The "Fiume Cavagrande'' tour offers a 122 km route divided into five stages with a total difference in height of 2,067 meters.
If you intend to face this route of medium difficulty in one go, it is recommended to divide it into at least three parts in order to enjoy the very suggestive places and breathe the air of the Iblei.
The first one sets off from the liberty of Canicattini Bagni and returns there, at the Ancient Fountain "re canali", after 43 km and 617 meters of difference in height. Those who will cycle with the appropriate calm will have the privilege of admiring the landscape of the quarry and its caves, which view can be enjoyed from the Cavadonna bridge. After the plain, the road of Diego which crosses the Sicilian countryside until Monasteri, the well-known "cyclist road", which leads from
Floridia to Cassibile but with some motor vehicle traffic, is taken. Soon it enters the SP 73 (Traversa del Marchese di Cassibile) and, through the ancient and winding "Strada dei Cugni" you will be able to embrace the hidden wonders in the "Riserva Naturale Cavagrande del Cassibile", the Cava Grande and the suggestive ponds. Having some free time, you can explore the wonders hidden in the natural reserve by following the numerous trails and even take a bath in the clear waters of the Avola lake.
The second part of the itinerary, after crossing the legendary Bridge of S. Alfano located at the exit from Canicattini Bagni, traversing fields of olive trees and reaching the Anapo Valley, brings us to Palazzolo Acreide with a stop at Cassaro and Buscemi, small baroque pearls of the Val di Noto. In total, it is 43.1 km with 1082 meters of elevation, but it is worth traveling, because the stop in Palazzolo Acreide, the crossroads city of cultures and a UNESCO World Heritage site, will probably be enough to consider spending the night there.
The third part of the itinerary allows you to return to Canicattini Bagni in a relaxing way by crossing the Feudo Bauly. It is only 35.6 km with a difference in height of 368 meters, which is why a stop in Bauly is mandatory. Bauly is a small medieval village transformed into a modern accommodation facility where you can feel the authenticity of Sicily. The Bauly forest, populated by mushrooms and black truffles, invites you to an MTB excursion and a following stop to enjoy the precious meats of the feud.
In general, the roads, all paved, are not very busy, although you should be careful to follow some sections with an imperfect surface. Therefore the ratings for road accessibility and safety for the route are 8.1/10.0.
Itinerario e Tappe
condition, except for an interruption for a landslide at km 50. The passage is guaranteed for bikes. At km 54 you enter the SS124 Siracusana to continue in the direction of Cassaro, along the SP Cassaro-Montegrosso. A series of beautiful turns upwards, starting
from the entrance to the Riserva Valle d’Anapo, finally lead to the POINT in Cassaro located in piazza Matrice.
The road surface is good, and the traffic is moderate, if not very limited in some parts.At the POINT, located at the Teatro Akrai, we reach the highest height of the entire route: 759 meters above sea level. From the Teatro Akrai you can descend to visit the magnificence of the baroque city or, if you have an MTB, to take a panoramic path that leads to the old railway station from which you can take a stretch of the old railway called the "Ciccio Pecora", a Ragusa merchant who exhibited in his store a train toy similar to the one used at the time.