Fred Gallagher, Rally Director, set off earlier this year to explore Southern Italy and Sicily, researching and fine-tuning the route for our first non-competitive event, Discover Sicily.

Day 0

Having flown into Bari Airport, Hayley Gallagher and I picked up a rental car and headed south towards Lecce. Initially baffled by the locals seeming disregard for the posted speed limits, we soon got into our rhythm. On arrival we were stunned by the beauty of the city’s streets, although a little taken aback by how narrow they were.  The event hotel is right in the centre of the historic area and a fitting venue for our Welcome Dinner.

Day 1

Our initial plan was to head east from Lecce to the Adriatic coast and explore the heel of Italy. However the roads were in poor condition, the scenery unimpressive, and the Adriatic coastal resorts left a lot to be desired, so after a couple of hours we returned to Lecce and started again.

We instead headed west through vines and other agriculture until we arrived at Porto Cesareo, a pretty seaside town with a very pleasant loop road round its headland. Lined with cafes it will be a fine place for a morning refreshment, hopefully in the sun.

From there we went north and west with the turquoise Ionian Sea on our left. A restaurant has been identified near Pulsano, and we will have a group rally lunch, no doubt featuring the local seafood delicacies.

Refreshed we then skirted the industrial port of Taranto using a short stretch of Autostrada before heading inland through rich agricultural lands on deserted country roads. As we began to climb the views were tremendous until mid-afternoon when we arrived at the jaw-droppingly beautiful town of Matera, perched on a steep hillside. Our event hotel is a mixture of terraces and caves with spectacular views which will never be forgotten.

Day 2

Day 2 began with a beautiful, smooth section twisting gently along the top of a 45-kilometre or so range of hills with great views on both sides. We then descended into the valley of the River Basento before climbing the other side through ever more remote feeling countryside. Soon after exiting a tunnel we found Castelmezzano, another beautiful village with exceptional views all around. Lunch has been reserved in an excellent restaurant specialising in local mountain produce. It is very important not to approach this location using Satnav. We did and it’s a wonder our rent car is not still there!

Our afternoon started wonderfully until we entered an area that had been badly affected by recent, unseasonal, very heavy rain (this was in April). We spent most of the afternoon trying to find a way out which we ultimately did using a road that would be totally unsuitable for this kind of event. Our Discover Sicily route will instead take the roads originally planned, safe in the knowledge they have now been repaired.

The route now joins the Tyrrhenian Sea just south of the town of Sapri, and from there to our hotel in Maratea the road has magnificent views over the deep blue sea.

Day 3

With the knowledge gained on the previous afternoon we totally changed our plans for the Day 3 route. Now it will comprise a fairly short loop to the north along the coast with a stop scheduled in a pretty fishing village mid-morning. We found the roads to be wonderful and the views exquisite. After a cooling drink we dipped into the foothills of the Apennines for a change of scenery. Even the main roads in this area have great views and are quiet so we took one of those back to our lovely waterside hotel.

Day 4

This was to be our final full day on mainland Italy, and we headed south, quickly passing into the region of Calabria. A short stop is scheduled in the town of Diamante, famous for its street art and the production of Italy’s finest chilli oil. After around another 40 kilometres of coast road we turned left into country roads virtually entirely free of traffic other than sheep, cattle and goats that seem to enjoy the warmth of the asphalt. On recce we climbed through thick cloud but suspect in October the sun will be shining.

Montalto Uffugo is our midday stop and there will be time to explore the back streets and lanes of this mountaintop village. From there we took a quiet main road, running more or less parallel with the Autostrada, back down to the coast. At Vibo Marina we took more minor roads following what the guide-books call “The Coast of the Gods”. On recce we felt the Gods were not having one of their better days when they sculpted this particular section of seashore, but this was all forgotten when we arrived in Tropea. There, beautiful beaches are dominated by high cliffs with the town pushed right up to their edges, and with Stromboli’s volcano smoking on the horizon the sight is memorable.

A short hop away is Capovaticano and our lovely seaside hotel which doesn’t take itself too seriously and is all the better for that. We trust that competitors, while relaxing in the outdoor Stromboli Bar, will make sure they have bought their tickets for the following day’s ferry crossing, something we omitted to do. Details of how to do this are in the main body of the Newsletter.

Day 5

With a ferry to catch we decided not to be overly ambitious on our fifth morning but couldn’t resist a slight detour to the beautiful coastal villages of Bagnara Calabra and Scilla where there is plenty of time for a stop and coffee.

From there it is imperative you follow the road book as the Satnav will guide you through a maze of roads in Villa San Giovanni, and like the recce crew you will feel compelled to follow signs for the ferry. The ferry port has been moved in the last ten years or so, but no one has yet got round to changing the signs since the new section of Autostrada has been built. We ended up on the wrong side of a barrier to the queue for the ferry where a kindly official indicated for us to follow him on his moped to the nearest railway station. There we went to the tobacconist’s stall on Platform 2 where a cash only ticket was obtained. Be warned!

