Trail 601, from Gratteri to Isnello below Pizzo Dipilo

CAI trail 601 links Gratteri to Isnello below Pizzo Dipilo: about 9 km and 3 hours 30 minutes of walking without stops. You start in the pine wood of the Grotta Grattara, climb above 1,100 metres at the foot of the mountain and descend into the Isnello oak wood. It is a hiking trail, at its best in spring and autumn.

It is a traverse from one village to another: think about how to get back first.

Why walk the 601

To join on foot two Madonie villages that seem far apart by car. And for the Grotta Grattara, which in Gratteri is a piece of folklore: according to the legend recorded by the Park it was the home of the Befana, the vecchia strina, who on the last night of the year came down the chimneys to fill the children’s stockings.

What you see along the way

The trail starts from the green park of the Grotta Grattara, right by the village, and climbs gently through the pines. The cave lies at the very foot of Pizzo Dipilo.

The Park describes it as a large cavity with a boulder in the centre hollowed out by dripping water. On the outer ledges, where holm oak and wild pistachio grow, thousands of swallows nest. In winter sheep shelter here from the north wind.

Past the cave, an open stretch runs along the base of Pizzo Dipilo, 1,385 metres: grey rock, limestone and dolomite, with clear karst features. The Cefalù Madonie tourist district mentions the Grotta dei Panni, at 1,190 metres, and the Grotta dell’Appesa, at 900. In spring the rocks are covered in narcissus and spurge.

The last stretch enters the Isnello oak wood, one of the largest and best preserved forests in the area: downy oaks, holm oaks and a few old cork oaks. Then the descent to the village.

Who it is for

The 601 is graded E. It suits people who walk regularly: a steady climb, a long descent, no exposed passages.

With children you can walk just the first part, to the Grotta Grattara, and turn back. The caves of Pizzo Dipilo are to be looked at from outside: the Park rules forbid entering natural caves not signposted as open to visitors.

When to go

Spring for the flowers, autumn for the colours of the oak wood. The trail stays below 1,200 metres, so it also works on clear winter days. In summer it is hot: start at dawn. Check the weather in Gratteri and in Isnello.

How to organise start and return

Leave one car in Isnello and drive up to Gratteri in another, or get someone to drop you at the start. For the state of the provincial roads see the page on Madonie roads.

Where to sleep and eat

In Gratteri: where to stay in Gratteri and where to eat in Gratteri. In Isnello: where to stay in Isnello and where to eat in Isnello.

Gratteri has an August full of festivals: the Vastedda Fritta Festival around mid-August and the Early Music Festival in the last week of the month. In September there is the feast of San Giacomo. In Isnello, at the end of April, the feast of the Santissimo Crocifisso.

Tips

• Carry all your water: there are no reliable fountains between the two villages.
• Do not look for shortcuts to the summit of Pizzo Dipilo: the district describes it as a difficult outing, with no marked access.
• No fires and no litter: in summer the pine wood is at risk of fire.

The village pages tell you the rest: Gratteri and Isnello.