Cycling holiday Sicily, Aeolian archipelago

Sicily among the Aeolian islands

Explore Italian islands in the Mediterranean

Starting at € 1.390,-
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Summary
  • 8 Days Saturday to Saturday
  • 20 km average per day
  • Arrival Milazzo Catania Airport
  • Departure Catania Airport
Highlights
  • Island of Stromboli
  • 4 days cycling 2 days hiking
  • Part of Unesco Heritage List
  • Isle of Lipari
Characteristics
  • Guided Tour
  • Group Tour
  • Bike & Barge
  • Cycling level 2

    Distance: 40-60 km average per day Altitude: 100-500 hm average per day Not too steep and not too long slopes on not very difficult terrain. 

Discover the islands of volcanic origin

This trip will no longer be offered in 2022.
You can find similar trips in Italy here.

Daily Program

  • Day 1 Saturday: Milazzo

    Individual arrival and meeting at 3.30 p.m. at Catania airport, where you will be transferred to Milazzo harbour. Embarkation is at 6 p.m. at the Marina di Nettuno in Milazzo. Accommodation on board, welcome drink, dinner and presentation of the programme. Overnight in the harbour of Milazzo.

  • Day 2 Sunday: Milazzo, round tour 15 km.

    Today you will cycle towards Capo Milazzo, where you will have the chance to bathe in the wonderful “Venus Pool”, a protected natural sea pool. Once back in Milazzo, you can visit the Castle and its ancient  hamlet. Overnight in the harbour of Milazzo.

  • Day 3 Monday: Vulcano 20 km.

    The Caique Sundial will start navigating towards the island of Vulcano, the so called “Sulphur Island”, where you will discover by bike the hinterland of the island towards Piano Grillo, an ideal place to admire an  amazing landscape. Then you will have free time in the afternoon. Some suggestions: you can walk up to the crater of the volcano, you can have a mud bath in the sulphur beach of the island or you can swim among underwater fumaroles. Overnight in the harbour of Vulcano.

  • Day 4 Tuesday: Panarea - Stromboli 3h30 walking

    After breakfast you will head towards Panarea. You will stop for a swim close to the little islands of Lisca Bianca, Bottara and Dattilo, where the volcanic activity is still clearly visible. Once in Panarea, the smallest of the Aeolian Islands, you will have lunch at anchor in a nice bay. Then the Caique Sundial will navigate towards Stromboli, with a superb view over the Sciara del Fuoco, the famous talus scree of Stromboli. In the late afternoon, the programme foresees a walking trip up to 400mt above sea level, to admire the volcanic explosions at dusk. Then you will have your picnic dinner in a nice panoramic point. Overnight in roadstead (sheltered anchorage) in Stromboli.

  • Day 5 Wednesday: Stromboli - Panarea (2h30 walking) - Salina

    After breakfast you will navigate back towards Panarea. You will stop at anchor in the bay of Porto San Pietro, where you will enjoy a nice walk to visit the little village of Panarea, Drautto beach and its prehistoric village. Then you will have your picnic lunch at Cala Junco and go back on board. Afterwards you will head towards the island of Salina, where you will visit a local shop and taste several local products. Free dinner and overnight in the harbour of Salina.

  • Day 6 Thursday: Salina - Lipari 20 km.

    You will start cycling directly in Salina; from Santa Marina, on the east coast, you will reach Pollara, a panoramic point on the west coast, where you will visit the lake of Lingua and Pollara, with the possibility to taste a very good “granita”. Back on board, the Caique Sundial will navigate up to Lipari, where you can stroll around its nice and charming village. Overnight in the harbour of Lipari.

  • Day 7 Friday: Lipari 25 km.

    After breakfast you will enjoy a wonderful coast to coast by bike. Starting from the hamlet of Lipari, you will pass along the beautiful village and beach of Canneto. You will have your picnic lunch at the panoramic point of Quattrocchi and then go back to the historical centre, rich in shops and restaurants. Back on board, the Caique Sundial will navigate up to Milazzo. Free dinner and overnight in the harbour of Milazzo.

  • Day 8 Saturday, Milazzo end of tour after breakfast at 9 am

    Check-out at 9 am after breakfast and collective transfer to Catania airport. Arrival in Catania airport at around 12.

