Giant holly trees hike

Why are the Madonie giant holly trees so special? It’s one of the many fascinating things you will discover together with our English-speaking nature guide during this excursion.

The hike will lead you to an area of the Madonie Park particularly rich in centuries-old monumental trees (oaks, holm oaks, beeches, maples and, indeed, hollies) and you will walk through very diverse landscapes. In just a few hours, you will experience a true immersion into the natural richness of the Madonie.

The main stop will be a wood of giant hollies. This extraordinary place is composed of more than 100 trees that reach nearly 20m high and are several centuries old: it is absolutely one of a kind. A few steps away, the pagliaio – a refuge built on the model of the traditional shepherds’ shelters – will welcome us for a tasty break with Castelbuono’s best biscuits.

Along the trail, we will stop to admire wonderful views over the Tyrrhenian coast and the mountains (as far as Mount Etna on clear days!). On our way, we will cross paths with some of the Madonie Mountains’ inhabitants (birds, fallow deer, butterflies, coleopters, etc.) and we will observe interesting plants, including rare endemic species. We will also go back in time through captivating stories of bandits, shepherds and charcoal burners.