Sicily Divide Jacques solo, May 7-14, 2025 Sicily Divide (https://sicilydivide.it/en/) promotes the discovery of central Sicily through a bike itinerary from Trapani to Catania. The site provide GPX tracks, hotel (or rather BnB) information as well as some general info on the trip. It can be done on a gravel, a mountain or a road bike in about 8 days. I had to dismantled my bike to fit in a cardboard box (thank you Paolo!) respecting dimensions total of 220 cm, since flixbus did not provide for bike rack on its bus.

I dropped Betsy at Fiumicino (she was going to Japan, hence my free time for this bike trip!) and keep driving to Catania. Left my car at airport parking, and took bus to Trapani, the starting point of Sicily divide. Day 1: Trapani to Gibelina 62km-700 m D+

Up early, got pastries for my breakfast on the BnB terrace, and looked for alimentari to get big water bottle. Exiting Trapani not fun with lot of traffic, until the saline and then small asphalt roads under hot sun, no shade. Had sandwich and beer in Salemi and rested in the shade by the castle. Arrived 15ish in Gibelina, found my BnB and went for a walk. Gibelina is NOT a nice city: it is all new (the original was completely destroyed by earthquake in January 1968) and made me think of Brasilia, no soul, no piazza for people to congregate, many art pieces disseminated in the village, but completely “un-italian”. BnB modern but nice and met a group of Italian also starting their Sicily divide. I realized that my stopover for tomorrow was not far enough, so change my night reservation from Sta Margherita to Sambuca. Day 2: Gibelina to Sambuca 56km-1030 m D+ Raining early in the morning and during breakfast, but it stopped by 09:00 when I started. Itinerary sent me “cruising” through Gibelina to see art works, NOT very impressive. After the village, nice small trails until the “cretto di Burri”: they covered with concrete the ruins of the original Gibelina and kept the pattern of the streets. Each block is now a 1,5-1,8 m high concrete block and lets you walk where used to be the streets, for a total area 200 by 400 meters approx. Impressive. The track goes by other destroyed villages: Salaparuta and Poggioreale, but I took a shortcut to reach Santa Margherita di Belice where I had a nice lunch in the company of two Belgians biking thru sicily. Took me a few minutes to find my BnB in Sambuca. While enjoying a spritzer I saw the Italian group waking up to the same restaurant that I had chosen for dinner. Good dinner. I never used the painting kit I took along: too hot to paint since there is no shade. Day 3: Sambuca-Bivona 53 km-1000 m D+ Drizzling morning, while biking in Sambuca a dog jump me and I fell hurting my elbow, basic washing and betadine cream to clean and sterilize the cut. Followed an old RR track through fields, nice without cars and flat. In Villafranca got some cheese and fruit at the market, a sandwich at local bar and bandaids for my elbow at pharmacy. Sun appeared after lunch which made rest of the ride hot specially since I had to push my bike up some steep hills. BnB so-so. Dinner in an empty restaurant except for 2 tables of noisy 8-12 years old kids by themselves. Day 4: Bivona-Mussomeli 51km, 1300 m D+ Breakfast with talkative BnB owner. Sunny day. Long uphill to Santo Stefano Quisquina, and more uphill to reach Canmmarata forest, looking like the dolomites: fresh air and clean roads. Had a cool picnic there, highest point of the trip. Long downhill to San Giovanni, I was going too fast and missed the small road of the itinerary. Got sandwich made in local supermarket (prosciuto-pecorino-tomatoes sottolio). Just short 1 km from Mussomeli I got hit with a violent rainstorm without shelters around, arrived soaked in Mussomeli and changed in the BnB. One instance where rain pants and overshoes would have been useful! BnB overlooking the piazza, only problem was that it was Saturday nite and the music played util 3:30 am, not much sleep that night. Day 5: Mussomeli-San Cataldo 54km, 1000 m D+ Clothes were nearly dry and the sun would quickly finish drying them out. Nice long downhill past castello Manfredonico standing on an isolated rock outcrop, very impressive. Great landscapes but no shade. Slow uphill to san Cataldo. Nice modern BnB and dinner in the town with a glass of local white wine. Day 5: San Cataldo-Leonforte 63 km, 1000 m D+ Today the “official” itinerary called for 70 + km and 1700 m D+, so I decided to follow roads and avoid the climb to Enna, thus substantially reducing distance and vertical gain. Problem was that the road was quite busy and cars and trucks kept passing me close-by. In the BnB I had full flat all to myself, style was 1950 Italian: dark and formal but bed was comfortable. Met another biker (Dino) staying in the same building also following Sicily divide. Had a nice dinner with him who lives in Ragusa after moving from northern Italy where he was a hairdresser. Nice fellow. Day 6: Leonforte-Centuripe 56 km, 1200m D+ Long downhill followed by uphill to San Giorgo where I got two sandwiches. Great small road to Agira and down to lake Pozzilo below Regalbutto.. Had a sandwich there in the company of a nice quiet dog. Long slog up to Centuripe a confusing city since it followed the contours of the hill, but found my BnB; all to myself, interestingly the owner was in Milano but could remotely open the door! Tonite pizza and beers. Day 7: Centuripe-Catania 47 km, 350 m D+, 1050 m D- Sunny morning and a long downhill on small roads in the middle of nowhere, great biking with an MTB, a road bike would be uncomfortable with narrow tires. Crossed Paterno and followed smallish roads to reach the parking lot in Catania where my car was waiting for. Drove to the hotel in Catania ostello del elefante, night in center of town, next to statue of elephant. Had drinks and dinner with Giovanni Spina. Good nite rest. END OF THE SICILY DIVIDE. Day 8: Catania-Torraccia left early under grey/rainy skies and had a good drive to home Final comments: May-be 80% asphalt roads which is good for moving but not as fun as dirt tracks on a MTB. Virtually no shade, needed long sleeves and plenty of sun cream. Villages are nearly always on top of steep hills, making it a hard ride at the end of the day. Beautiful landscapes and very friendly people. So much garbage on the roads, closer you get to a city the worst it is. Barking aggressive dogs, get off the bike and walk calmly past them. Physically at the limit for me: 50 km and 1000m D+ is my maximum.