I’m a motorcycle rider with a passion for enduro, and I’m 28 years old; I’ve been riding since 2012 and cover about 20,000 km every year, mostly off-road. So far, I’ve visited 20 countries, many of which on my own. What do I love most about traveling? Learning about the people, their lives, the culture, the landscapes and the cuisine. I explore countries via the most remote routes, I sleep in a tent, wash in lakes and cook outdoors over a fire. Traveling by motorcycle is my lifestyle.
It was almost the end of summer, the days were getting shorter, the temperature was getting lower and the holidays were coming to an end. This journey had been different than usual. As we didn’t want to waste any time riding for days for thousands of kilometers in temperatures that weren’t too pleasant, we decided to fly to Sicily and rent the motorcycles directly on the spot.
The premises were simple: We wanted a cheap trip – kind of, as after all, it was still a motorcycle holiday. We managed to buy direct flights from Poland to Catania with a low-cost airline for less than €70 per person, round trip. In these cases, I use skyscanner.com to search for flights.
For some time now, our goal has always been to bring the bare minimum on a trip. The challenge is to fit everything you need for eight days – full camping gear included – in your hand luggage.
Since we didn't have any bags whose size matched the airline's requirements, we designed and manufactured our own, which can be expanded at will. The only limitation was that we couldn't bring the gas stove and a large knife (with a blade longer than 6 cm) with us, as regulations prohibit carrying this type of item in hand luggage, but we didn't lose heart.
The funniest part of the whole thing was that we had to travel on the plane wearing our motorcycle gear, to avoid paying for check-in baggage. It might sound uncomfortable, but a two-hour flight is actually more bearable than riding in very hot weather, which we all often do without any problems. And what about the helmet? I called the airline to find out what was allowed but no one was able to answer my questions. So, we decided to consider it part of our clothing as if it was a hat.
It’s a few weeks later, the end of October – everything has been prepared and the countdown is at zero. We cram everything into our tailor-made luggage and set off for the airport. We have all the essentials with us – first aid kit, tent, mats, sleeping bags, headlamps, towels, cups, zip ties, and even a portable compressor, spare inner tube, backpacks with water bag, duvets, some spare clothes and a small knife. We’ll borrow the basic tools from the motorcycle rental.
We get dressed in the car, in the parking lot, and enter the airport wearing our suits. On the day of departure, in Poland it was about 7 degrees. At check-in, I’m a little worried. I’m afraid they might confiscate my knife. I’ve come prepared for that eventuality, however – I have a piece of measuring tape, cut to a length of 6 cm, ready to argue my case. Luckily, the backpack goes through the scanner without any problems and nobody notices it. A little smile escapes me.
At the airport, everyone turns around to look at us and this puts us in a good mood. People smile at us and we smile back. There are no issues with the baggage or our quirky attire at check-in. Everything goes well and we take our seats on the plane.
The flight is short, less than two hours I think. In this way, we saved about 2,200 km each way, or 3-4 days of one-way travel! We’re the last ones off the plane, as we need room to retrieve all our gear. The heat welcomes us at Catania airport! Full sun and about 27 degrees.
We walk to the train station using Google Maps. Roaming is free in EU countries, so we can make calls and access the internet without any problems. After a while, the Etna volcano, one of the most active and largest in the world, standing at 3,329 m high, appears before our eyes. There’s a light cloud of smoke over the top. The sight is simply splendid, above all because of the many palm trees framing it. Tomorrow we'll ride up there or close to it, as high as we can get.
We still have to travel an hour by train to get to Augusta, where we’ll collect the motorcycles. The rental company owner's mother is kind enough to come and pick us up at the station and drives us to the estate where her son's business is based. Along the way, we make a stop in a local food shop so we can immediately get acquainted with the typical Sicilian products. We’ll never be grateful enough for this delightful stopover.
