Frequently Asked Questions

What is the excursions’ starting time?

Departure from the meeting point is at 9 am or 9.30 am, depending on the experience.
Hiking excursions preferably take place in the morning for many practical reasons, including local weather trends. By arriving early on the trails we have more opportunities to enjoy nature with no other people around and see some animals.
However, if you need an earlier or later time, please contact us to check how we can arrange it.

Where is the meeting place?

It depends on the excursion. For hikes near Castelbuono, you will meet the guide in town. From there, you will then follow him/her with your car until the departure point of the trail which is higher in altitude.
For other excursions, you will meet the guide directly at the starting point of the experience.
In any case, our meeting places are easy to reach and identify (eg: crossroads) and you will always receive Google map directions when you book.

Does the guide speak foreign languages?

Yes! This is one of the things that make our guiding services so unique: our nature guides Laetitia and Mario both speak English, Italian, French and Spanish. Laetitia also speaks a bit of German.

What if I don’t have hiking shoes?

Don’t worry! We can lend you hiking shoes in the limit of the available stock and this is included in the price.
Proper hiking shoes are only compulsory for some of our experiences, such like the Full-day hike, Pizzo Carbonara or multiday treks.
For Half-day hikes like Piano Pomo’s giant hollies or the Caves’ hike, hiking shoes are always better, but good sport shoes are OK. Good sport shoes means real sport shoes (no streetwear) with a good grip. If you have any doubt, contact us or don’t hesitate to ask for shoes rental in the booking form.

What is included in the price?

For all our guided experiences, the price includes:
– Guiding from a qualified multilingual nature guide
Our guides are members of AIGAE (Associazione Italiana Guide Ambientali Escursionistiche) the main nature guides’ association in Italy
– Snack with local products. We always bring some of the best local biscuits to refuel during the excursion
– Reduced entry fee if you visit the Castle and the Naturalist museum in Castelbuono

For hiking excursions, the price also includes hiking equipment rental in the limit of the available stock, in particular hiking shoes and poles.

Are the hikes difficult?

Well, this depends… on you! Our hikes are OK for people in good health and used to practice physical activity on a regular basis. If you are used to walk, but not on irregular mountain trails with ups and downs, don’t overestimate your capacity and choose an excursion you’re sure to complete without difficulty. If you have any health concern (heart, articulations, backache, etc.) please check with us what is the best tour for you.

Do I need a car?

Yes*. Our services don’t include transportation and none of the trails where the excursions take place is reachable by public transport.
However, we might be able to organize transport for some excursions, so if you don’t have a car, please contact us.

* except for the 3-day self-guided trek

Why is it better to hike in the Madonie with a guide (or with one of our self-guided solutions)?

Well, first because the Madonie Park is full of natural treasures that you will never see or understand if you’re just on your own. It would really be a pity hiking in a UNESCO Geopark, which is also one of the richest places in all the Mediterranean regarding biodiversity, and not be able to catch all this beauty.
You won’t easily find useful practical info on the spot and you might be disappointed when you realize that you can’t enjoy what really makes the Madonie so unique.

Now let’s talk about trails… In many countries in Europe, you can easily hike on your own as the trails are signposted and maintained, and maps are reliable. Well, don’t expect the same here. The Madonie Park official map is at 1:50,000 scale, which is way too incurate to be used for hiking purposes in a mountain area with cliffs and gorges, where few trails are signposted and many are not maintained… to the point that they are not visible anymore.
What about GSP apps and tracks available online? Always try to understand if the data are recent and if the itinerary follows a real, visible and reasonably maintained trail. Avoid at any cost off track adventures: the fact that one crazy guy did it doesn’t mean that you should!
Don’t want to worry about where to go? Hike with us! Our experienced nature guides have selected for you the best itineraries in the Madonie area.
In addition to guided excursions, we have developed self-guided experiences to offer you the opportunity to hike on your own enjoying the local natural wonders in the safest way. Our self-guided experiences include gpx tracks to use on your smartphone GPS app with directions and plenty of interesting information about all the amazing things to admire along the trail.

Where to stay before the hike?

We recommend you stay near where the hike will take place, so that you don’t need to travel too much in the morning before. Staying in Castelbuono is the best option for most of the experiences as they usually take place in the area.

If you choose to stay more in the hinterland, bear in mind that roads in the area are quite curvy and that google map itineraries and timetables are not always realistic. If you have any doubt, just check with us.