Venus Pool
Vulcano
Strombolicchio
on deck Caique Sundial
Panarea
Caique Sundial

Travel dates

Departure
End
Accommodation
Starting at
Availability

What else do you need to know?

This trip will no longer be offered in 2022.
You can find similar trips in Italy here.

Included

  • 7 overnights (6 nights in harbour and 1 night in roadstead on day 4)
  • Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner; picnic or on board) - except one dinner in Salina and one in Milazzo
  • 1/2 l bottle of water for lunch and water in jug for dinner
  • Sheets and towels (one change per week)
  • Digital tour information
  • English speaking tour leader
  • Bus transfer from and to Catania airport on day 1 and day 8
  • Harbour charges

Not included

  • Reservation costs € 20,- per party
  • Bicycle rent
  • Cancellation insurance (optional)
  • Beverages on board
  • 1 dinner in Salina (day 5) and 1 dinner in Milazzo (day 7)
  • Additional harbour charges only if the caique cannot anchor in roadstead on day 4
  • Headlight for the Stromboli volcano trip (day 5)
  • Museums, fees and extras in general
  • Tips
  • Everything not mentioned in the section “Included”

Special details

  • This tour will be operated by our local partner.
  • Please take good notice of our Terms & Conditions.
  • The program is subject to change without notice.
  • If the minimum number of participants required for a trip is not met (4 participants), we reserve the right to cancel it. The decision about whether the trip will take place or not will be made as early as possible, 21 days before the beginning of the trip at the latest. In case of trip cancellation, the payments you have made for the only tour will be fully refunded. There can be no additional claims made against us.
  • We strongly recommend you to bring an headlight with you for the Stromboli volcano day trip. If you don’t have one, you can rent it on site for € 2,-.
  • Vegetarian meals are available, but please indicate this at the reservation. An additional charge of € 50,- per person will be applied to provide lactose or gluten-free meals.
    In all other allergy or intolerance cases we will check the possibility of catering for it. In some cases an additional charge may apply.
  • The captain and the guide reserve the right to make alterations to the itinerary, depending on wind, sea and weather conditions or organizational requirements.
  • We wish to specify that this is not a sailing trip. The ship is a motor vessel, it has sails but the navigation is powered by engines.
  • During the nights of the tour the boat will be docked in the port during 6 nights. The remaining night the ship will stay anchored in road stead. The road stead is a place outside the harbor where the ship can lie at anchor. It is an enclosed area with an opening to the sea. Natural road steads offer shelter from storms, winds and currents, and are frequently used for naval bases.
    Exclusively in exceptional cases (unfavorable meteorological and/or sea conditions), for safety reasons, the ship must return in the port also during the night that is scheduled in road stead.
    Only and exclusively in this case, the clients will be asked to pay the relative price for the stay in the port. This amount, variable from port to port, will be divided among all the participants of the tour and will be paid directly on site (approximately from € 20,- to € 50,- per person per night, subject to changes).

Info

Boarding is at 6 PM in Milazzo. Accommodation on board, welcome drink, dinner and presentation of the programme. Overnight in the harbour of Milazzo.

The mooring place of the barge in Milazzo at the Marina di Nettunoin Milazzo.

Airport

Catania airport; several flights from different countries with Easyjet, Vueling, Ryanair or Air One and Alitalia.

After arrival in Catania airport, transfer to the embarkation point (included in the tour price).

Train

Car

End of the tour

The tour ends one week later on Saturday morning after breakfast at 9 AM. Collective transfer to Catania airport. Arrival at Catania airport at around 12.

On this tour the following barges are scheduled

  • Sundial

    The caique Sundial was built in the shipyard Vedat Sungul of Bodrum in Turkey, using the ancient art of the Turks shipwrights still in use. The caique has been completely renovated in 2012. Read more...

All rented adult bikes are equipped with:

1 one-sided saddlebag
1 handlebar bag
1 bike lock per cabin

At the moment of booking you can also rent helmets.

 

  • Rental 27-gear unisex City Bike

    A low entry unisex frame, ideal for an upright but relaxed riding position.

