Culture
Castles of the Madonie: where they are and how to visit
The castles of the Madonie town by town: Castelbuono with its museum, the ruins of Geraci, Collesano, Caltavuturo, Isnello, Pollina and the Rocca di Cefalù.
Pollina · 664 m a.s.l.
Things to do in Pollina
Pollina gives you mountains and sea on the same day. In the morning go up to the village for the Maurolico tower, the Chiesa Madre with Antonello Gagini's Nativity and the Manna Museum, which also houses photographs by Letizia Battaglia. In the afternoon go down to Finale for a swim and for the terrace of the 1597 tower, from which you can see the Aeolian Islands on clear days. On summer evenings people go to the Teatro Pietra Rosa, carved into the rock above the sea, and at the end of July the lanes fill up with the Valdemone Festival. Between July and August you can watch the manna harvest in the ash groves. Close by are Castelbuono and the Gole di Tiberio.
For Pollina we have 17 guides and 3 itineraries.
What to see in town
- Teatro Pietra Rosa
- Maurolico tower
- Chiesa Madre dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo
- Manna Museum and Letizia Battaglia exhibition
- San Giuliano church
- Finale tower and Lungomare Marco Polo
- Beaches at Finale
Guides
Culture
Churches of the Madonie: Cefalù Cathedral and the Gagini
Churches to see in the Madonie: Cefalù's Norman cathedral, mother churches with Gagini marbles, the Last Judgement of Gangi, the Polizzi triptych, Gibilmanna.
Things to do
Climbing in the Madonie: Passo Scuro and other crags
Climbing in the Madonie: the Passo Scuro crag at Castelbuono, the CAI routes at Petralia Sottana, Collesano and Caltavuturo, courses, rules and safety.
Info
Getting around the Madonie: distances, roads and buses
Getting around the Madonie: driving distances and times between the 16 towns, the roads to know, the buses from Cefalù and how to manage without a car.
Nature
Gole di Tiberio, caves and waterfalls of the Madonie
Gole di Tiberio, Grotta Grattara, Abisso del Vento, Abisso del Gatto and Scopalacqua falls: where they are, how to visit and what is banned in the Madonie.
Things to do
Horse riding in the Madonie: bridle paths and riding centres
Horse rides and treks in the Madonie: the Park's bridle paths on the old royal drove roads, riding centres listed by the Park authority, seasons and rules.
Info
How to get to the Madonie: plane, train, bus and car
How to reach the Madonie from Palermo, Catania and the airports: trains to Cefalù, buses to Castelbuono and Gangi, motorways, with checked timetables.
Food
Madonie food festival calendar, season by season
Madonie food festival (sagre) calendar by season: usual periods, villages and what you eat, from Scillato oranges to Polizzi hazelnuts and mushrooms.
Food
Madonie manna: what it is, how it's made, where to buy it
Madonie manna is the sap of ash trees cut by hand around Castelbuono and Pollina: Slow Food Presidium, summer harvest, grades, uses and where to buy it.
Nature
Madonie Park: towns, protection zones, rules and what to see
Madonie Park (Parco delle Madonie): 39,679 hectares and 15 towns between Cefalù and the Petralias, founded in 1989. Zones, rules, sights and how to get there.
Nature
Madonie viewpoints: views of Etna and the Aeolian Islands
The best viewpoints in the Madonie: Pizzo Carbonara, Madonna dell'Alto, Monte San Salvatore, Pollina and the SP54 lookouts. Where to see Etna and the Aeolians.
Things to do
Mountain biking in the Madonie: forest roads and touring
MTB and e-bikes in the Madonie: where to ride around Piano Battaglia and Piano Zucchi, the CAI scale, the Ciclovia dei Parchi, bike hire and Park rules.
Culture
Museums of the Madonie: what to see town by town
Museums of the Madonie: the Mandralisca in Cefalù, the Museo Civico in Castelbuono castle, Minà Palumbo, the Targa Florio, salt sculptures and rural life.
Food
Olive oil and wine of the Madonie: PDO, wineries, mills
Madonie olive oil and wine: Val di Mazara PDO and Sicilia PGI oil, the Nebba olive of Scillato, the Contea di Sclafani DOC, a Castelbuono winery and festivals.
Things to do
The Madonie with kids: adventure parks, stars and snow
What to do in the Madonie with children: Parco Avventura Madonie, Pollina Adventure, GAL Hassin, picnic areas, easy trails and sledging, with 2026 prices.
Food
What to eat in the Madonie: typical dishes and produce
What to eat in the Madonie and in which town: cheese, badda beans, mushrooms, manna and desserts, a seasonal food calendar and which type of place to choose.
Info
When to go to the Madonie: season by season, month by month
When to visit the Madonie: spring and autumn for hiking, cool summers full of festivals, winter for snow. What to do in the Madonie month by month.
Itineraries through here
3 days
A Madonie road trip: 16 villages by car in 3 days
Madonie road trip: a 262 km loop from Cefalù in 3 days, 16 villages from the sea to the Petralias. Roads, distances, driving times, stops, where to stay.
7 days
A week in the Madonie: a 7-day itinerary
The Madonie in 7 days with 2 bases, Castelbuono and Petralia Sottana: 10 towns, Pizzo Carbonara, the Abies and the Gole di Tiberio. Stops, km, driving times.
2 days
A weekend in the Madonie: 2 days around Castelbuono
A weekend in the Madonie with one base, Castelbuono: the Piano Sempria woods, the Gole di Tiberio and Pollina. Distances, driving times, where to stay.
In nearby villages
Villages within 15 km of Pollina as the crow flies, nearest first:
- Things to do in Castelbuono 43 entries · 8.5 km
- Things to do in San Mauro Castelverde 15 entries · 9.6 km
- Things to do in Cefalù 29 entries · 12 km
- Things to do in Isnello 41 entries · 13 km
Frequently asked questions
- What is there to see in Pollina?
- What to see in the village: Teatro Pietra Rosa, Maurolico tower, Chiesa Madre dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Manna Museum and Letizia Battaglia exhibition and San Giuliano church. For Pollina we have 17 guides and 3 itineraries.
- What is there to do near Pollina?
- Within 15 km as the crow flies: Castelbuono (43 entries, 8.5 km), San Mauro Castelverde (15 entries, 9.6 km), Cefalù (29 entries, 12 km) and Isnello (41 entries, 13 km).