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Madonie trails

In the Madonie you can walk from the Rocca di Cefalù, high above the sea, up to the 1,979 metres of Pizzo Carbonara, the second highest peak in Sicily after Etna. Each trail page gives you the CAI grade, approximate distance and time, where to start, which season to go and the weather at the trailhead.

Easy walk
Easy: short, on roads and clear paths
Hiking trail
Hiking: marked trails, you need a steady step
For experienced hikers
Experienced: steep slopes, scree, path sometimes faint

20 trails

List of trails

How do you choose the right trail?

Look at the grade first. We use the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) scale:

  • T, tourist: short routes on roads and clear paths, suitable for everyone.
  • E, hiking: waymarked trails, sometimes steep or stony. You need a steady step.
  • EE, for expert hikers: steep slopes, scree, stretches where the path fades. You need experience.

Then look at distance and time. We calculate them from the track and round them, without stops. If a route is one way only, the page says so: add the return.

Almost all the high-level hikes start from three points you can reach by car.

Lower down there are the Castelbuono woods, the Gole di Tiberio cut by the Pollina river and the Rocca di Cefalù, a short walk from the sea.

To see the trailheads on a map, use the Map view of the list or the Madonie map.

When should you go?

Between April and June and between September and November. In summer walk early in the morning: even up high the sun is strong and springs are few.

In winter the high plains above 1,500 metres can be under snow. Before you leave, check the Piano Battaglia weather and the guide to snowshoeing in the Madonie.

What do you check before you leave?

The weather at the trailhead (it is on every trail page), the state of the roads on the roads page and your gear. The basic rules are in the article on mountain safety.

After the hike, head down to a village: every trail page links the nearby villages, with where to stay and where to eat.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest trail in the Madonie?
Among our trail pages the easiest is the climb to the Rocca di Cefalù and the Temple of Diana, graded T (tourist): it starts in the town centre, follows a clear path and ends with a view over the cathedral and the sea. The Gole di Tiberio also have little climbing and children love them.
How hard is the climb to Pizzo Carbonara?
The loop from Piano Battaglia is graded E (hiking): you need a steady step and some fitness, not climbing skills. On the karst plateau at the top, fog rises quickly and landmarks disappear. In winter, with snow, you need snowshoes or crampons and experience.
Where can I find the GPX track of a trail?
Tracks and technical data (elevation gain, altitudes, waymarks) are on sentierisiciliani.it, the portal of Sicilian trails: each of our trail pages links to the right page when one exists. We give rounded distance and time, the trailhead and practical advice.
When is the best time to hike in the Madonie?
Spring and autumn are the easiest seasons: mild temperatures, flowers between April and June, copper-coloured beech woods in October and November. In summer it stays cool up high, but start early and carry plenty of water. In winter there can be snow above 1,500 metres.
Which number do I call in a mountain emergency?
112, the single European emergency number: it puts the call through to mountain rescue, ambulance and police. Before you set off, tell someone your route and when you expect to be back, and check the weather at the trailhead on the trail page.

Sources

Page updated on 19 October 2026