Facilities
The Park Facilities
Madonie Park can be easily reached by taking the highway Palermo - Catania, through the junctions Tre Monzelli, Scillato, and Bonfornello, or by taking the highway Palermo - Messina through the junctions of Cefalù (a well-known sea resort) and Castelbuono. It is possible to visit even the most hidden and charming places of the Park thanks to the several paths, forest trails, and country roads crossing it far and wide. The SS, SP, and SC roads are equipped with good signs favoring the tourists. The occasional tourist can find in the local private tour guides a useful instrument to discover the whole territory.
Private Hiking Guides
By clicking on the link below you can find the contact details of a private guide for hikings on the trails of the Madonie Park.
Private Hiking Guides
Zip Line
The Zip Line is located in the Madonie Park in San Mauro Castelverde, easily reached by car from the Palermo Messina state road 113 junction for San Mauro Castelverde and then continue to the built-up area, where it is well indicated at the former Capuchin Convent as the starting point. A 16 per cent different in height with speeds between 100 and 120 kilometres per hour, 1,650 metres suspended many tens of metres above the ground by the force of gravity alone. There are three flight modes: the first is the classic belly-down flight; then there is the option of sitting up, holding on to the pulley and, finally, there is also a safety system for persons with reduced mobility. Helmets and harnesses will be used and the flight will be secured to the pulley equipped with braking devices. The "flights" will start from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. during the summer season. However, its accessibility will depend on weather conditions. There will also be a shuttle service to take visitors to the starting point.
Fees
Ticket for single launch €.39,00
Ticet for launch in pairs €.70,00
Go Pro rental with Micro SD as a gift €.15,00
Eco sport
Speleology
There are numerous caves and caverns in the Madonie mountain area. Among these, the Abisso del Vento (the Abyss of the Wind) in Isnello stands out. It is 220 metres deep and consists of a vast network of shafts and galleries full of stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes and sizes, most of which are still unexplored.
Another destination for speleology enthusiasts is the Abisso del Gatto (The Abyss of the Cat) in the Cefalù area close to the Madonie plateau.
Nordic walking
Nordic walking is a walking technique, practised by means of poles.
The nordic walking technique is "simply" an integration of poles into normal, natural walking. The technique of using poles is similar to that of classic cross-country skiing (alternating step): the pole is placed onto the ground at the projection of the body's centre of gravity. This type of sports walking is becoming increasingly popular in the Madonie, thanks also to the work of the Madonie Adventure Park.
Skiing and Winter Sports
In the middle of the Madonie central massif, plunged into a natural environment of extraordinary value, the Battaglia plateau offers winter sports enthusiasts a wide range of possibilities, from cross-country skiing to snowboarding, from snowshoeing to Nordic combined.
Orienteering
The motto of this growing sport is: get your legs and brain moving. Orienteering is a sport that makes contact with nature its raison d'être.
Equipped with a compass and a topographical map, which shows the terrain in great detail, participants compete in assessing the shortest and most advantageous route to their final destination.
Trail
A wide territory, surrounded by untouched nature like the Madonie one is the ideal setting for the most classic and widespread of outdoor sports: running.
In addition to running on your own, you can also take part in two sporting events held every year in the Madonie: the Ecomarathon and the Ecotrail della Luna (Moon's Ecotrail).
Mountain bike
The Madonie mountains offer bikers and others unique experiences along the routes of a widespread and capillary network of mountain trails. As you ride along the trails, you will discover a different world from the one you are used to imagining. An atypical environment in a Sicily far removed from stereotypes where the colours of the mountains dominate unchallenged.
Madonie MTB Resort
Madonie Mountain Bike Resort is a long-term project undertaken by the Madonie Park Authority and the municipalities belonging to the park in collaboration with TriRide. The aim of the project is to turn one of the most beautiful mountain areas in Sicily into a true international-level bike resort, ideal for practising all MTB disciplines, from cross country to downhill, 365 days a year.
Free/Sport Climbing
Mountaineering, and in particular free climbing, is now an established reality in the panorama of sporting activities promoted by the Park Authority. In addition to the climbing cliff of the Scuro Pass, built in the Castelbuono area, there are other climbing routes in the Madonie area that offer not only the strong emotions of this discipline but also a breathtaking view. These include the climbing route of Balza di Sant'Otiero, in Petralia Sottana, that of Montedoro in Collesano and those built on the Rocca di Sciara overlooking Caltavuturo.
Horseback Riding
Horseback riding is one of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of the Madonie Natural Park.
On the back of these splendid creatures it is possible to penetrate the most beautiful and hidden corners of the Park. A visit on horseback allows you to cover even very long distances, which would be unthinkable on foot. This makes it possible to reach several strategic points in a single day, visiting some of the areas of greatest natural and environmental interest in the protected area in just a few hours. The view is also priceless, raised just enough to see what surrounds us and enjoy a horizon that, like a fan, opens up over the sky of Sicily.
Trekking
The Madonie's hiking heritage stretches over almost 300 km in 29 paths that lead from the edge of the park to the middle of the protected area. A real treasure to be discovered step by step, surrounded by colours and scents that magically change with the seasons. The paths in the Madonie mountains are the subject of intensive maintenance and upgrading work that will certainly make these splendid nature trails the pride of the park.
- Discovery Madonie
C.so Umberto I, 35 - 90013 Castelbuono (PA) Tel. 0921/676236 Mobile: 333/5452671 - 320/1464563 www.discoverymadonie.com - Madonie outdoor
Mobile: 339/7727584 (Giovanni) - 347/3237734 (Vincenzo) www.madonieoutdoor.it
Email: info@madonieoutdoor.it
