Walking in the Madonie Mountains, Sicily

Arrive in Sicily and breathe in the warm island breeze and aroma of the outstanding local flora. If pre-arranged with us, a private transfer takes you from airport to your accommodation in Petralia Sottana, in the south of the Monti Madonie. Enjoy your first dinner in a local restaurant of your choice trying the many flavors of the tasty regional cuisine. 

Today’s walk It is a quite easy walk through Petralia's hills from where  it  is  possible  to  enjoy  superb  landscapes  over  the southern  side  of  Sicily,  inclunding  Mt.  Etna.  Some  stretches  of the route are on clayey terrain which can be challenging in case of rain.  The  elevation  is  fairly  gradual;  there  is  only  one  steep stretch.  The  walk  can  start  in  Portella  Ferrone  (wp17)  with transfer  organized  by  the  accomodation;  the  walk  is  then shortened of 2 km and the steep stretch to wp14 is avoided.

Challenge: 5 hours, 16 km / 10 mi, 734m ascent, 713m descent

A  morning  trasnfer  will  take  you  to  the  start  of  the  walk  in Pomieri. The walk starts off on a fairly steep and rough surface but it eases out as you reach the higher lands where views begin to unfold and you follow panoramic dirt roads and well-marked trails, making a loop around the fascinating Vallone degli Angeli.

From  Vallone  you can  take  a detour to  Scalone  from  which  you have  a good view of Polizzi Generosa and valleys located tot he North of the Madonie Mountains.

Monte  Salvatore  is  one  of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Madonie Mountains, from the top there is a spectacular 360° view of the central part of Sicily. You can also admire the Sanctuary of Madonna dell’Alto, a regular destination for religious pilgrimages.

Part  of the  route  follows the  long  distance  ‘Sentiero  Italia’  where  you  can  still  find  a  few examples  of  the  Nebrodi Fir tree,  that  once  covered  a  vast section  of  the uplands. At the end of the walk a private transefer will take you back to the accommodatie in Patralia Sottana.

Challenge: 5 hours, 15 km / 9,5 mi, 763m ascent, 754m descent

A  morning  transfer will  take  you  to  Parco  Avventure  Madonie from where you will start your walk. Climb from Pomieri to the “Piano  Battaglia”  plateau  (1.700 metres),  a  well-known  area which name derives from a battle which took place here in the 11th century between the Arabs and Normans.Take  a  large  circular  tour  around  the  picturesque  Monte  Ferro (1.900  metres)  before  walking  down  to  a  one-of-a-kind agriturismo (farm) where you will spend the night.

Challenge: 5 hours, 13 km / 8 mi, 600m ascent, 450m descent

Bid adieu to the lovely Madonie Mountains an descend to the hills around Castelbuono. A short and easy descent brings you to Agriturismo Bergi. Here you can spend the afternoon relaxing into the village of Castelbuono. Do not miss a visit to the nearby medieval village of Castebuono. Stroll along ancient narrow streets and squares for a true taste of small-town Sicily. 

Challenge: 5 hours, 13 km / 8 mi, 206m ascent, 635m descent

After breakfast, a short transfer takes you to the bus stop in Castelbuono where you board the bus with your luggage to Cefalù. Check in at your hotel and explore the town’s breathtaking Norman Cathedral and awe-inspiring Byzantine mosaics. Climb the ancient fortifications of the Rocca or go for a refreshing swim on the long sandy beach in front of the hotel. To end this fabulous walking trip celebrate with a delicious dinner in one of Cefalù’s many fine fish restaurants. 

Challenge: 1.5 hours, 3 km / 3 mi, 207m ascent, 203m descent

The tour ends after breakfast, unless you have booked extra services with us. To get to the airport you can go either by train or taxi.