Nebrodi Park

The park is divided into four areas in which, according to the naturalistic interest, particular prohibitions and limitations operate, functional to the conservation and, therefore, to the enhancement of the resources that make up the heritage of the protected area.

Zone A

Zone A (integral reserve), extended for 24,546, includes the forest systems at the highest altitudes, the only Sicilian rate stations and some rocky outcrops.
Over 1200 meters above sea level, various beech woods are located, while at altitudes between 800 and 1200 meters, on the north-facing slopes, and between 1000 and 1400 meters, on the southern slopes, Turkey oak dominates.

Large areas for grazing open, also between beech and cerrete . It is important to highlight that the beech finds in the park the southernmost limit of its diffusion area. At lower altitudes (600-800 meters above sea level) there is the cork which, in particular in the territory of Caronia, forms associations of great ecological value.
Finally, the stations of the most important endemic species and the high altitude wetlands, as well as stretches of interesting watercourses, are included in zone A.

Zone B

Zone B (general reserve), extended for 46,879 hectares, includes the remaining woodlands and large areas for grazing, located on the edge of the woods.
There are also limited agricultural areas falling in areas characterized by high naturalistic and landscape value.

Zone C

Zone C (protection), extended for 569 hectares, includes nine areas, strategically distributed throughout the territory, in which activities aimed at achieving important park purposes are allowed, such as, for example, the construction of tourist-accommodation facilities and cultural .

Zone D

Zone D (control) is the preparation area extended to 13,593 hectares. It constitutes the outer belt of the protected area and allows the gradual passage in the areas with the highest naturalistic value.

Typical productions

The millenary civilization of the nebroidei peasants and shepherds is reflected in numerous artisanal productions. Embroidery of tablecloths and sheets made by hand, baskets and baskets of rush or cane, objects for agricultural use in wood or ferla, working of stone and wrought iron, realizations, with ancient looms, of colored mats and carpets (pizzare), production of valuable ceramics are the tangible signs of the industriousness and imagination of the Nebrodi people.

Food products find their maximum expression in dairy products: the sweet or spicy canestrato, the tasty pecorino , the fragrant provolone and the delicate ricotta are, still today, processed by the skilled hands of the shepherds. Also well known are the cured meats obtained with the meat of the Nebrodi black pig; the productions of olive oil, honey, hazelnuts, pistachio and berries are valuable; the preserves of tomatoes, mushrooms and aubergines are tasty; desserts are very popular (pasta reale, chiacchiere, ramette, crispelle, fried milk, giammelle, almond paste). The cuisine is sober and essential and reserves ancient flavors ( handmade macaroni, grilled mutton, roast kid ) to be enjoyed also in the characteristic refreshment rooms (barracche).

How to reach the Nebrodi Park

From the north side along the Messina - Palermo A20 motorway from which various important road arteries branch off such as the SS116 from Capo d'Orlando to Randazzo, the SS 289 from Sant'Agata di Militello to Cesarò, and the SS117 from Santo Stefano di Camastra to Nicosia, as well as various provincial and municipal roads. The park is accessible all year round with the common precautions in the periods of snow.

Points of tourist interest

Rocche del Crasto

It is a limestone massif of the Mesozoic era falling within the territory of the municipalities of Alcara Li Fusi and San Marco d'Alunzio . It represents a rare example of dolomite rocks in southern Italy . On its steep and inaccessible sides, the golden eagle and the griffon vulture nest.

Catafurco waterfall

It is a waterfall that forms at a height difference of about 30 m along the course of the S. Basilio stream , in the territory of the municipality of Galati Mamertino. At the base of the waterfall the waters gather in a natural cavity, dug into the rock, called the Marmitta dei Giganti, where, in the summer, it is possible to bathe.

Monte Soro

It is the highest peak of the Nebrodi, from which you can enjoy a vast and unforgettable panorama: to the north the Tyrrhenian coast and the Aeolian islands; to the east the Serra del Re and the Peloritani mountains; Etna to the south-east; to the south the Erei mountains and to the west the Madonie . It houses a monumental specimen of sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), 22 meters high and about 6 meters in circumference.

Biviere of Cesarò

It is a stretch of water of about 18 hectares, surrounded by a thick beech forest, falling within the territory of the municipality of Cesarò. It is the high altitude wetland of greatest naturalistic value in Sicily, a reference point for numerous colonies of water birds that stop there during their migrations.

Maullazzo lake

It is a small artificial lake of about 5 hectares falling in the municipality of Alcara Li Fusi, located on the slopes of Monte Soro, built around the 80s by the Forestry.

History of the Nebrodi Park

The Nebrodi, together with the Madonie to the west and the Peloritani to the east, constitute the Sicilian Apennines . They overlook, to the north, directly on the Tyrrhenian Sea, while their southern limit is marked by Etna, in particular by the Alcantara river and the high course of the Simeto.

Remarkable is the altimetric excursion, which from a few tens of meters above sea level reaches the maximum altitude of 1847 meters of Monte Soro other reliefs are the Serra del Re, Pizzo Fau and Serra Pignataro.

The main elements that most strongly characterize the natural landscape of the Nebrodi are the asymmetry of the various slopes, the diversity of modeling of the reliefs, the very rich vegetation and the humid environments.

An essential connotation of the orographic trend is the sweetness of the reliefs, due to the presence of extensive banks of clayey rocks and sandstones: the peaks, which reach the maximum altitude of 1847 asl with Monte Soro , have rounded sides and open into wide furrowed valleys from numerous rivers that flow into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

However, where limestone predominates, the landscape takes on Dolomite aspects, with irregular profiles and harsh and cracked shapes. This is the case of Monte San Fratello and, above all, of the Rocche del Crasto .