Travel: ​Pedalling through Sicily in the path of Indiana Jones is an epic adventure

[STANDFIRST] Ben Mitchell follows in the footsteps of the swashbuckling archaeologist on the Italian island where part of new film, Dial Of Destiny, was shot.

As I walk deeper into the darkness of the giant cave, my eyes slowly adjusting to the light, I cannot resist testing out the famed acoustics with a quick “dum di dum dum” of the Indiana Jones theme tune.

For I am following in the footsteps of the swashbuckling archaeologist as I enter the Orecchio di Dionisio (Ear of Dionysus) in Syracuse, Sicily – the filming location of a key scene in the new movie, Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny.

The 23-metre-high limestone cave, which is shaped like an enormous ear, was originally carved out in Greek/Roman times to store water, although it was named in 1608 by the painter Caravaggio, after the legend of the ancient ruler Dionysus, who kept political prisoners captive in the cave.

The story goes that because of the cave’s great acoustics, he was able to eavesdrop on their plans and use the echoes to amplify the screams from their torture.

Emerging back into the light, I feel a sense of relief to be back in the open, out of the ominous surroundings – which do not need any great leap of the imagination to see how the magnificent cave could be turned into a movie set.

To reach this elegant city, whose waterfront castle also features in the new movie, I have been on my own little adventure – cycling through the south-east corner of Italy’s southernmost island to discover the region’s UNESCO protected towns.

It feels like stepping – or pedalling – back in time, just like Harrison Ford – only with less snakes and wearing a cycling helmet instead of a leather hat.

At dawn on the first morning, the sound of cows moo-ing enters my dreams and pulls me to my senses as the warm Mediterranean sun starts to filter through the shutters into my rustic hotel room in rural Sicily.

Having arrived after dark the previous night, I had no impression of my surroundings. But as I walk down the stairs, I realise my room is located above a large entrance gate overlooking old stables adjoined to an aristocrat’s home, now turned into the Feudo Bauly Hotel.

I am greeted by Giuseppe who kits me out with my bike for the next five days and a pile of maps, although these are just a backup, as tour operator Macs Adventure have created an app with downloadable maps to guide me on the rides each day.

After a breakfast of ham and cheese, I set off, with my first stop the nearby pretty Palazzolo Acreide, the first of the UNESCO World Heritage protected baroque towns of the Val di Noto (Noto Valley) on my unescorted tour, which turns out to be an appetiser for Ragusa – the birthplace of Sicilian baroque design where the buildings seemingly grow out of the very rocks they are built on.

I have just pedalled my way along the quiet country road to the top of a valley, passing an occasional house, so peaceful it feels like no-one lives there, when I get a first glimpse of Ragusa, which is built on a wide limestone hill between two deep valleys.

The earth-coloured houses merge into one another as they spread organically across the hillside and, as I get closer, the Santa Maria dell’Itria church suddenly stands out, imitating the cloudless sky above with its bright blue dome.

After cycling up the winding road to the main square, I am happy to find a cafe with a cold drink to cool me down, before I start to explore the narrow and, thankfully, shady streets – which lead from the 14th century gate of the city’s first church of St George, up to the replacement church built in the 16th century, after the original was destroyed in an earthquake.

Ragusa was split over two levels after a great earthquake in 1693 flattened many towns in the area, leading to a flurry of building in the Sicilian baroque style of the time, with the higher half, Ragusa Superiore, gaining a modern grid layout while the lower part, Ragusa Ibla, retained is original medieval streets.

After dousing myself with cool water from a drinking fountain, I head on to Modica, another town spreading over a hilltop, which will be my bed for the night. I’m staying in Le Magnolie hotel, a modern conversion in the middle of the town’s endlessly climbing streets.

The next morning, after stopping to buy some of the local chocolate famously made from an ancient Aztec recipe, I set off, fuelled by a croissant breakfast, over the surrounding hill, before heading down to the coastal town of Pozzallo.

After just half an hour of mostly downhill rolling, I arrive in Scicli, another of the eight UNESCO listed towns, where I refresh with a drink in the main piazza, once again surrounded by the Sicilian baroque grandeur, before the call of the sea draws me back on to my saddle.

Soon, I get my first tantalising glimpse of the Mediterranean shimmering in the distance, taunting me as I roll down to the seaside town of Sampieri.

Although it’s only another hour to Pozzallo, I cannot resist locking up the bike and running into the shallow, lapping waters. (Luckily I had packed my swimming shorts in my pannier bag.)

Pleasantly cooled-off, I wipe the sand off and ride the final stretch to Pozzallo and the centrally-located Sikania Suite hotel, where I drop my bags and quickly head for the promenade for another dip.

The long sandy beach feels very much a part of the town, filled with local families relaxing after a day of work; teenagers participating in the eternal battle of beach football.

The next day, the landscape changes, as does the temperature. I lazily cycle in the dry heat past row after row of greenhouses brimming with tomatoes and melons, and on to the wetlands at Granelli, where I stop pedalling in disbelief, as I spot a group of flamingos slowly plodding through the low waters, which are a feature of this south-eastern corner of the island.

As I keep riding, I eventually run out of road and end up on a beach overlooking the uninhabited Isola delle Correnti (Island Of The Tides) which is Sicily’s (and Italy’s) southernmost point. I can see people wading across, but I settle for a dip in the calm turquoise sea.

I continue my journey through the pretty fishing port of Marzamemi and on to my accommodation in the tranquil Agriturismo La Vignazza, where a plate of fresh fruit and a swimming pool awaits, to help me cool off once again.

The next morning, the heat is already waiting for me as I get on the bike, but fortunately, it’s a shorter journey today with only one stop – the beach in the tranquil surroundings of the Vendicari nature reserve.

As I wallow in the refreshing shallows of the wild beach, I spy a flash of pastel pink in the sky and realise it’s a flamingo coming into land in the wetlands just metres from the beach, which are home to various migratory species and have hides to allow you to discreetly watch.

From this oasis of calm – where even beach games are banned, so as not to disturb the birds – my ride takes me across the sauna-hot farmlands, before one last climb up to Noto, another of the beautiful baroque hilltop towns and my last stop before my descent to Syracuse and the home comforts of the Hotel Gran Bretagna.

But, on my last ride, I spot on the road ahead of me Indiana’s biggest enemy – a snake – although luckily for me, it stopped breathing some time ago.

“Dum di dum dum.”

Inside my head, that famous theme tune plays once again as the curtain falls on my own Sicilian adventure.

How to plan your trip

Macs Adventure (macsadventure.com; 0141 530 5452) offers the seven-day Cycle Sicily’s South itinerary from £935 per person, including B&B accommodation, transfer from Catania, baggage transfers, route notes, maps and local information, access to the Macs Adventure smartphone app and emergency support if needed. Flights and travel to Catania/from Syracuse and bike hire are not included.

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