If you’ve chosen to spend a few days in Taormina or Cefalù, have a look at those two excursions within the Nebrodi Park.
These itineraries, also suitable for children, are unconventional and away from tourist crowds and packed beaches.
1. The watermill of Caronia
The Nebrodi National Park is the largest protected area in Sicily, and thanks to its numerous naturalistic itineraries, it offers families with children the chance to discover its extraordinary beauty and interesting paths. We will follow an itinerary of about 5 km (back and forth) that leads to the old Watermill of Caronia. You will visit the mill, which is run by the force of the water, and learn about the production process of the flour with the help of educational panels. To better understand the process, we will see the collection tank, the ramp, the millstones, and the blades.
This area of the park, set in a beautiful river gorge, offers stunning views of the valley. Here, in the summer season, it is possible to get down to the streambed and, in a short walking distance, discover the millenary erosive zone of the water torrent, where you can have a nice refreshing swim.
The path that leads to the mill is suitable for everyone and rich in interesting plant species, typical of the riverside habitat (tamarisk, oleander, willow), Mediterranean maquis (mastic, euphorbia, buckthorn, myrtle), and evergreen woods (cork, holm oak, downy oak).
Next to the mill, there is an area equipped with tables and benches where you can rest and have a picnic with the sound of water stream in the background.
When: all year round (bathing in the torrent in the summer months)
Difficulty: easy
Equipped area: Yes
2. Tassita Forest
A magical place, where it seems as if elves and sprites could appear in front of your eyes at any moment. In this unique naturalistic site in Sicily, you can observe yew trees, elegant conifers of the tertiary era, set in a fairy-tale landscape. Along the path immersed in the woods, we will admire monumental specimens of yew, maple, beech, undergrowth covered with mosses, and many other plants.
An itinerary of about 6 km and suitable for everyone will lead us to the Tassita forest.
Immersed in the thick beech wood, we will cross the thematic path of the coal, which used to be an important source of income for the local population until some decades ago. The path is very interesting both for children and adults, as it illustrates all the phases of coal preparation.
Once at the entrance of the Tassita, we will access the forest through a wooden staircase and walk inside a ring path of about 1 km. On the way back, we can choose to walk along a ridge with breathtaking views stretching from Etna to the Sicilian hinterland and the Iblei mountains, and from the coastal area to the Aeolian Islands.
When: from March to November
Difficulty: easy
Equipped area: No (available water sources)
