Gole di Farfa

The route starts from Farfa Abbey. After a short downhill stretch on asphalt, you enter a path that runs alongside a fishing lake and a stream. After a flat stretch along the banks of a small stream, the path begins to climb slightly before turning onto a trail that runs alongside the Farfa River until it descends to the official parking lot of the Farfa Gorges area. From there, you can admire the river at a point where it is usually forded, but this is not part of the tour (although it could be a starting point for others, especially if done in the opposite direction).

You climb on asphalt to Mompeo on a double-digit gradient climb, then skirt the village and descend again into the Farfa valley on a road that is first asphalted, then cemented, and finally unpaved, which leads to a single track that takes you to a Roman bridge that is still usable. To cross the bridge, if you have heavy/electric bikes, you need at least two people, as the entrance to the bridge has narrow steps where you cannot ride.

You climb a not too long single track uphill, often quite slippery but exciting (especially if you are on an e-bike or have good legs). Continue along an undulating path until you reach another single track with a short steep (and slightly exposed) descent that runs alongside one of the many tributaries of the Farfa. After that, climb back up to Castelnuovo di Farfa, where you can stop for a drink or a bite to eat if you wish. We recommend taking a look at the view in front of the oil museum and its beautiful, well-kept garden on the hill.

From Castelnuovo, descend towards Toffia on country roads that start out paved and then run alongside private properties. Be careful to take the small path downhill to the right when the track seems to lead you onto private land. Then take the road, which becomes wide and paved, down to the valley below Toffia. Now begins an ascent on asphalt to the village. If you wish, you can cut across a steep paved climb, otherwise continue on the normal road, which is longer but has more manageable gradients.

From Toffia, descend for a short stretch of road and then climb the mountain from which the famous Tabacchino trail starts, first on asphalt and then on dirt, and finally on dirt and quite steep. The Tabacchino trail does not have extreme gradients but should be ridden with caution due to the presence of fixed rocks and sections with a ravine on the right. Remember to give way to any pedestrians you may encounter. Towards the end, the trail widens in the woods and becomes faster and more flowing. Remember to turn right at the two hairpin bends when the trail seems to end nowhere (the first time I was there, we made a mistake and went straight on, ending up in the middle of the woods!). At the end of the trail, there is a cattle gate that must be opened and closed.

Once you reach the village of Fara in Sabina, there is a high downhill trail with lots of fixed rocks, which is fun and technical but never too extreme. Be careful of the left-hand bend/hairpin turn full of rocks, where the bike tends to get stuck if you don't ride it decisively. At the end of the trail, cross the paved road and then take another downhill single track. This is perhaps the most technical part of the ride as it is often wetter and more slippery because it is sheltered from the sun. Here too, there is a section with tight bends and rocks that must be navigated with caution. A variant has recently been added with steps made of wooden sticks for pedestrians, which are not very comfortable to ride on with a mountain bike (it is better to stick to the original trail). From there, the trail becomes rockier but with few bends, so you just need to tackle the fixed rocks with the right technique and speed to avoid getting stuck. You come out at the Abbey of Farfa and can optionally visit the hamlet around the abbey.

PS: I did not invent the trail, it is in the public domain, and I thank those who have maintained and refined it over the years!