Natural parks in Sicily: fall…in love!

Autumn is a great season for those who want to visit Sicily. Natural parks around the island give you the opportunity to plunge into the colors of trees. Red and yellow leaves, chestnuts, long walks in the nature. Sicilian Secrets makes you fall…in love!

Do you love hiking? And what about relaxing days in the nature? If you are looking for something peculiar, visit Sicily in autumn and don’t miss the amazing natural parks that characterize the island. Not only sea & beaches, but also a lot of green and the mountains. Enjoy the vibes of this season, where? Follow us!

Madonie Regional Natural Park

Between Palermo and Cefalù, up in the mountains, you can explore one of the most important nature reserves in Sicily: welcome to the Madonie Regional Natural Park. More than 161 sqm and many small villages from the Middle Age. Castles, old churches and itineraries to discover the beauty of this area. If you love animals, you’ll be satisfied: deers, wildcats…and boars (so, pay attention!). You can walk in the wood and see the highest mountain of this park called Pizzo Carbonara: do you know that this is the second highest peak (1,979 meters) in Sicily?

Only Mount Etna is higher! Just an advice: the best way to climb it is from Piano Battaglia, carry a compass with you and avoid going up in winter…it could be dangerous. Once you get in this reserve, you can see something unique: the most southern beech forest in Europe at 1,500 meters and above. Moreover, be ready to bump into more than 70 species of orchid: flower power!

Curiosities!

The park includes fifteen towns of the province of Palermo. We have already talked about Cefalù but don’t miss even Castelbuono and Pollina. In addition to the wonders of these two villages, you can taste manna since in this part of Sicily a rare manna ash is still cultivated.

Nebrodi Regional Natural Park

One of the most important natural parks in Sicily is the Nebrodi Regional Natural Park. It includes the most important and largest woodland areas of the island and 24 municipalities are part of the protected area. The territory of Nebrodi Park offers the opportunity to carry out a number of hikes and enjoy some points of interest such as the so-called Casina di Pietratagliata, an elegant building, typical of the beginning of the XX century and surrounded by a Turkey oak wood.

Moreover, you can have a walk and discover the Biviere Lake, the most valuable high mountain wetland in Sicily. It’s very rich in flora and this characteristic influences the periodical variations of the water level. If you visit this lake in summer, don’t be scared if you see the water turning red: it happens because of the blooming of a micro algae called Euglena sanguinea…bloody!

Curiosities!

When you have the chance to be in one of the Sicilian natural parks, you have to taste typical food! And if you are exploring the Nebrodi Park, here is what you should try: the famous Nebrodi black pig, a small-size pork with a dark coat, very similar to the wild boar…delicious.