25.6
PDI
19.1 mi
DISTANCE
5,110 ft
GAINED
4.9 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. The climb's 30.8 km (19.1 mi) hides real variation inside its modest 4.9% average. The lower kilometers out of Acquedolci ease into the hills gently, then the road steepens through the approach to San Fratello and the Tre Re pass, with sustained pitches well above the overall average. Above Tre Re the gradient settles into a long, rolling middle section before a final push through the beech forest to Portella Femmina Morta at 1,535 m (5,036 ft).
Within that average, the steepest kilometer touches 8.8%, and the hardest 500-meter stretch briefly reaches 11.2% - short enough that they're more a rhythm-breaker than a genuine threat, on a climb whose real difficulty is its length rather than any single ramp.
Roadway: SS 289 is paved the entire way from Acquedolci to Portella Femmina Morta. It narrows to a single lane in each direction with no shoulder through the switchbacks above San Fratello and through the forested sections inside Parco dei Nebrodi. We found no reports of active closures or major surface damage as of 2026, but this is a mountain road that sees winter snow, so it's worth checking regional ANAS updates before a cold-season ride.
Traffic: Light overall. The lower kilometers near Acquedolci and San Fratello carry some local and agricultural traffic, but cars thin out substantially once the road climbs into Parco dei Nebrodi above Tre Re - this is a remote, sparsely populated stretch of Sicily far from the busier tourist coast.
Parking: Acquedolci is a small coastal town with free roadside parking along the seafront (Lungomare) close to where SS 289 begins its climb; parking near the train station or along the coast road is straightforward outside of peak summer beach season.
A compact or triple crankset earns its keep here - not because any one section is brutally steep, but because 30.8 km (19.1 mi) of climbing with pitches touching 11% is a long day in the saddle, and a lower gear in reserve for the steeper ramps near San Fratello and Tre Re makes a real difference late in the ride.
Provisions are the bigger consideration: there are shops and cafes in Acquedolci and San Fratello at the base, but nothing reliable once you're climbing through Parco dei Nebrodi above Tre Re. Fill bottles and carry food before you leave San Fratello - there's essentially nothing until you're over the top at Portella Femmina Morta and descending toward Cesarò.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Acquedolci makes a practical, low-key base on Sicily's north coast - it has a beach, basic hotels, and easy access to the SS 113 coastal road, without the crowds of Taormina or Cefalù. The Grotta di San Teodoro, an archaeological site where Upper Paleolithic-era human remains were found, sits just outside town and is worth a stop before or after the ride.
The Nebrodi Mountains you'll climb through are Sicily's largest protected natural area, known for cork oak and beech forests and for the native Sanfratellano horse and Nebrodi black pig - don't be surprised to see either grazing near the road in the upper kilometers.
Check the Routes in the Area tool for other climbs starting along this stretch of coast, including nearby ascents from around Capo d'Orlando and Sant'Agata di Militello.
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