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The Nebrodi Mountains are a part of the Sicilian Appennines, which cover approximately 70 km of the island’s north coast. The area is renowned for its diverse vegetation, waterways and lakes that all play their part in the complex ecological balance of the area. There are lots of lakes, amongst them Lago Biviere, Lago Cesaró and Lago Tréarie. Other places of interest include the Crasto cliffs, the Mistretta forests, the Monti Pomiere mountains, San Fratello and Mangalaviti.
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If you take a long walk, you can get a good impression of the contrasting nature of the Sicilian landscape, which is at times rugged and desolate. Fertile forests give way to deserted clearings, which often afford great views of the sea. Carlos Vinci, director of the Pescaturismo Mare d'Amare in Borgo San Gregorio, arranges trips to the lakes Lago Maulazzo (1400 metres above sea level) and Lago Biviere (1276 metres above sea level).
The daytrip starts at the little restaurant ’La Petrusa’, which is just outside Longi, on the way to the entrance of the park where you leave your car. ’La Petrusa’ is run by Antonino and his family. You are sure to get a good breakfast here and if you’re lucky, you’ll be served freshly made ricotta or biscuits with almond syrup. Yes, this is how a typical day starts in this part of the world.
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Following this, you drive out to the car park, where you leave your car and begin the walk to the lakes. Carlos drives up to the lakes in his jeep just in case anyone should need transporting home again! The walk takes you firstly through a dense forest. After the forest, you can begin to see the Crasto cliffs on the right with the blue sea in the background. The landscape here is either forest or open meadows. It is quite normal to meet cows and pigs wandering freely around. A few kilometres further on you come to Lago Maulazzo with its deep blue water and lovely forest.
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Having passed Lago Maulazzo, you come to a peak from where you can see Lago Biviere and the Crasto cliffs, Rocche del Crasto, in their full glory. When you arrive at Lago Biviere we can recommend hopping over the fence and taking a walk along the shore until you can see Etna’s steaming crater on the one side, and the sea and the Crasto cliffs on the other. This is a unique experience, which has been known to increase the appetite. The hungriest amongst the day-trippers often then elect to drive with Carlos in his jeep back to ’La Petrusa’ whilst the more patient choose to walk back to the car park.
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At ’La Petrusa’ your exertions are rewarded with traditional mountain fare – meaning no fish. After the great starters, there is always a homemade pasta dish which dear mamma has been slaving over all morning. Then there is a meat dish – Antonino’s own stock – and finally fruit, cake and lots of homemade limoncello, the local lemon liqueur.
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