Madonie and Natural Reserves
Madonie Regional Natural Park
The undisputed star of the Madonie Regional Natural Park is the flora. A botanical paradise with peaks reaching 1,979 metres above sea level, it is home to more than half of the 2,600 species found in Sicily and to approximately 150 of the 200 species found uniquely in this area (endemics). The most famous is the Abies Nebrodensis, and here there are 29 of these fir trees of only about 50 existing in the entire world.
The fauna present here includes 65% of the nesting birds and all the mammals present in Sicily. The area’s geology and landscape are also very important. From several vantage points it is possible to observe extraordinary views of landscapes as far away as Mount Etna, the Nebrodi Mountains and the Aeolian Islands.
Every detail is painted on the canvas of Nature: the sunrises and sunsets are tinged with such beautiful colours that at times they take on an almost unreal appearance.
The Madonie Regional Park can be reached by car from Villa Dafne in about 20 minutes.
Natural Reserves and Parks
Villa Dafne is an excellent starting point for discovering the Sicani Mountains Natural Reserve: a particularly interesting nature site and town inhabited as early as the eighth century BC by the Sicani (an ancient Sicilian people), who were pushed into these areas by the increasing Hellenization of the island.
The reserve is full of lakes, including Lake Prizzi and its lush oak forest, Lake Pian del Leone, a resting place for migratory birds, and Lake Fanaco, popular with various animal species, especially migratory waterfowl (anatids).
A destination not to be overlooked by nature lovers is surely the Mount Carcaci Natural Reserve: a green oasis renowned for its endemic plants and various rare species of falcons.
Villa Dafne is in the heart of the Sicani Mountains Natural Reserve: your holiday will be an opportunity to rediscover nature, perhaps by organising long walks or excursions on horseback.
