Madonie Regional Park

The Madonie rise to nearly two thousand metres a short distance from the coast and hold about half of Sicily's plant species in a small area. Among them is the Nebrodi fir, Abies nebrodensis, which was believed extinct until a small stand was found in the 1950s; around thirty mature wild trees survive in a single valley, making it one of the rarest conifers in the world, and a propagation programme has been running for decades. Mountain towns including Petralia Soprana, Castelbuono and Polizzi Generosa sit on the slopes, and manna, a sweet sap tapped from ash trees, is still harvested in the range.

History

The regional park was created on 9 November 1989 and covers 161.76 square kilometres between Palermo and Cefalù, across fifteen municipalities; its rocks span more than 200 million years and show nearly every aspect of the geology of Sicily (Wikipedia, Madonie Regional Natural Park).

What you'll find

• The Nebrodi fir - about thirty wild trees of one of the world's rarest conifers.
• The mountain towns - Petralia, Castelbuono and Polizzi on the slopes.
• The manna harvest - sweet sap tapped from cultivated ash trees.
• The limestone peaks - summits near two thousand metres above the coast.

When to go

May to October for walking; snow falls on the tops in winter and small ski facilities operate. Manna is tapped in high summer. Autumn brings mushroom and chestnut festivals.

What to expect

The fir stand is in a restricted valley and not freely visited. Public transport into the range is minimal. Trail signage is inconsistent.

Nearby

Cefalù lies on the coast; the Nebrodi range runs east.

Key facts