  • Rental E-bike

    Unisex low-entry frame. Bosch motor. Range: approx 90 km (flat terrain, average speed). 

A Caique as your hotel

Imagine a floating hotel sailing to the next stage, while you are calmly pedalling along. No lugging of luggage: that is exactly what Bike & Barge is all about! In the pleasant atmosphere on board you can have a chat, go through the day with the others, and enjoy the meals prepared specially for cyclists. In the evenings you can enjoy a drink in the salon or admire the setting sun on deck. Do not expect a cruise ship with its passive luxury. The Bike & Barge Holidays are for people who really enjoy the physical activity of cycling and who value sociability more than wholesale luxury.
Free WiFi is (limited) available in lounge and on deck.

The team

The captain/skipper, the chef and your tour guide all welcome you warmly. They are prepared specifically for these trips and will provide good and safe passage, good meals, and a friendly, pleasant atmosphere. They will, of course, also give you a great deal of interesting information during and after the cycling and sailing. The skipper is responsible for the smooth running of things on board; the cook is in charge of the catering. A tour leader accompanies you during the bike ride and can assist in case of breakdowns. He/She will be your guide to point out the things of interest along the way and speaks English/Italian. The tour leaders are carefully selected. They are experienced enthusiastic travelers who have a true passion for sharing their love of the outdoors, peoples, cultures and local food. Thanks to their knowledge of the territory, they can give you useful hints and help you appreciate the place you are visiting. 

Tour programme variations

Due to organisational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during the holiday.
The captain and the guide reserve the right to make alterations to the itinerary, depending on wind, sea and weather conditions or organizational requirements.
This is not a sailing trip. The ship is a motor vessel, it has sails but the navigation is powered by engines.

During the tour the boat will be docked in a harbour during 6 nights, while on one night it will anchor in roadstead. The roadstead is a sheltered anchorage in a bay, which is an enclosed area with an opening to the sea. Natural roadsteads offer shelter from storms, winds and currents. In exceptional cases (bad meteorological and/or sea conditions), for safety reasons, the ship might have to return to the harbour also during the night that is scheduled in roadstead.
Only and exclusively in this case, the clients will be asked to pay a supplement for the overnight in the harbour. This amount, variable from port to port, will be divided among all participants and will be paid directly on site (approximately 20-50 € per person per night, subject to changes).

Route profile

This tour foresees 4 cycling days and 2 walking days.
The terrain is from plain to hilly, with a daily positive difference in height from 0 to 600 mt. The caique is moored at night and typically sets sail after breakfast, meeting up with the guests in the afternoon. Some parts of the itinerary are undertaken by caique.

Activity level

Leisure to Moderate: some days the itinerary will be flat, others it will present some hills. Suitable for everyone in good physical condition and with some cycling experience.

F.A.Q.

  • Which countries do the participants come from

    The main countries represented by our cycling guests are: United States and Canada. We also receive guests from United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. The common language on board is English.

  • What packing list do you suggest

    Specialised cycle clothing may be handy but not strictly necessary. What you do need (among other things) is the following:
    •    shorts/ long trousers/ track suit/ legging
    •    shirts/ sweater/ rain clothing
    •    good solid shoes/ sneakers
    •    sunglasses/ cap/ swimming costume​​​​​​
    •    personal care and beauty items
    •    insect repellent
    •    sunscreen
    •    gloves (if you travel in April or October it will be chilly in the morning)

    A  hair dryer is available on all barges.

    Your travel documents include the final packing list we suggest for your booked tour.

  • What is the average age of the participants

    The average age varies between 50 and 80, but of course we have younger and older guests. In particular it is quite possible during the school holidays that children might be booked on your tour.

  • What happens when it rains?

    Most of the participants then wear rainwear. When the weather is so bad that cycling becomes really impossible (but that is almost never the case!), you can stay on board or your guide can organize an alternative program with, for example, cultural excursions and city tours (at your own expense).

  • Can I rejoin the barge before the end of a stage

    No, the barge doesn’t take the same route as the cyclists do. Sometimes the route may be altered because of weather conditions or repairs to bridges or locks and then the guests and the guide can arrange with the skipper to be met at a different place. Naturally you can always stay on board for one or more days.