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Sapienza Hut – Rifugio Sapienza Parking loop from Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza

Sapienza Hut – Rifugio Sapienza Parking loop from Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza

Hard

4.6

(5)

127

riders

Sapienza Hut – Rifugio Sapienza Parking loop from Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza

02:34

37.2km

1,210m

Road cycling

Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: June 24, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 18.3 km for 64 m

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

22 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.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

522 m

View of Mount Etna (east side)

Highlight • Viewpoint

Great view, worth it in any weather

Translated by Google •

Tip by

10.1 km

1634 Lava Flow, Parco dell'Etna

Highlight • Natural Monument

The flow is very panoramic but crossing it with a touring bike is very difficult.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

18.3 km

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.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

18.4 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

37.2 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

36.8 km

469 m

Surfaces

36.8 km

469 m

Elevation

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

Highest point (1,900 m)

Lowest point (720 m)

Weather

Thursday 9 July

16°C

7°C

19 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

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Sapienza Hut – Rifugio Sapienza Parking loop from Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza

Sapienza Hut

Rifugio Sapienza Parking

View of Mount Etna (east side)

1634 Lava Flow, Parco dell'Etna

Nicolosi

Nicolosi–Rifugio Sapienza Climb

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