The giant holly trees of Madonie
Piano Pomo above Castelbuono, Parco delle Madonie
Distance from the villa: 49 km · 57 min by car
On the Piano Pomo plateau grows a grove of centuries-old giant holly trees. Some are over 400 years old, reach fifteen metres in height, and their crowns span up to four metres across, a European record for the species. Botanists call it a natural cathedral: you don't walk around the trees, you walk beneath an unbroken vault of crowns, in shade and cool even in the middle of August. By the meadow stands the Pagliaio, an old shepherd's shelter made of wood and reeds. On a clear day you can see both the Tyrrhenian Sea and Etna from the plateau.
One thing worth knowing in advance, so you don't end up looking on the wrong side of the map. The villa lies in Parco dei Nebrodi, the park that starts right behind the house. Madonie is the neighbouring range to the west, beyond Cefalù and Santo Stefano di Camastra. It isn't the park behind the house, it's a separate trip to the other side of the coast, which is exactly why a day in Madonie pairs well with Cefalù or lunch in Castelbuono.
By car you can only get as far as Piano Sempria, to the Rifugio Francesco Crispi mountain hut above Castelbuono. From there you continue on foot along the marked Sentiero Natura N1 trail. Reaching the holly trees themselves takes about an hour's walk one way; the full loop is roughly eight kilometres and takes three to three and a half hours.
Practical information
- Drive from the villa
- 49 km, about 57 minutes to the Piano Sempria car park. The mountain roads in Madonie are slow, the timing doesn't work like it does on a motorway. Castelbuono, as a town for the same day, is 57 km, about 63 minutes.
- Walking
- Marked trail Sentiero Natura N1, difficulty grade E, meaning a hiking trail. Full loop 8 km, 3 to 3.5 hours; a shorter version just to the holly trees and back takes about an hour and a half.
- Entry
- None, the park is freely accessible, and so is the parking by the hut.
- What to watch out for
- This isn't a roadside stop, it's a hike in the mountains at around 1,300 metres. You'll need hiking boots, not sandals or town trainers, water for the walk, and a windbreaker, since it tends to be cooler and windier up there than by the sea. Anyone arriving in flip-flops won't make it to the holly trees. Best from spring to autumn.