Castelbuono, Sicily – The Madonie Mountains
So, why Castelbuono, Sicily? After we made the decision to explore beyond Palazzolo Acreide, I found a newly listed home for rent (with no reviews) in the Parco delle Madonie. With very limited knowledge of Northern Sicily, we followed our gut and took a chance.
Castelbuono, Sicily is a medieval town of less than 9000 people (similar to Palazzolo Acreide), and it’s tucked in the valley at the foot of the Madonie mountains.
The area has an abundance of opportunities for outdoor adventures, it’s rich in natural resources that are part of the slow food presidia (such as the rare ‘manna’ from the ash trees, and black bee honey), it has a thriving culinary scene (including a Michelin star restaurant) and it has continuous events throughout the year, such as the ‘Nick La Rocca Jazz festival’ and the ‘Pizza festival’ in nearby coastal town, Finale.
Within days of our arrival in Castelbuono, it was time to celebrate my birthday!
We took off on a road trip about an hour into the Madonie mountains to swing around in the trees at the Parco Avventura Madonie.
The adventure park is very inclusive with activities for all ages and skill levels, so it can be a fun outing as a family too.
We enjoyed testing our yoga skills on the obstacle courses, and flew through the skies on the ziplines.
Our dinner date came later during our motorcycle ride home through the hilltop town, Geraci Siculo.
As we searched for a place to eat, there were incredible panoramic views of the Madonie Mountains everywhere we looked.
It was no surprise to learn that Geraci Siculo made it on the list of ‘most beautiful villages in Italy’.
We stopped for pizza at Alla Vucciria Risto-Pub, a popular restaurant that had tables sprawling into the street (a ‘pedestrian-only’ area) to enjoy the warm summer night.
Despite the small size with less than 2000 residents, the locals in Geraci Siculo always found a way to make us feel special.
During our 2nd visit a couple of weeks later, we returned for an earlier dinner to take some photos at ‘the golden hour’. Except, NOTHING was open! (Italians love their late night dinners).
We managed to talk to, what seemed like, every man in town. Everyone ‘knew a guy’ who might be able to help. The final person we spoke to was Italian, although he was fluent in English since he lived in the United States for 42 years. Paul claims he was Joe Pesci or at least his doppelganger.
We never did find a restaurant that was open in town, but ‘Joe Pesci’ invited us into his home for dinner, if all else failed. So, that’s a win in my books.
With our bellies still empty, we made the 40 minute drive back through the mountains to Castelbuono to try our luck at a restaurant close to home.
We noticed Hostaria Cycas restaurant a few days prior when we were wandering around one day, so we stopped in for a visit. It’s tucked in a charming alley, which made it feel like a more intimate experience. Since we arrived just as they were opening, we had the restaurant all to ourselves.
Hostaria Cycas’ menu has a strong focus on the Kilometre Zero philosophy: they support local butchers/cheese suppliers, and they use seasonal ingredients whenever possible. Their large menu has typical Italian dishes and lots of pizza! One of the 4 key ingredients in their pizza dough is ‘Wise Love’, so I felt complete as we left this special place.
Hostaria Cycas is among the long list of delicious restaurants in Castelbuono, Sicily. After our adventure into the Madonie mountains, we were on a hunt for a relaxing lunch spot.
We stumbled on Do’House, a gastropub that specializes in cocktails, burgers and poke bowls. The poke bowls were so fresh and filling, and I love the creative names they have for their menu items.
They support local businesses with all of their meat and grains for their bread products coming straight from Castelbuono, and they have an extensive list of Sicilian beer. It’s open for lunch and dinner (minus siesta time), plus we were pleased to discover a restaurant with another type of cuisine.
With the comfy pillows and background music, you instantly feel a cool vibe that makes you want to stay awhile.
Within a week, we already liked the energy in Castelbuono. We joined the locals for a stroll (‘una passeggiata’) one night to check out the sights. There were a lot of people hanging around the entrance to the castle, so we went to investigate. We learned that the Nick La Rocca Jazz festival (formerly Castelbuono Jazz Festival) was ending the next day. It’s a traveling music festival in Sicily that lasts over a month. We thought, “Sign us up”!
Live music is always the best! The special guest performer, Gianluca Guidi, did a variety of English and Italian songs including a personal favourite, Frank Sinatra.
With the 700 year old Ventimiglia Castle as a backdrop, hours of live entertainment and a low cost (only 12 Euros), the Nick La Rocca Jazz Festival was a nice sample of what’s possible in this small town.
If Jazz/Blues music isn’t your style, then there’s a massive multi-day Indie/Alternative Rock music festival called Ypsigrock Festival. We arrived too late to attend this year, but it’s on my radar for a return visit to Sicily.
Both music festivals have earned their share of supporters after over 25 years of performances. Sicilians take pride in their traditions in the same way that they take pride in their food.
A huge draw to the Madonie Park area is that locally-grown ingredients are plentiful. Fiasconaro is a pastry shop in Castelbuono that’s been around for over 70 years!
They are most commonly known for their Award-winning panettone, an ‘Italian sweet bread’. It undergoes a long 36 hour fermentation process (like Taverna di Bacco’s pizza) for the most delectable sourdough that’s so light and airy. Fiasconaro makes their own gelato too (yum!). All of their products are seriously addicting. There are always free samples ‘to try before you buy’. I’m a fan of places that keep me fed.
Even as Fiasconaro has expanded to the global market, they’ve never lost sight of their passion for authenticity. They continue to create new masterpieces utilizing readily available ingredients from Sicily: chocolate from Modica, as well as nuts, fruits and manna from the Madonie area.
I’d never heard of ‘manna’ until I came to Sicily. It’s considered ‘the white gold of Sicily’ and part of the Slow Food Presidia.
With the help of a local connection Paul made in town, Giuseppe brought us on a free tour (in English) of his organic manna farm and a full explanation of what’s involved in the production.
Unlike many other manna farmers, the tradition wasn’t passed down to him through generations, so he learned everything on his own by researching and talking with the elders in town.
Manna production was becoming obsolete, so it’s through the help of people like Giuseppe that it’s returning again to help preserve the tradition.
Another part of Italian history that goes as far back as the Romans is the use of thousands of water fountains. The Romans built aqueducts to distribute water to the entire country, and the fountains, many of which are hundreds of years old, are a way to supply clean water to everyone.
Since the water from the fountains in Castelbuono comes straight from the Madonie Mountains, the water is SO clean. We make weekly trips into town to fill our water jugs from home.
An added benefit of the water fountains is that they REALLY come in handy during a heat wave.
We desperately wanted to explore more of Castelbuono on foot, except we were ready to pass out from the heat after an hour.
Naturally, we did what any ‘big kid’ would do and started having a water fight, right there, in the middle of the street. If we didn’t already look like tourists, then this surely sealed the deal.
With easy access to affordable locally-grown food, clean mountain air and water, and lower stress from small town living, we’re in the right direction to reach our goal to live to be 120 years old.
Hopefully this gives you an introduction to why we decided to extend our stay from 4 to 7 weeks in Castelbuono, Sicily.
Check out ‘Castelbuono, Sicily: Part 2’, as I dive deeper into why we fell in love with this magical place.