The evening is spent in the company of other travelers who are attending a motorcycling training course organized by the rental company. The next day, we wake up at dawn, have a quick breakfast, tie the luggage to the motorcycles and position our cell phone holders, so we can follow our tracks. We’re ready to climb the volcano.
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We avoid any rough and potentially difficult trails, as we want an easy first day, to get familiar with the motorcycles. I open the offline maps on the OsmAnd app, which I always use on my motorcycle, and we’re off!
The little Honda CRFs behave completely differently from our own motorcycles. When you go from a 1,000 cc maxi enduro to a light 300 you really feel the difference. Their agility impresses us; right away, we see that it’ll be much easier to ride off-road on these motorcycles than on our two-cylinder ones, which weigh over 200 kg.
So, we reach Etna and find the most remote place we can get to. The volcanic rocks that surround us and the views from the top are nothing short of breathtaking. It's sunny, but the wind is strong up the top and the temperature drops accordingly. We ride all around the volcano and head toward the start of the Trans Euro Trail route, which begins in Messina, on the strait. If you haven’t heard of it, the Trans Euro Trail – TET for short – is a network of mixed asphalt and dirt trails suitable for maxi enduros that covers all of Europe, its road conditions constantly kept in good order by enthusiasts. It’s a real godsend when you want to explore a new country and don't know how to go about it.
Our goal is to cover the entire Sicilian part of this route, up to Palermo. We estimated four days of off-road riding. Since the sun sets earlier here – at around 5.30 p.m. – we buy something to eat around 4 p.m., fill up with fuel and then leisurely look for a place to spend the night before sunset.
That’s it, for today. Just before sunset, perfectly on time, we manage to reach the start of the route, near Messina. We climb to the top accompanied by a beautiful sunset and we stop to take some photos. Aware that the night is about to fall, we look for a camping spot. Any place is fine with us, as long as it’s safe, considering that in various points the road runs along rocky walls from which stones could tumble down. We leave the route and pitch the tent along a local dirt road.
The plan includes waking up at dawn every day and stopping immediately after sunset, in order to enjoy the day as much as possible. So, we set the alarm clock at 6 a.m., to get on the road as soon as possible every day, but still getting the rest we need.
After a quick Italian-style breakfast in our personal wild campsite, we pack our bags and set off again. We climb higher and higher, on dirt and rocky roads, in the early morning light. The scenery is fantastic and our excitement soars. It's a bit cold at first, so we put on our warmest jackets and gloves. But the weather suddenly changes, and so does our apparel. I always keep a breathable jersey with me, which I wear over the protectors instead of a jacket when the temperature rises, and then a second pair of light gloves. These garments are perfect for staying cool during the hot season, which helps with staying focused.
The lay of the land changes rapidly. The road runs a little uphill, a little downhill, and at times along a dry river bed. Due to the island’s dry climate, we never light a fire. During the trip we saw several wildfires from afar and it got us thinking. Moreover, talking to the locals we find out about a recent incident involving a Canadair aircraft that was trying to put out a fire – it happened when we were there.
We know how dangerous fire can be and we’re aware of its devastating consequences. This is why we try to safeguard both our safety and that of others as much as possible. The locals tell us that farmers actually burn their fields to obtain more fertile soil and a better harvest the following year – however, these often results in wildfires.
Our route winds through splendid wild nature. From time to time, we pass through small charming villages where, delighted by the Italian culture and cuisine, we stop for a snack or a coffee. Not many people speak English in Sicily, but fortunately we quickly pick up a few Italian words and when language isn’t enough we communicate with gestures, which is fun for all involved. Some people are afraid to travel abroad due to language barriers, but trust me, you only need to know a few words and everyone welcomes newcomers with a smile!
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We often cross pastures and farms; this means that, from time to time, we have to open and close the metal fences that prevent the animals from escaping. Fortunately, no one bothers us and we don’t bother the residents either; sometimes it’s the owners themselves who open the gates for us or just give us a nod to remind us to close them.
