Rosamarina Lake Loop Ride

Rosamarina is an artificial lake set between the coastal town of Termini Imerese and the medieval hillside town of Caccamo within the Province of Palermo. It is known mainly by locals who practice water sports during the summer and easy mountain biking all year round. The lake is set in a scenic valley and you can still see some remains of the former settlement standing out of the water. You may encounter cattle or horses on the pine-fringed shore and  these folks are often even too lazy to run away so don’t worry if it takes a few minutes before they clear the path. The views from the dam towards the Tyrrhenian sea are really nice, especially during the winter or spring. That is when the watergates are open and you can watch the huge waterfalls go down to the San Leonardo River.

Public transport: Railway station at Termini Imerese. There are several trains during the day and in the evening and bicycles are allowed on all regional trains at an extra cost (currently 3,50 euro for the whole day). Check the train timetable on www.trenitalia.com

Please note: if you travel solo or as a couple, you will hardly ever have problems in finding a place for your bikes on the train, but if you are a group of cyclists please bear in mind that most trains only carry two bikes and book a private bike shuttle instead. Get in touch if you wish to book a bike shuttle.

Terrain: The first section on the route runs on urban and secondary roads. The track around the lake is off-road.

Difficulty level: easy

Bike: best for mountain bikes (hardtail) or e-mountain bikes. More experienced cyclists can use a mountain bike hybrid or gravel bike. Rent a bike for your tour around Lake Rosamarina.