From the docks of Capo d’Orlando, the gaze meets the sea. But just turn south to find a completely different landscape: that of the Nebrodi Mountains, the green ridge that crosses northern Sicily, dominated by Monte Soro (1,817 meters), its highest peak. A territory of woods, small lakes and villages suspended in time, a few kilometers from the port, where nature dominates and traditions still retain their original form.
From the coast to the hinterland
In less than an hour from the marina you can reach the Nebrodi Park, the largest protected area on the island. The road climbs between olive and hazelnut trees, until you discover a surprising mountain landscape: beech forests, pastures and streams that draw the geography of a different, quieter and more intimate Sicily. From Sant’Agata di Militello to Caronia, from Cesarò to San Fratello, each village is a stop that tells a story, a flavor, a point of view of the sea that always remains on the horizon.
Places not to be missed
Lake Maulazzo (about 70 km from the port) and Lake Biviere di Cesarò (about 48 km) reflect the clouds and the tops of centuries-old beech trees, creating almost Nordic scenery in the heart of the Mediterranean. In Montalbano Elicona (about 54 km), one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, medieval stone meets the wind from the heights; a little further west, the Malabotta Forest (about 46 km) is a natural sanctuary where oaks and hollies over five hundred years old grow. Also not to be missed are San Marco d’Alunzio (about 24 km), perched on a ridge with views that embrace the sea and mountains, Floresta (about 35 km), the highest municipality in Sicily, surrounded by unspoiled rural landscapes, and Galati Mamertino (about 30 km), from which you can reach the Catafurco Waterfalls, one of the most fascinating natural wonders of the Nebrodi.
Nature, taste, authenticity
The Nebrodi can be discovered slowly: on foot, by mountain bike or along the scenic routes that connect the upper villages. Along the way you will come across farmhouses and refuges where time passes slowly and the products have the flavor of the past: black pig cured meats, mountain cheeses, honey, oil, ancient grain bread.