Capo d'Orlando by bike
On 26 August 2026 Jovanotti set off from the Andrea Doria seafront at seven in the morning for a hundred and fifty kilometres to Palermo. That road starts here — and it isn't the only one.
Written by the family of B&B del Corso, who live in Capo d'Orlando
That August morning
On 26 August 2026, around seven, a group of cyclists left the Andrea Doria seafront. At the front was Jovanotti, crossing Italy by bicycle to reach the dates of his tour. Ahead of him lay the longest stage of the whole journey: a hundred and fifty kilometres to Palermo, with some 1,100 metres of climbing along the Tyrrhenian coast. He had arrived two days earlier, on the 24th, after landing at Messina and stopping in Milazzo for a mulberry granita. The story →
Why this coast suits cyclists
It isn't a recent discovery. The road running between the sea and the Nebrodi alternates flat stretches with short, mean climbs, and the wind changes character at every headland: it's the kind of terrain that formed Vincenzo Nibali, from Messina, one of the few riders ever to win the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta. From here you climb to five hundred metres in twenty minutes and to thirteen hundred in an hour and a half. Few areas in Italy offer that kind of gradient starting from sea level.
Flat: the coast
The easiest route and the finest at sunset. From the Andrea Doria seafront you head east to the village of San Gregorio and on to Brolo, or west towards Torrenova. Almost entirely flat, always in sight of the sea, with the Aeolians in front of you. An hour and a half with stops. In summer, go out early or after six: in the middle of the day the coastal tarmac is an oven.
Climbing: the villages
This is the ride that counts here. You turn inland and climb to Naso, Ficarra, Piraino or San Marco d'Alunzio: five to six hundred metres up, real villages with their churches, red marble and viewpoints over the islands. Around twenty kilometres with five hundred metres of ascent. On a muscle bike that's an outing for the trained; with electric assistance it becomes a morning within anyone's reach. And the way back is all downhill.
High up: the Nebrodi ridge
The park's most spectacular route runs between 1,300 and 1,700 metres, on a surface that's 85% compact dirt: Portella Femmina Morta, Lake Maulazzo inside the beech forest, the Biviere di Cesarò with horses grazing, the woods of Mangalaviti, and views holding Etna to the south and the Aeolians to the north. Said honestly: you don't get up there pedalling from the coast. The bikes go up by car and you ride at altitude — organised tours do the same. Season May to October. The park →
Jovanotti's stage, if you want to repeat it
Capo d'Orlando to Palermo along the coast: about 150 kilometres and 1,100 metres of climbing, with the final stretch passing through Cefalù. It's no stroll — a full day for serious cyclists, to be tackled with a dawn start, plenty of water and care on the main road, which is busy in summer. Anyone not up for the whole thing can ride the first half, to Sant'Agata di Militello or Caronia, and come back by train: the railway runs parallel to the coast and the stations are all there.
What to bring, and what to know
On the coast: plenty of water, as fountains are scarce, and care in the road tunnels, where lights are needed even by day. In the hills: the gradients are short but hard, with pitches over ten per cent. At altitude: a jacket even in August, because at 1,300 metres the evening drops ten degrees, and no charging points — on an e-bike you climb on high assistance and descend with it off.
If you don't have a bike
We hire e-bikes from the property, for half a day or a full day, and we'll tell you which of the three rides makes sense for your day, based on the weather and how long it's been since you last cycled. Guests staying with us get priority on availability. Hire →
Frequently asked questions
What route did Jovanotti ride from Capo d'Orlando?
On 26 August 2026 he left the Andrea Doria seafront around seven, heading for Palermo: about 150 kilometres along the Tyrrhenian coast with 1,100 metres of climbing, passing through Cefalù. It was the longest stage of his ride across Italy.
Can you cycle from Capo d'Orlando into the Nebrodi?
To the hill villages such as Naso, Ficarra, Piraino or San Marco d'Alunzio, yes: about twenty kilometres with five hundred metres of ascent. For the Nebrodi ridge, between 1,300 and 1,700 metres, it's better to drive up with the bikes and ride at altitude.
When is the best time to cycle in Capo d'Orlando?
Spring and autumn on the coast and in the hills; May to October at altitude in the Nebrodi. In high summer, ride early in the morning or after six, as the coast gets very hot in the middle of the day.
Can you hire bikes in Capo d'Orlando?
Yes: we hire e-bikes for half a day or a full day, starting from the property in the town centre. Models, rates and availability are agreed when you enquire.
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Village feasts, food festivals, when the boat trips start again, what the weather does in October. One email a month, written by us, with no offers and no hurry.
Keep reading
What to do in Capo d'Orlando when it rains
Two rainy days in July, ten in December. But the day it happens only ruins a holiday for people who don't know where to go: the museums, the villages, the waterfall that rain makes better, and why the sea stays cloudy after it stops.
Piraino: the Guardiola and the Saracen Tower
Twenty minutes of hairpins above Capo d'Orlando brings you to a white balcony hanging over the sea, with the coast from Capo d'Orlando to Milazzo in view and the Aeolians close enough to touch. Above it, an Arab tower from the 10th century.
Monte Soro, Maulazzo and Biviere: the high Nebrodi
An hour and a half of hairpins above Capo d'Orlando and you're at fifteen hundred metres, where Sicily stops looking like Sicily: beech forest, two lakes, free-roaming herds and fifteen degrees less than on the coast.
Related destinations: Capo d'Orlando, Nebrodi Park.
On two wheels
The e-bikes are in the garage downstairs.
Guests pick them up there, with no rental to track down. There are only a few: booking the room direct means first choice of dates.
Direct booking, no intermediaries · See the rooftop →
