Your mountain holiday
Imagine a destination where you get to stand out in the sun, breathe the fresh air, meet people. We are in a beautiful natural park near to Cefalù with peaceful naturalistic itineraries. The Madonie Park is highly recommended in any season. It’s rather getting cold in here especially during the winter. The white snow covers mountains and hills completely. Indeed, the park has six mountains that are over 1,500 meters. This is the why you’ll like the cool of the evening also during the hottest months.
Practical information
Here are some tips to reach Madonie zone. When you’ll pass seaside, move to Madonie taking the Highway A19 to the Messina-Palermo and detour for Buonfornello. Before to move, choose where to sleep in our beautiful family villas in Sicily. Indeed, it could be a good idea to explore the countryside zone. But, at the same time, you could consider a second option. The distance from Palermo to Madonie Park is really short, approximately 80 kilometers. So, in a single day, you could also stay near Palermo seaside in our Mondello apartments and enjoy the mountains too. Remember that the itineraries are several, so it is highly recommended to take a map.
Activities
The Madonie Natural Park is the perfect place for the mountain lover. Leap at the chance to live unique experiences:
1. You can’t miss a trekking for some special tops of Madonie mountains. For example, Pizzo Carbonara is certainly one of the most interesting points. We suggest you to follow the Madonie explorers group for a wilderness experience. You can also book a guide to going around the wood and find out several species of mushrooms. Moreover, you should know that Sicily is a land of highly prized truffles, that can be found all year long.
2. Considering these green hills and plains, it could be also interesting a horseback riding through different paths.
3.Close your eyes and imagine a starry night. In the middle of Madonie, you find the Astronomic Park. In a small village called Isnello, there is a perfect place for viewing sky and stars! The Educational and Outreach Center is divided into several sections: the Planetarium, the Space and Time Park, the Observatory Terrace and the Museum. The visit time is variable according to the period. Look to Gal Hassin site to have all information.
4. For funny moments with yours children, look at the adventure program of Madonie Adventure Park. You’ll make a reservation for playgrounds area, tree climbing and team sport and other activities.
5. Now we have a super special treat. In Geraci Siculo, you can reach a vantage point for views of the Madonie Park. It is called ‘Salto del Ventimiglia’ according to an old story about the local Ventimiglia Family. It is said that one day a man jumped from there looking for freedom!
Ancient villages
The Madonite villages are mainly villages with a medieval centre, with narrow and paved streets located high up and panoramic places. Those houses are made only old stones: they are leaning on each other clung to the rocks sheer on small tops. Along your trip, you can’t miss Petralia Soprana, Petralia Sottana, Ganci, Castelbuono, Geraci Siculo. Here, we suggest to visit the places with a stunning view:
1. The Saint Anastasia Abbey. A sacred and silent place which is transformed in a farm and a winemaker. Today, this place offers you a local and traditional cooking. Open everyday!
2. Ventimiglia Castle in Castelbuono. A Medieval building has been found in the fourth century by the rich Ventimiglia family. Inside, you can admire the Palatine Chapel (1684), entirely decorated in stucco on a pure gold background, by sculptors Giuseppe and Giacomo Serpotta. Today houses the Civic Museum with sacred art and modern art collection. In total, the ticket price is 5,00 euro for the entire collection. The museum is open everyday from 09.30 to 13.00 and from 15.30 to 18.30.
This article was written by Giulia Sofi
Today, she creates editorial content for cultural magazine and exhibition project.
Her articles have been published in some art magazine like CityRivista and Insideart.