Arrival at the Airport and transfer to Petralia.
On your first day, you could spend your time exploring historic Petralia Sottana and its sister city of Petralia Soprana, the second highest city in Sicily. Both have a maze of narrow streets with small shops and many small churches. The two villages can be visited as part of a walk that also explores the lower slopes of the Madonie Park, following panoramic lanes and grassy paths.
A more challenging option is to go up the slopes of Pizzo di Covo to reach a plateau between the peaks of Cozzo Ipsi, Pizzo di Catarineci and Pizzo di Covo. Your efforts will be rewarded with stunning panoramic views of Etna to the east and the Madonie Mountains to the west. The return to Petralia Sottana is initially steep but soon becomes a long and gentle descent.
A mix of countryside paths and woodland tracks ascends gently north from Petralia Sottana before swinging west to reach a remote and peaceful upland known as Portella di Mele, in the heart of the Madonie National Park. You rise to the top of a ridge, finishing with a descent to your destination.
Today you will go to the discovery of the Abies Nebrodensis, Sicilian endemic species on the verge of extinction. The 30 specimen grow at an altitude between 1400 mt and 1650 mt over the sea level in the territory of Polizzi Generosa. The path starts from a large, beaten road inside the pine wood opening to a view over the Monte Quacella, 1896 mt above the sea level. From here, take a smaller path taking to the majestic trees.
Morning transfer to the starting point of the path that will take you in the heart of the Madonie, to the discovery of the giant hollies. This naturalistic area is one of the most interesting of Sicily thanks to the presence of more then 200 plants of giant hollies. Here the plant grows 15 mt of height. Deep in the woods, there are plants of olm oaks which, due to strong winds and goats’ bites, are shaped like cones.
Today have a break and visit the town of Castelbuono, its small roads, its castle and the fountain of Venus. After lunch transfer to Cefalù, charming fisherman village with a marvellous cathedral, pearl of the Arab Norman itinerary of the Unesco.
The path unties through a vegetation characterised by white asphodel, ferula, asparagus, leone’s mouth, wild carnation and cabbage rock. The sheer cliffs are colonized by bush of capers, euphorbia and the typical prictly pear. The kestrel supervises the vegetation with its “holy spirit”, a typical flight for the identification of preys. Do not miss visiting the cathedral of Cefalù (Unesco heritage).
After breakfast, departure and end of our services
