Letizia and Mario are a young couple who live in Castelbuono.

Letizia is a tough French woman with Italian origins, who decided to live in Castelbuono, near the Madonie.

She’s the brains behind the operation.

Mario is from Castelbuono and he knows the Madonie mountains like very few others. He is also a producer of “manna”, a substance that is extracted from certain types of ash tree, and as well as having medicinal properties, it is also used in cooking as a sweetener.

Manna is a slow food presidium.

They are both nature guides.

They are both in love with the Madonie mountains, which are located to the east of Palermo and include Carbonara, the second highest mountain in Sicily.

They organise fantastic walks in the mountains.

If you’re interested in trekking and you’re a lover of mountains and beauty, we advise you to contact them.

Here are their contact details:

Tel:
39 327 0410244

Email:
info@madonieexplorers.com

Giuliano Minutella is from Castelbuono, a beautiful mediaeval town in the province of Palermo, just a few kilometres from Terre di Himera.
His passion is paragliding and it has also become his job.

In fact, he organizes wonderful excursions in the sky above Cefalù and Sicily, together with his Polish girlfriend, who is in love with Sicily and marketing.

Paragliding is a sport that depends a lot on the weather conditions.

They are available all year round and every day, but they can only offer this experience when the weather conditions are favourable.

From this point of view, Sicily offers excellent weather conditions almost every day.

Take-off is always chosen on the basis of the direction of the wind and the preferences of the passengers.

They are qualified pilots with many years of experience. Like all the members of the team, they have all the necessary licences for tandem flights, and they have an insurance policy that covers all the passengers.

Anyway, we at Terre di Himera are too scared to try these unforgettable moves.

But who knows, maybe some day…

Would you like to try it?

Here are the contact details of Giuliano and Agata:
tel: +39 320 775 4555,

info@sicilyparagliding.it

Prices from 100 euros

Morning:

• 10 am meet at piazza Verdi, in front of Teatro Massimo
  • Capo Market (the most traditional of Palermo’s historical markets)
  • Church of Immacolata al Capo (a jewel of baroque art)
  • Piazza Beati Paoli (history of the C18th secret society of avengers)
  • Salita Ramirez (traditionally painted Sicilian carts)
  • Piazza Settangeli (Roman mosaics, Cathedral’s Arab-Norman apses)
  • Cathedral precincts (millennial history of the site, Palermo saints, Gothic porch, Islamic column)
• 11.45 am Archbishop’s Palace & Museum (history of a C12th conspiracy, visit to collection of medieval-to-baroque painting and sculpture)

Afternoon:

• 1.30 pm LUNCH in a local restaurant, either “Asmundo Bistro” (light lunch with a view, in an aristocratic palace), or “La Galleria” (traditional trattoria)
• 3 pm Porta Nuova (historic entrance to the old city) and return by minivan.

Max 5 persons
1 half-day € 145 for a group of 3-5 adults (€ 70 if it is only 2 adults)
Calculate an extra € 50 per person to cover meal and entrance tickets to sites.

Here are their contact details:
Tourist Guide: Emilia Maggio
Tel:
39 3274949473

Email:
emiliamaggio@gmail.com

Morning:

• 10 am meet at Quattro Canti (theatrical octagon displaying the 17th century ideal city)
• San Giuseppe dei Teatini or San Matteo (historical church)
• Oratory of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria (a rarely seen jewel)
• Oratory of Santa Cita (a masterpiece in white stucco work)
• Oratory of Rosario in San Domenico (stunning Van Dyck’s canvas set off by excellent paintings and sculptures)

Afternoon:

• 1.30 pm LUNCH at “Mangia e Bevi” (or another local restaurant)
• 3 pm Oratory of San Lorenzo (and related Caravaggio thriller)
• Piazza Rivoluzione (with the mysterious statue of Palermo Genie)
• 5 pm “Stanze al Genio” Maiolica Museum or: Palazzo Mirto (house museum, former residence of the Filangeri princes)
• 7 pm Piazza Marina (Garraffo fountain) and return by minivan.

Max 5 persons
1 full day € 270 (€ 135 if only 2 adults)
Calculate an extra € 50 or € 60 per person to cover meal and entrance tickets to sites.

Here are their contact details:
Tourist Guide: Emilia Maggio
Tel:
39 3274949473

Email:
emiliamaggio@gmail.com