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Sapienza Hut – Etna - South Side loop from Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza

Sapienza Hut – Etna - South Side loop from Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza

Hard

4.3

(11)

191

riders

Sapienza Hut – Etna - South Side loop from Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza

02:36

39.8km

1,230m

Road cycling

Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: May 16, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Parco dell'Etna

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

73 m

Etna Cable Car Lower Station

Highlight • Rest Area

Done! That is, almost. You are at the valley station of the Funivia dell’Etna, the cable car that was rebuilt after the last violent eruption of the volcano and has been in operation since 2004. It will take you (including your bike) from around 2,000 meters to an altitude of 2,500 meters. Upstairs is a restaurant that has a few snacks (which, however, do not meet particularly high culinary standards). Up there you can let off-road buses take you up to an altitude of 3,000 meters in summer. A rough trail leads back down from the station at 2,500 meters. Alternatively, you can use the gravel road, which already offers a decent “gravel” adventure. The view up here is impressive either way: you can either see really far or you can be impressed by the mystical cloud / fog optics. Remember: it's often really fresh up here. Don't forget warm things.

Translated by Google •

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187 m

Sapienza Hut

Highlight • Mountain Hut

The Sapienza refuge is the starting point for climbing the crater of Etna, it is also a very famous place for road cycling, as it hosted the arrival of some stages of the Giro d'Italia.

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1.14 km

Nicolosi–Rifugio Sapienza Climb

Highlight (Segment) • Climb

Length 17 km, difference in altitude 1073 m, average gradient 6.3%.
The Nicolosi-Rifugio Sapienza climb is the most well-known, most traveled climb on the Etna side and the one of the Giro d'Italia stage won by Contador in 2011 (dedicated to him). The road is very panoramic, smooth and well-maintained asphalt that crosses the young lava flow of 2001. It cuts through a sea of magma with the scent of sulfur that accompanies pedal after pedal. The climb begins by leaving the town of Nicolosi, right from a public fountain, and ends at the Sapienza refuge at an altitude of 1910 m above sea level.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

20.8 km

Nicolosi

Highlight • Settlement

After leaving the raging traffic of Catania behind, Nicolosi is the first town to reach and the town is very sizeable. As usual around the Etna, the main street is paved with black and quite rough lava planks. If the bottles have already been empty, here is another great opportunity to fill them, if you want to continue towards Refugio Sapienza - on the lava fields you will search for springs and wells in vain.

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25.9 km

Silvestri Craters

Highlight • Volcano

The keyway for the descent must not be missing ;-)

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30.0 km

Nuova Quercia, 1,400 m a.s.l.

Highlight • Natural Monument

35.6 km

Etna - South Side

Highlight • Volcano

The Sapienza refuge is the highest place on Etna that can be reached by racing bike. If you start from Catania, therefore at sea level, you will overcome a height difference of 1910 meters, which extends over a distance of over 30 kilometres. As the gradient is fairly smooth, there aren't any particularly steep sections, overall it's a fairly smooth and easy ride. However, traffic in Catania and for the first 12 kilometers up to Nicolosi is quite heavy, you'll be happy to be able to turn from Nicolosi onto the much quieter mountain road up to the Refuge. The climb is also extremely sunny, as it leads through urban areas in the lower section and over lava fields in the upper section, where shade is naturally scarce.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

37.3 km

View of Catania from Parco dell'Etna

Highlight • Viewpoint

Great view of the sea

Translated by Google •

Tip by

39.8 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

39.4 km

364 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

39.4 km

238 m

126 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (1,920 m)

Lowest point (700 m)

Weather

Monday 22 June

20°C

9°C

31 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 5.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

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Sapienza Hut – Etna - South Side loop from Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza

Etna Cable Car Lower Station

Sapienza Hut

Nicolosi–Rifugio Sapienza Climb

Nicolosi

Silvestri Craters

Nuova Quercia, 1,400 m a.s.l.

Etna - South Side

View of Catania from Parco dell'Etna

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