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13 segments from The Long Circle South / 2026. Filter the full log with the same tag.
The route leaves the Amalfi Coast and commits early to the Cilento interior, trading coastal flow for sustained mountain engagement. Cirella marks the transition back to broader southern progression after a technical inland traverse.
The route leaves the coast early and follows Calabria’s inland spine, delivering sustained, technical riding through dense and irregular terrain. Tropea marks the return to open coastline after a long phase of contained mountain progression.
The stage transitions from mainland flow to Sicilian structure, crossing the Strait and moving quickly inland toward Etna. Arrival at Castelmola marks the return of elevation and technical riding above the eastern coast.
A technical descent from Etna’s volcanic highlands into the softer interior of southeastern Sicily, where precision riding gradually gives way to flow. The stage resolves at sea level in Syracuse, completing the transition from raw elevation to coastal calm.
After four days in Palermo, the expedition resumed with an easier coastal traverse across northern Sicily toward Messina. Less survival, more rhythm — one final slow passage before leaving the island again.
The expedition slowed intentionally today with an easier coastal ride north through Calabria and an early campsite setup by midday. Before continuing, the BMW R1300 GSA received its 10,000 km service and rear brake replacement at Barletto Moto Service — a reminder that long-distance travel depends as much on maintenance and preparation as on movement itself.
After a sleepless night of heavy wind at Camping Lungomare, the expedition started early and temporarily abandoned the planned route to visit Craco and Matera. Craco delivered abandoned ghost-town atmosphere and raw southern Italian isolation, while Matera proved to be one of the most extraordinary places of the entire journey — ancient cave districts carved into stone and layered with thousands of years of history. Sometimes cheating the route is the right decision.
The day began with a true northbound transition out of Carovigno, riding between the Adriatic and the salt pans after deliberately skipping the trulli villages already seen southbound. After lunch, Gargano delivered a beautiful second stage — until a giant boulder blocked the road and forced a return through the same spectacular coastal curves.
The ride north along the Adriatic began beautifully but gradually collapsed into crowded coastal infrastructure, heat, and fragmented traffic-heavy riding. The reward came at the end of the stage: a quiet old villa in the hills above San Benedetto del Tronto, where the expedition finally found silence again.
Today began with some of the best inland riding of the expedition and ended in forced off-road detours after three major road closures destroyed the route toward San Marino. Exhausted, down half the electrical reserves after a power bank failure, the expedition retreated to the Adriatic coast where a simple campsite became the day’s final victory.
Today’s route crossed the overheated Po Delta at 32°C before winding through wetlands, Venetian villas, hidden castles, and finally some welcome hilly roads inland. The final approach flattened out once again, reminding the expedition that the long northbound extraction toward the Alps has fully begun.
The Dolomites were not just scenic today — they completely changed the rhythm of the expedition. After weeks of heat, coastlines and operational chaos, the mountains finally delivered the scale, silence and technical riding Long Circle South had been building toward.
Long Circle South closed where all great journeys eventually do: not at a destination, but on the road home. After almost 7000 kilometers across Italy, Sicily, the Dolomites and Stelvio, the greatest lesson was simple—keep moving, and the story will unfold.
