure which was given a modernization in the 5th-century BC in the classical Greek style. A Saracen wash-house, the Lavatoio, is another sight worth seeing, as is the medieval Osterio Magno, the remaining part of a large 13th-century palace. A rocky path winds along the shore below the city's sea facing walls, and it is quite an adventure to clamber along and explore.

Lodging: Cefalu - Along the Sea

Today we do a short transfer high above Cefalu to the Parco delle Madonie, the second natural reserve to be established in Sicily. It incorporates 15 towns and many of these towns have medieval origins thanks to the noble land-owning families that owned huge estates and built castles in the area. Today several castles and many wonderful churches bear witness to this history as the park covers some 35,000 hectares and is generally mountainous – there are 6 mountains over 1,500m and several others well over 1,000m. The highest, Pizzo Carbonara is 1,979m, second in Sicily only to the mighty Etna (3,323m).

Our bike ride takes us into Collesano, whose history is linked to the old inhabitants of Sicily called "Sicani", people coming from Spain. In the Middle Age many aristocratic families have been succeeded in the government of the town such as the countess Adelicia de Alife, nephew of the Norman King Ruggero II. We should have enough time to further explore Cefalu or laze on the private beach below your hotel.

We glide down from the hillsides that enjoy amazing coastal views of the Aeolie Islands that reach out as for as volcanic Stromboli.  Our destination is the 12th century Castello di Caccamo; among the largest and best preserved & largest Norman castles in Italy. After we tour the castle we load up  for a short transfer to Palermo port where we enjoy an afternoon lunch and settle into our hotel situated in the historic center of town.

In the Middle Ages, Palermo was one of Europe's leading cities, but nowadays the town is still trying to recover from twentieth-century years of blight. With a reputation as a hotbed for both petty and organized crime, Palermo's attractions as a tourist destination are frequently overlooked. There is some fine architecture to be admired, as well as good museums, churches, markets and restaurants. Among the most important attractions is the city's Norman Cathedral and the Saracen-Norman-Spanish Palazzo Reale (or Palazzo dei Normanni), a former royal palace added to and altered over the centuries, and now the seat of the local parliament. You may visit parts of the latter building, including the Cappella Palatina, an exquisite chapel containing rich mosaics. Other sights include La Martorana, a splendid Norman church, the imposing Teatro Massimo and Vucciria market (which features heavily in Peter Robb's Midnight in Sicily). The Puppet Museum (Museo delle Marionette) is a great attraction or those with strong nerves it's worth making a trip to the macabre Convento dei Cappuccini's catacombs lined with the dead.

Today we transfer to Corleone featured in “The Godfather“ ; an offer you cannot refuse;-) A side note; Al Pacino's maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from Corleone. After a quick look around we ride along the Piana degli Albanesi, a stunning countryside ride that soaks up more an amazing vast natural beauty that takes us the southwestern end of Sicily, Marsala.

Marsala was built on the ruins of the ancient Carthaginian city and later, Marsala became a leading town of Arab Sicily, as an important port for traffic to and from Africa. Under the subsequent rulers of Sicily, the town's importance declined until a businessman from Liverpool took an interest. Marsala is nowadays most famous for its wine, also called Marsala. After a long period of poverty, Marsala became home to a prosperous wine trade, developed by entrepreneurs at the end of the eighteenth century, led by one John Woodhouse, from Liverpool, who exported the fortified wine. Other English and Sicilian businessmen followed his example, and it was in fact one of these men, Joseph Whitaker, who began excavating and piecing together the history of Mozia. Mr Whitaker is the great, great grandfather of one of your guides Ben Whitaker…he will enjoy telling you all about the family history which is well documented on the island of Mozia which we visit on our 2^nd day here during our ride along the coast.

On day 5 as noted we ride along the coast to the island of Mozia.  This island was established by Phoenicians in the 8^th century BC. You will learn all about ita history, but my favorite highlight is the amazing marble statue, “The Boy of Mozia”, a remarkable piece of art from 5th Century BC only recently discovered.

Another highlight of this short ride are the salt flats where the ancient windmills are on full display. For lunch you may wish to try pesto alla trapanese (also known as pesto alla siciliana, pesto rosso and "pasta cull'agghia" in Sicilian). This is a Sicilian variation of the Genoese pesto, typical of the Province of Trapani. The dish was introduced in ancient times by Genoese ships, coming from the East and stopping at the port of Trapani, who brought the tradition of agliata, a sort of pesto-sauce based on garlic and walnuts, which was then developed by Trapani sailors with the products of their land, notably tomato and almonds.

Along our ride back we stop to visit one of the famous Marsala wine producers for a tour and tasting. You not only learn about the various styles of Marsala, but how Marsala is used in cooking. One of the most popular Marsala recipes is chicken Marsala, in which flour-coated pounded chicken breast halves are braised in a mixture of Marsala, butter, olive oil, mushrooms, and spices.  Another involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots then adding mushrooms and herbs. Marsala is also used in some risotto recipes, and to produce rich Italian desserts such as zabaglione, tiramisu and shortcake.

Lodging: Hotel Stella d’Italia**** in the center of medieval Marsala & steps from the Cathedral (2 nights)

We ride directly from the hotel and skirt the coast before heading inland for the abundant wine region of Sicily. It is here you will find most of your famous Sicilian wine makers have planted grapes as far as the eye can see.

Once we depart the landscape of vast vineyards we enter into a land of wheat fields and far off in the far distance you will note an imposing monolith hugging the coast; it is here, high above the sea that the ancient town of Erice is situated. Just below this is our destination and stunning hotel tucked in high above the sea.

Erice is noted today for its sweeping views of the sea and the valley below. It is also home to Sicily's most famous pastry shop, Maria Grammatico. We take time to explore this town’s notorious history of a town that was a center for the cult of Venus (Astarte to the Phoenicians and Aphrodite to the Greeks). The mysterious Elymians claimed descent from Venus' famous Trojan son, Aeneas, who mentions the sanctuary as a holy landmark in the Aeneid. Acolytes here practiced the peculiar ritual of sacred prostitution, with the prostitutes accommodated in the temple itself. Despite countless invasions, the sacred site long remained inviolate – no need to guess why!

Our last ride takes us to the magical Segesta archaeological complex that was founded by one of the native tribes of Sicily, the Elymian people, in the 5^th C BC. They eventually integrated with the Greeks, making Segesta an important town. Segesta was later ruled by the Romans, then  declined in importance before being abandoned around the thirteenth century. The main Greek Doric temple is truly magnificent as it rises out of the landscape, and on a sunny day the reflection of its golden stone seems to radiate light for miles around. Though never completed (it has always been roofless) it is one of the best-preserved examples of an ancient Greek temple, and so for the ancient history or archaeology fan, it is a “must see”.

After our ride to Segesta we transfer down to the scenic port town of Castelammarre del Golfo where we enjoy a lunch along the port. Our final dinner will be in Erice with plenty of time to explore and get in some final shopping.

Lodgings: Venere di Erice**** High above the sea commanding amazing views (2 nights)

Day 8: Departrue after breakfast to Palermo or Airport.