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View of Randazzo near Nebrodi

The Nebrodi Region park is a natural area placed in the south of Italy. This is between Messina and Catania. This park is rich of forests, the most known is the "Bosco di Malabotta". The park is not easily accessible so it's advised to use a four-wheel drive car and take a good map.

The Nebrodi run along the north-east of Sicily. With the Madonie and the Peloritani, they form the Sicilian Apennines.

The mountains run from the Peloritani on the eastern part of the island to the foothill of the Madonie mountains to the west, facing the Tyrrhenian Sea on the north. Mount Etna, from which it is separated by the rivers Alcantara and Simeto, forms the range's southern border. The highest peak is the Monte Soro (1,817 m). The range mostly made up of sandstone and clay rocks, but include also limestone landscapes, like the Rocche del Crasto. Towns that are placed in the mountains include Troina, Nicosia, Mistretta and many other towns Messina.

The extensive Nebrodi region (a protected reserve) is larger than the Madonie, making up in expanse and forests what it lacks in height. Like the Peloritans, the Nebrodi form part of a "continental divide," a continuation of the Apennines, which extends from the Alps along the Italian Peninsula across the Mediterranean into Tunisia, bordering the volcanic foothills of towering Mount Etna --itself a geological afterthought.

In effect, the Apennines divide the Meditarranean in half along a north-to-south axis. The presence of the Nebrodi makes most streams in central Sicily flow southward and (generally) eastward. Historically, the Nebrodi formed a Greek, Roman and Norman gateway to western Sicily. They may have arrived by sea, but the land itself had to be conquered, and this was rarely an easy task. In 1943, American and German troops contended bloodily for control of points in the Nebrodi as the latter retreated toward the Strait of Messina.

In the summer months we suggest you to do an excursion trough the lake's path and visit the Biviere Lake, the trearie lake and the Gurrida lake. You can also do wonderful horseback riding tours on the "Cavallo di San fratello" horse of Saint Fratello, an endemic horse race that lives free, only in these territories (It's considered the most ancient equine of Europe).Suggested excursions in the Nebrodi:

• Randazzo -Santa Maria Del Bosco – Sorgente Dell’ Alcantara - Monte Colla
• Floresta – Sorgenti Dell’ Alcantara - Randazzo
• Lago tre Arie
• Floresta - Lago Pisciotto - Lago tre Arie - Monte Colla
• Zarbata - Monte Colla – Sorgente Alcantara – Santa Maria Del Bosco - Randazzo
• Lago Pisciotto
• Portella Femmina Morta – Lago Maulazzo
• Flascio – Acqua Santa
• Portella Calacudera – Lago Maulazzo – Lago Biviere
• Portella Femmina Morta – Monte Soro – Lago Biviere – Lago Maulazzo

Read more:

• Nonprofit blog dedicated to sicily tours
• Nebrodi Mounts in Sicily online Magazine
• Nebrodi from Wikipedia
• Useful info to Visit the Nebrodi Mounts - Sicily Bike Tours
• Best Hiking Trails in Sicily