The regional Madonie Park, covers 40 000 hectares of natural woodland and mountains in the province of Palermo. The area is of direct interest for nearly 15 municipalities and has altitude ranging up to 2000m, reaching a high point of 1979m at Pizzo Carbonara. Thus the variety of landscapes and plant and animal wildlife is of great natural and scientific interest.
The mountain range is located between the valley of the river Pollina, to the east, and the valley of South Imera to the West. A strech of Tyrrhenian seashore to the north, between Campofelice and Roccella & Pollina, and the high plateau to the south complete its borders.

It is no exaggeration to qualify the madonite area as a botanical garden in the heart of the Meditteranean. It is also interestingly referred to as a crossroads between three continents.

In fact, over millions of years, this area has been favourable to the development of hundreds of native and exclusive species, as well as a survival ground for species native to other areas, as distant as Central and Northern Europe. The Madonie is home to over half of Sicily's species; a figure topping 2600.

The geological structure of the Madonie is also heterogeneous in many ways: structure, breadth, height, hydrological structure, exposure and climate. Thus its landscapes are varied and stunning, going from the snow caps on the Carbonara, second only to the Etna in Sicily, to the wonderful coastline of Cefalù.

The central part of the chain features an extended high plateau which connect its major peaks. This plateau appears devoid of bodies of water. However, this is due to the the presence of numerous caves and grottoes where water can pursue its course without having to see the light of day. Thus providing additional paths to track... underground