San Mauro Castelverde between the Madonie and Nebrodi

San Mauro Castelverde lies at an altitude of over 1,000 metres between the Madonie and the Nebrodi. The town combines mountain landscapes, historical sites and access to the sea with views over the surrounding area. This makes it a destination where hiking, nature experiences, churches, crafts and regional culinary culture are closely connected, providing an ideal basis for planning your trip.

Hiking between the town centre and the mountain landscape

San Mauro's network of trails comprises 16 routes with a total length of approximately 180 kilometres. One route starts at the former Capuchin monastery, passes through the historic centre and runs through the forest behind the municipal cemetery towards Colle Calandra. The route from Portella Ciambra to Timpa del Grillo climbs to 1,345 metres; Timpa del Grillo is the highest point in the area of San Mauro Castelverde.

For families, a route starting from Piano San Mauro is particularly interesting, as it is considered very easy and can be completed on foot, by mountain bike or e-bike, or with a Joelette. A longer hike also starts here: the Sentiero dei briganti siciliani begins in San Mauro Castelverde in the Parco delle Madonie, passes through Gangi and ends after approximately 100 kilometres in five days, with four overnight stays, in Cesarò in the Parco dei Nebrodi.

The Gole di Tiberio and the Pollina River

The Gole di Tiberio are a river karst gorge carved into limestone by the Pollina River. The limestone rocks formed in the Upper Triassic more than 200 million years ago; the uplift and formation of the gorge began approximately 23 million years ago during the Miocene. The area is designated as a UNESCO-recognised geopark area and lies along the Pollina River between San Mauro Castelverde and Castelbuono within the Parco delle Madonie.

From the Castelbuono or Tusa exits of the A20, you can reach the gorge via the SP 52 and SP 60. A staircase with approximately 400 steps then leads down. During the excursions organised in spring and summer, activities include crossing the gorge in an inflatable boat, walking along the Pollina and, depending on the season, making a detour to small gorges or travelling upstream to bathing pools.

Churches, castle and local history

The Church of San Mauro Abate was built in 1620 over three older churches. Its bell tower has a polychrome majolica spire with half-overlapping spheres. The Church of San Giorgio Martire preserves an Arab-Norman portal and an Arab-Norman-style bell tower. Further Arab-Norman columns were uncovered during restoration work in 2014.

The Castello di San Mauro Castelverde, referred to as Castrum Sancti Mauri, is considered an ancient fortified centre in the Val Demone at an altitude of approximately 1,100 metres. It probably originated in the Byzantine period, while place names point to a presence during the Arab era. Under Norman rule, the Castello belonged to the Diocese of Troina in 1082 as a donation from Count Roger. In 1196, the Countess of Geraci, Guerrera Creon, had work carried out there; the two associated towers on the hills of Colle Maddalena and Colle San Marco may possibly be attributable to her.

Crafts and the flavours of the Madonie

The Museo Etnoantropologico features rooms dedicated to agriculture, shoemaking, woodworking, blacksmithing, weaving, grape harvesting and rural life. The interactive Antiche Botteghe map leads through the historic streets of San Mauro Castelverde to old craft shops and conveys stories about local occupations, knowledge and people.

The Banca dell’Olio delle Madonie is housed in renovated underground rooms of the former Badia and features a permanent exhibition on extra virgin olive oil. A multisensory tour combines technical explanations with guided tastings of oils from local producers. Zipline Sicilia also offers people with motor disabilities a seated launch using a seat harness.

Discover more destinations

For further trip planning, you can also view Finale, Giardinello, Casteldaccia, Aspra, Torretta, Lascari, Marineo and Cinisi.

To the overarching travel overview: Palermo.