We also tackle lots of rocky and demanding climbs that are sometimes very tiring in these high temperatures. It would certainly have been much more difficult riding through some of these places on our own heavy motorcycles.
When I travel, once in a while I allow myself the luxury of spending the night in a hotel or B&B, to recover my strength as best as I can, take a hot shower and get some nice, quiet rest in a restaurant, eating some good food. That's what we do this time, too. We spend one night in the beautiful village of Polizzi Generosa, perched on a hill. The name derives from the Greek word “polis” and means “city on a hill”. ‘Generosa’ was added to the name in honor of Princess Giovanna Generosa de La Masa, who ruled it for a time. A room for two people costs us €70, including a sweet breakfast and coffee – very typical in Italy. Spending the night in a room allows us to sleep a little longer, as we don’t need to take down the tents, and it’s more comfortable – not a bad thing when you spend hours and days riding without any real stop.
We enjoy some civilized comforts for a while, then we continue along our off-road route, toward Palermo. The Sicilian landscape changes dramatically. In addition to amazing mountains and magnificent ridges, we also ride through picturesque forests, boasting golden colors at this time of year, when the setting sun wonderfully shines through the leaves. We spot many farm animals along the way and even meet a shepherd tending their sheep and herding them to pasture on a motocross motorcycle!
For the following night, we look for a camping place close to water – a river, a lake or a stream – so we can cool down or wash. Moreover, water also makes the scenery more appealing – aren’t landscapes with a lake or stream or even the sea much more beautiful? I love spending time surrounded by nature and water. This time, however, it’s not that easy – everything is arid, rivers and lakes are practically dried up. We learn from the locals that industry in Sicily uses up a lot of water, and the dry summer that’s just ended made things worse.
After three and a half days’ riding immersed in the wilderness, we reach Palermo, but first we stop at the Tyrrhenian Sea for a swim. We just need to go back to Augusta and return the motorcycles. This time, we follow the fastest route suggested by Google Maps. Before returning the motorcycles, we ride along the east coast of the island to admire the Ionian Sea and take some more photos of the volcano – the crowning glory of a truly extraordinary journey.
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Sicily is a wonderful island. We spent a total of eight days there, six of them riding, traveling for about 960 kilometers, 450 of which off-road. We spent four nights in a tent immersed in nature, two nights hurriedly looking for accommodation on a booking site, and one on the estate where we rented the motorcycles.
The island looks much smaller before you get there. Then again, getting around is actually quite time-consuming due to the quality of the roads – which are often in a bad state – the lay of the land and the traffic. The Sicilian people were very kind and helpful, even if they didn't speak English. Due to this, we learned a few words from them, which made the trip easier and more enjoyable. They always smiled, looked and talk to us kindly in Italian – “buongiorno”, “buon appetito”, ”per favore”. It’s a wonderful region inhabited by wonderful people!
A big thank you goes to the Polish rental company Przystanek Sicilia in Augusta, which I sincerely recommend and due to which we had the opportunity to explore the area just as we liked, on motorcycles that were practically new, which greatly increased the mileage.
In my opinion, if you live far from it, renting the equipment on site is the best way to get around Sicily by motorcycle in terms of logistics, timing and cost (apart from the fact that I always welcome the opportunity to try out something new). From Poland, by land, a round trip would be about 4,500 km, which means several days of travel and 250 liters of fuel, as well as accommodation and meals. As a comparison, our return flights cost €70 per person, plus the motorcycle rental. I'll let you do the math. But I think it's subjective. There are also people who only want to travel on their motorcycle, their true friend.
A big thank you goes to my favorite travel companion Monia Moto Hero, with whom traveling is always a pleasure. On our return, they unfortunately confiscated my beloved pocketknife, explaining that the airport rules are different from those of the airline. This trip allowed us to recharge our batteries before a long winter; and now I can't wait to leave for new adventures!