Once landed in Messina we went on a fruitless search for the city’s Yacht Club where we had planned a group lunch. Chaotic traffic, somewhat unhelpful staff, and an almost total lack of suitable parking sadly left us but with no option but to cancel that idea. We then set out to follow the coast south and find an alternative but had not taken into account the destruction caused by Cyclone Harry in January this year. This area was particularly badly hit with roads, promenades, marinas and harbours being destroyed. We decided to take the unaffected Autostrada to Roccalumera where we rejoined the coast road for the final kilometres to Taormina.

Along the way we made a side trip to Savoca, home of The Godfather “Wedding Scene”. Parking was extremely difficult but if you are a fan of the movie the road book will indicate where to leave the official route.

Just a few kilometres later we arrived in Taormina and our hotel for two nights situated on an incredibly beautiful bay. Day 6 will be a non-driving day where you can relax and explore the local area.

Day 7

Shortly after leaving Taormina we took a short,13-kilometre section of highway where we discovered that on Sicily these are cash only. From there it was a pleasant drive to the rather nice town of Lingualossa where we turned southwest and began to climb Mount Etna. The route was through forest to begin but soon the trees disappeared and we saw lava. Hopefully on the event the sky will be clear enough for us to see Etna’s multiple craters emitting smoke, as we did.

At around 1700 metres elevation we found a lovely wooden café where we arranged for coffee and cakes to be served on the north slopes of Etna. From there we headed down to Zafferana Etnea where we had planned a honey tasting. The friendly people there informed us that on the day of the event the town has its annual festival and the traffic is horrendous. Disaster avoided we recced an alternative route that keeps the best of Etna while avoiding the queues.

From the town of Nicolosi we turned right and climbed Etna’s south side for more spectacular views at 1900 metres near Rifugio Sapienza. Those running late (or have had their fill of volcanoes for the day) will be able to carry straight on for a few kilometres to our lunch halt at historic Tenuta Papale where we had a great welcome from Señor Papale himself. Participants will be served some local ham and cheeses with the option of a small wine tasting for those not driving.

From there we scouted a relaxed afternoon route so that entrants linger at the winery or head to our splendid hotel in Siracusa. We had about 30 kilometres of country driving through some agricultural land before a swift 70 kilometres of highway took us to the event’s home for the next two nights. Sunset drinks on the terrace and a boat transfer to one of the hotel’s restaurants on the island of Ortigia is planned for this evening.

Day 8

This morning we set out on another fairly short loop day to allow participants to enjoy the coast down past Avola. We discovered Feudo Ramaddini in the heart of the Nero d’Avola wine region and arranged for an early light lunch and a tasting of the local wine.

Returning from the most southerly point of the route we passed the UNESCO World Heritage city of Noto which some may choose to visit, before taking an interesting trip to the west rim of what is described as Sicily’s Grand Canyon. From there it was but a short drive back to Siracusa where everyone can enjoy the hotel or take a boat taxi over to the island of Ortigia for more exploration.

Day 9

On our penultimate morning we headed inland and shortly after leaving Siracusa found one of the event’s finest sections of all. The “back road” to Palazzolo Acreide was smooth, flowing, and with the morning sun behind us the scenery was superb.

Thereafter we had planned a few loops, but the A-roads were scenic and devoid of traffic and just about perfect for a Discover style event. The towns of Grammichele and Caltagirone are full of interest, but we found driving therein, even in a modern car, quite tortuous so have kept the official route, and road book, on the respective bypasses. For those who wish to visit the towns, and there is plenty of time, we suggest you park on the outskirts and walk in.

We hit the coast again at Gela which turned out to have a very pleasant seafront with a number of cafés available. We kept the Golfo di Gela on our left for the next 70 or so kilometres before arriving on the outskirts of Agrigento, a city world-renowned for the UNESCO-listed Valley of the Temples, a sprawling archaeological site featuring some of the best-preserved ancient Greek (yes, Greek) monuments in the Mediterranean. Our hotel is in the centre of the complex so perfectly placed for late afternoon exploration.

Day 10

For the final day of recce we headed north towards Palermo before taking in a spectacular loop near Sutera on what is referred to as “The Balcony of Sicily”. From there we tried a few different ways to get to Corleone, another must stop town for lovers of the Godfather series of movies. The final route chosen, through Prizzi, was superb with a smooth surface and great views.

Thereafter the road conditions deteriorated somewhat but after a lot of searching we found a nice route to take us through to Sicily’s north coast, west of Palermo. The seaside village of San Vito Lo Capo was our final stop before the splendid finish hotel situated on a cliff top overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

All in all a very enjoyable 10 days were spent on the road and we believe the end result will be a perfect introduction to RtG’s Discover series of events.