North Africa Mediterranean 23 Days

Day 1 Amsterdam - Malaga

The engines have already been shipped last week.

We will have a short flight today of about 3 hours to Malaga, this is also where our motorcycles are parked at the hotel.

Malaga is a fun city to walk through and enjoy the many small tapas restaurants. With a Mediterranean climate, winter is also a good time here.

Day 2 Malaga - Almeria - Ghazaouet ( night boat )

The first day of driving is still in Spain. We head to Almeria and drive through part of the Sierra Nevada, an imposing mountain range with 16 peaks and an altitude of up to 3,482 meters. With an area of 862km2, it is a large expansive national park. The route we will choose here will depend on the weather at the time because, after all, there can also be skiing here and thus can be colder and worse weather at altitude.

Almeria is a port city where we will take the night boat to Ghazouet in Algeria. Departure is at 11:59 p.m. and the crossing takes about 9 hours, so we will spend the night on the boat in a sleeping cabin.

Day 3 Ghazaouet - Mostaganem

We arrive at 9 a.m. by ferry at the port of Ghazaouet. Today will be the first driving day in Algeria. We drive first to Tlemcen, known for its olive plantations and vineyards. Then via Oran a busy port city to Mostaganem,

Day 4 Mostaganem - Algiers

Today we drive mostly along the Mediterranean coast via the towns of Tenes and Tipaza to algiers.

Day 5 Algiers - Accommodation

We stay here an extra day to explore the city further. Algiers has over 3 million inhabitants, so it is quite hectic on the streets. A bustling city with many old buildings but there is also modern art.

Day 6 Algiers - Bou Saada

Today we drive inland to Bou saada, located in the Algerian Sahara Desert and known for its rich and unique history. The city is centrally located in Algeria and offers travelers a great cultural experience. Here is an overview of the history, culture and sights of Bou Saâda.

Day 7 Bou Saada - Ghardaia

Today we continue into the Sahara and drive to the Berber oasis town of Ghardaia, with typical cultural desert buildings.

Day 8 Ghardaia - Biskra

Today we drive north again to Biskra, a city rich in history and abundant in cultural heritage. From its ancient origins to its modern development, Biskra offers a fascinating look at the past and the influences that shaped the city.

Day 9 Biskra - Constantine

Via Timgad where the Roman ruins are located we stop for a moment to view the colossal remains of a rich past. Then we go to Constantine, a bustling and chaotic city with many ancient cultural buildings but also modern architecture.

Day 10 Constantine - Tarbaka

We drive to the coast again via Annaba before crossing the border into Tunisia. We stay in Tarbaka, a tourist resort with a nice port.

Day 11 Tarbaka - Kairouan

Today we drive inland to Kairouan. An important place for Muslims and this is reflected in the Great Mosque built in 671. In addition, the inner city, called the Medina, is a major attraction. Here you can see what an Arab inner city used to look like.

Another thing not to be missed in Kairouan are the Bassins des Aghlabides. This complex represents a high point of Arab hydraulic engineering. It consists of two interconnecting basins, the largest of which has a diameter of 128 meters. To cope with the pressure of the water, as many as 182 pillars were used, 118 on the outside and another 64 on the inside. These two basins used to be only part of a larger water system that totaled 15 basins.

Day 12 Kairouan - Tunis

A relatively short drive today to drive to Tunis, the port city. Here we will have the rest of the day and tomorrow to explore the city.

Day 13 Tunis - Palermo ( night boat )

We take the night boat which leaves around midnight. The trip takes 14 hours and arrive in Palermo the next day around 2:00 pm. On the boat we have a sleeping cabin.

Day 14 Palermo - Accommodation

Since we arrive in the afternoon, we will stay in Palermo. We check into the hotel and can spend the rest of the day exploring Palermo. Palermo is the capital of Sicily, one of Italy's most famous islands. The city has a rich history and culture and offers visitors a range of attractions and activities. It is home to some of the most impressive architectural sights in the world, as well as an abundance of museums, galleries, parks and restaurants, so you won't be bored.

Day 15 Palermo - Messina

We get up early because we are going to ride a scenic route across the island of Sicily. We start by driving along the coast and then through Madoni National Park to Nicosia, a picturesque village in the mountains. Then we will drive to Europe's most famous and active volcanic mountain called Mount Etna. With a peak of 3,329 meters and its white peaks, it is an impressive sight. Then we drive the last part again via the southern coastal road to Messina.

Day 16 Messina - San Giovanni in Fiore ( morning boat )

After breakfast, we immediately take the ferry that takes us from Sicily to Italy in 20 minutes.

We are now in the foot of the boot of Italy. We drive inland to arrive via winding mountain roads at our next destination, San Giovanni in Fiore, a picturesque village at the foot of Mount Neri in the Sila region.

Day 17 San Giovanni in Fiore - Parc Del Matese

We ride out of the foot of the boot and head to Parc Del Matese via the Del Pollino and Val D'Ágri National Parks, among others. The Monti del Matese is a mountain range on the border of the southern Italian regions of Campania and Molise.

An impressive mountain range, part of the Apennines, its highest peak is the 2050-meter-high Monte Miletto.

Day 18 Parc Del Matese - Monte Sibillini

This day will be another impressive motorcycle ride to Monti Sibillini located in the regions of Marche and Umbria. The inland area is beautiful for bikers who love mountains and curves, via the National Parks of Abruzzo and Sirente Velini we end up in Monti Sibillini, a rugged mountain range with no less than 50 peaks and 70,000 hectares where it can cool off considerably at night.

Day 19 Monte Sibillini - Florence

We drive further north and are already in the middle of Italy. We keep looking for the back roads that always take us through nice villages and also several vineyards, after all around Florence are the famous wines.

Florence, the capital of beautiful Tuscany, is known as Art City par excellence. Art lovers become enchanted at the sight of the ancient Palazzo Vecchio, Michelangelo's famous David and the surreal, beautiful cathedral the Duomo with its adjacent bell tower. Spend many sweet hours in the Galleria degli Uffizi and the Galleria dell' Accademia, two world-class art museums of interest. And, of course, set foot on the medieval bridge over the Arno River, Ponte Vecchio. Surrounded by extraordinary stories and legends, this strange Ponte is the symbol of Florence. With its many delicious restaurants, this day is complete.

Day 20 Florence - Edolo

We drive on and head towards the Dolomites. Through Lake Garda which we leave to the right we arrive at the foot of the most famous mountain of the dolomites, The Stelvio.

Day 21 Edolo - Tubingen

Today we have 2 options if the weather is good, which is to ride the Stelvio and go via Austria to Germany Tubingen over otherwise via Switzerland and Lake Constance.

Day 22 Tubingen - Home

The last ride today. We can continue via the inner road to the Netherlands or else take the highway in connection with time to be back home on time.