09 Cefalu to the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento across central Sicily
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RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 23-12-2020
Route Summary A route south through the The Madonie Regional Natural Park on very twisty but generally good roads. It continues through south through Sicily's wild and empty interior, a beautiful, uncompromising land; a timeless landscape of silent, sunburnt peaks, grey stone villages and forgotten valleys. Traditions live on and life is lived at a gentle, rural pace.
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Verdict
Duration
4h 24m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
197.75 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review Land over 1,500m is dominated by the Madonie Forest while lower down the slopes, the locals continue to pursue millennial agricultural activities including sheep and cattle farming and the cultivation of wheat, olives and fruit.
If you are looking for a slightly alternative Sicily, one that does not really exist in the popular imagination, then Sicily's central interior will offer a great deal for contemplation thanks to its landscapes, its people and their way of life that has relatively little in common with that of coastal city-dwelling Sicilians.
For centuries the area was divided into large latifondi (landed estates) owned by absentee landlords, and still today the area seems remote and largely cut off from the rest of the world. The vast interior that makes up central Sicily is mostly deplete of tourism with just miles of cornfields and rolling hills, a beautiful picture of rural life on the island.
The roads are incredibly twisty including a series of 9 hairpin bends, adding excitement to an already enjoyable route.
The landscape softens as you travel further south with vineyards adorning the rolling hills. A 30 minute ride on the SS640 takes you to the jewel in the crown of this route, The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Hellenic ruins of the Valley of The Temples stand on a cool and breezy hilltop looking out across the Ionian Sea. Throughout history, Sicily has been subjected to frequent invasion. The Greeks were swiftly followed by the Romans, the Byzantines, and then the Moors, but it’s the Greeks that left these archaeological jewels behind. From the clifftop Temple of Juno to the Garden of Kolymbetra, Agrigento’s temple complex is one of the best-preserved archaeological sites of the ancient world. Once you glimpse the famous Doric temples, bathed in the Sicilian sun and surrounded by ancient, gnarled olive trees, it’s easy to understand why this site is arguably the most significant Greek ruin outside of Greece.
Akragas was founded in 582 BC and would have been, at its peak, one of the most imposing settlements in the Mediterranean. Positioned between the rivers Akragas and Hypsas, the city covered the site where modern day Agrigento stands today, as well as the lower terrain where the Valley of the Temples is found.
Today, the 1300-hectare Valley houses the extraordinarily well-preserved temples, which offer a fascinating insight into the lifestyle and culture of the founding Hellenic civilization and subsequent Roman conquerors.
The huge site is divided into 2 zones, eastern and western. This route takes you to the entrance to the eastern zone. In this zone, you will find the three most complete and well-preserved ruins - they’re sort of the superstars of the park.
This includes the 6th century Temple of Hercules / Heracles (the oldest temple in Agrigento) and the stunning Temple of Concordia (one of the best preserved) Doric temples in existence in the world). There’s also a cafe and free public toilets.
This entrance is just outside the Temple of Juno which can be clearly seen as can the Tempio di Giunone high on the hill as you approach the entrance.
The park is open every day from 8.30 am - 7 pm. During summer high season (usually mid-July to mid-September), the hours extend to 11 pm during the week, and until midnight on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The ticket office closes one hour before closing time and the price for an adult is €12.
The route ends at a small B&B in Agrigento above a motorcycle/scooter shop with private parking, just 2 km away.
The beautiful landscapes, twisty roads and world class attraction earns this route 5***** stars.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Sicily
About this region
Sicily (Italian: Sicilia [siˈtʃiːlja]; Sicilian: Sicilia [sɪˈʃiːlja]) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 20 regions of Italy. It is one of the five Italian autonomous regions and is officially referred to as Regione Siciliana. The region has 5 million inhabitants. Its capital city is Palermo.
Sicily is in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Messina. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe, and one of the most active in the world, currently 3,357 m (11,014 ft) high. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate.
The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies and it was later the site of the Sicilian Wars and the Punic Wars. After the end of the Roman province of Sicilia with the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily. The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the County of Sicily in 1071, that was succeeded by Kingdom of Sicily, a state that existed from 1130 until 1816. Later, it was unified under the House of Bourbon with the Kingdom of Naples as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The island became part of Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, a revolt led by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Italian unification, and a plebiscite. Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region on 15 May 1946, 18 days before the Italian institutional referendum of 1946.
Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture. It is also home to important archaeological and ancient sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, Erice and Selinunte. Byzantine, Arab, Roman and Norman rule over Sicily has led to a blend of cultural influences.
Read more on Wikipedia
Sicily is in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Messina. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe, and one of the most active in the world, currently 3,357 m (11,014 ft) high. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate.
The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies and it was later the site of the Sicilian Wars and the Punic Wars. After the end of the Roman province of Sicilia with the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily. The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the County of Sicily in 1071, that was succeeded by Kingdom of Sicily, a state that existed from 1130 until 1816. Later, it was unified under the House of Bourbon with the Kingdom of Naples as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The island became part of Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, a revolt led by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Italian unification, and a plebiscite. Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region on 15 May 1946, 18 days before the Italian institutional referendum of 1946.
Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture. It is also home to important archaeological and ancient sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, Erice and Selinunte. Byzantine, Arab, Roman and Norman rule over Sicily has led to a blend of cultural influences.
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Route Collections in this region An epic tour down the west coast of Italy to Sicily
This tour of 11 routes has been designed to take you to many of the well known sites in Italy, it even includes some lesser known sites that I think you'll enjoy too.
When they can, the routes will take you as close as you can get to the sites, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa just 100 m from where you park, or the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence where you'll pass right by the end of it and one route takes you as far as you can go up the active volcano Mount Etna.
I said this is a tour of 11 routes and not 11 days because I think you should stop an extra night at one or two places to really enjoy everything that Italy has to offer. For instance; an extra night at La Spezia gives you the opportunity to visit the famous chain of five picturesque seaside fishing villages known as the Cinque Terre. An extra night at the volcanic crater lake - Lake Bracciano, will allow you to take a short train ride into the city Rome to see all of her sights. I'd like an extra night at Salerno to ride the Amalfi Coast road again and another at Cefalu on the island of Sicily to enjoy the spectacular coastline.
What better way to discover amazing Italy than on a road tour? With 80% of world heritage sites, an Italian road tour surely promises an experience worth living!
From a motorcyclist’s point of view, Italy is among the best places in the world to ride. Twisty roads, close distances between sea, hills and mountains – you only need to ride a few miles and the landscape changes completely. Excellent food, good weather and reasonable costs make Italy an attractive touring place for bikers. Reasonably priced hotels and B&Bs; have been used with links to these on each route review.
Route highlights:
Route 1: The Italian Riviera and Portofino.
Route 2: Pisa, Florence and Siena.
Route 3. Volcanic crater lakes and the Tuscany landscape.
Route 4. Twisty roads through the foothills of the Lepini mountains.
Route 5. The Amalfi Coast road.
Route 6. The equally spectacular Cilento Coast road.
Route 7. Tropea and the Coast of Gods.
Route 8. Climbing Mount Etna and the incredibly twisty road to Cefalu.
Route 9. Twisty roads and The Valley of the Temples.
Route 10. The pure white cliffs of Scala dei Turchi and the Selinunte Temples.
Route 11. The salt pans of Trapani and the Grotta Mangiapane.
The tour ends in the ferry port of Palermo where you have a choice to either take to the road to head off of the island at Messina or hop on a ferry. Ferry destinations from Palermo include Genoa in northern Italy, the Italian island of Sardinia where you can tour the island and hop on another ferry to France, or even take a ferry to Tunisia in North Africa. The choice is yours. I hope you have enjoyed this tour.
When they can, the routes will take you as close as you can get to the sites, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa just 100 m from where you park, or the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence where you'll pass right by the end of it and one route takes you as far as you can go up the active volcano Mount Etna.
I said this is a tour of 11 routes and not 11 days because I think you should stop an extra night at one or two places to really enjoy everything that Italy has to offer. For instance; an extra night at La Spezia gives you the opportunity to visit the famous chain of five picturesque seaside fishing villages known as the Cinque Terre. An extra night at the volcanic crater lake - Lake Bracciano, will allow you to take a short train ride into the city Rome to see all of her sights. I'd like an extra night at Salerno to ride the Amalfi Coast road again and another at Cefalu on the island of Sicily to enjoy the spectacular coastline.
What better way to discover amazing Italy than on a road tour? With 80% of world heritage sites, an Italian road tour surely promises an experience worth living!
From a motorcyclist’s point of view, Italy is among the best places in the world to ride. Twisty roads, close distances between sea, hills and mountains – you only need to ride a few miles and the landscape changes completely. Excellent food, good weather and reasonable costs make Italy an attractive touring place for bikers. Reasonably priced hotels and B&Bs; have been used with links to these on each route review.
Route highlights:
Route 1: The Italian Riviera and Portofino.
Route 2: Pisa, Florence and Siena.
Route 3. Volcanic crater lakes and the Tuscany landscape.
Route 4. Twisty roads through the foothills of the Lepini mountains.
Route 5. The Amalfi Coast road.
Route 6. The equally spectacular Cilento Coast road.
Route 7. Tropea and the Coast of Gods.
Route 8. Climbing Mount Etna and the incredibly twisty road to Cefalu.
Route 9. Twisty roads and The Valley of the Temples.
Route 10. The pure white cliffs of Scala dei Turchi and the Selinunte Temples.
Route 11. The salt pans of Trapani and the Grotta Mangiapane.
The tour ends in the ferry port of Palermo where you have a choice to either take to the road to head off of the island at Messina or hop on a ferry. Ferry destinations from Palermo include Genoa in northern Italy, the Italian island of Sardinia where you can tour the island and hop on another ferry to France, or even take a ferry to Tunisia in North Africa. The choice is yours. I hope you have enjoyed this tour.
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