Ancient Pantalica and the Giarranauti woods on e-bikes

An enchanted area and fabulous routes behind an old extinct volcano, Monte Santa Venere. The beauty of Pantalica area through the path of the Giarranauti and the Baroque of Ferla.

 

We start the ride from Sortino towards Ferla, through the Giarranauti forest which is on the upper part of the Pantalica plateau. The area, besides having a beautiful pine forest, is also rich in evidence of the past, in particular from the Byzantine era. We will cycle along gentle slopes and on white roads bordered by the characteristic old, dry-stone walls of the Iblei mountains. These walls were built to delimit the pasturelands and property boundaries in the past.

Upon leaving the Giarranauti forest, we will arrive in Ferla, a spectacular, small town in the Iblei mountains. Although less well-known than the more famous town of Noto, you will see beautiful examples of baroque churches here too.

After a short stop in Ferla, we will cycle back towards Sortino for a short visit to the old city centre. Before ending this fantastic excursion, a stop at the local bar for good beer will be a just reward for the day’s hard work!