8 Best Things to Do in the Madonie Mountains in Sicily

The Madonie Mountains (AKA The Madonie Natural Park or Parco delle Madonie) is a stunning natural space in the north of Sicily. Boasting incredible limestone landscapes, rare plants, ancient trees, and wild animals, the area has much natural beauty to see and explore. Below, we’ll review the best things to do and see in the Madonie Mountains. By reading this blog post, you’ll know exactly where to visit and what to see in the area, to help you plan your itinerary if you’re visiting independently on a day trip – that’s exactly what Beck and I did!

1. Pizzo Carbonara

Pizzo Carbonara is not only the highest mountain in the Madonie Natural Park – it’s the highest non-volcanic summit in Sicily. After Mount Etna, Pizzo Carbonara is the island’s second highest peak. If you’re a keen walker, you’ll definitely want to add the Pizzo Carbonara hike to your Madonie Mountains adventure.

Read more: Pizzo Carbonara – Hiking the Second Highest Mountain in Sicily

2. The Battaglietta Sinkhole

Located near Piano Battaglia, you’ll find the Battaglietta Sinkhole. It’s an amazing karstic sinkhole, which forms a small cave, where the surface water flow disappears. If you plan on doing the Pizzo Carbonara circuit route, you easily extend your walk to include visiting this impressive natural attraction. You can find more details in our Pizzo Carbonara blog post.

3. Quacella Amphitheatre

The Quacella Amphitheatre (AKA the Anfiteatro di Quacella) is an unsung hero of the Madonie Mountains. The impressive concave slope has been dramatically carved into the underlying dolomite rock. To visit this amazing jagged edge rocky landscape, simply park here, cross the road, and follow the trail leading towards the mountains. Soon enough, the trail leads to an open expanse featuring beautiful wildflowers, where you can enjoy views of the Quacella Amphitheatre.

4. Laghetto Mandria Del Conte

Laghetto Mandira Del Conte is hands-down one of the prettiest attractions in the Madonie Mountains. Hidden along the roadside, near Piano Zucchi, the artificial lake casts a majestic reflection of its natural surroundings. Best of all, the lake is easy to reach. Simply park here, briefly walk south along the road, and you’ll find a trail leading to and around the lake.

5. Piano Cervi

Piano Cervi would have to be the best picnic spot in the Madonie Mountains. Starting from Portella Colla, you can follow a serene forest trail (561 – Sentiero Portella Colla Case Disiceddi) to Piano Cervi, which is a grassy basin plain, where you can spot roaming deer.

6. The King’s Eagle Path

From Piano Farina, you can enjoy a lovely walk, that offers some of the most breathtaking views of the Madonie Mountains. One of the routes you can take is called The King’s Eagle Path. The trail leads you to a birdwatching hut, where it’s possible to see Golden Eagles. Beck and I didn’t spot any on the day. Yet, we still enjoyed doing this walk and visiting this area for its immense beauty.

7. Piano Zucchi

Driving into the Madonie Mountains from the north coast of Sicily, Piano Zucchi is one of the first places you’ll pass. Featuring plenty of roadside parking, this is a great place to stop for a short walk and soak up lovely views of the surrounding landscape. There is a play area as well as a small church in the area. On the weekends, you’ll likely see families picnicking at Piano Zucchi.

8. Grotta Grattara

Grotta Grattara is one of the most impressive caves in the Madonie Mountains. Located near the village of Gratteri, the limestone cave is an excellent example of karst stone, which was eroded and carved by water many years ago. It’s possible to do a walk from Gratteri, visiting the cave as well as the Abbey of San Giorgio. When Beck and I visited in the off-season in April, unfortunately, the trail leading to the cave was inaccessible due to a locked gate. Fortunately, it’s possible to catch a glimpse of the cave from Gratteri.

Where Are the Madonie Mountains?

The Madonie Mountains are located in the north of Sicily, directly south of Cefalu and around approximately 70km east of Palermo. Feel free to use Google Maps to get your bearings.

How to Get to the Madonie Mountains

Unfortunately, the Madonie Mountains aren’t accessible by public transport. That means you’ll need to hire a car and drive there. Sure, there are some tour companies offering tours to the park, where transport is included. Personally, though, Beck and I explored the park independently and thoroughly enjoyed it. So, we recommend you do the same!

You’ll find car hire in Sicily is very reasonably priced. We’ve hired a car from Catania International Airport on numerous occasions and have found it fairly inexpensive each time.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Why Visit the Madonie Mountains

If you want to get off the beaten track in Sicily, you’ll want to visit the charming Madonie Natural Park. Indeed, visiting the Madonie Mountains isn’t a typical touristy thing to do. Escaping the densely populated and busy coastal areas of Sicily to explore the quiet and secluded mountains is a refreshing and enjoyable experience. If you enjoy mountain walks and spending time in nature, you’ll undoubtedly want to plan a visit here!

Where to Stay in the Madonie Mountains

You won’t find much in the way of accommodation in the Madonie Mountains. Admittedly, the few options available in the charming mountain towns tend to be very expensive.

If you plan on just day tripping to the area, we recommend staying nearby in the popular town of Cefalu or a surrounding town near Cefalu. We wanted to avoid the hustle and bustle of Cefalu. So, we stayed in a nearby town called Lascari, a tranquil and authentic Sicilian town. In Lascari, you’ll find a superb accommodation called Il Vittoria, which is a modern apartment, beautifully set in an architecturally charming and rustic Sicilian-style neighbourhood.

Bonus tip: if you’re staying in or near Cefalu, make sure to check out Cefalu Beach and walk up Rocca di Cefalu.