San Mauro Castelverde: Hiking Trails, Gole di Tiberio and History

San Mauro Castelverde lies at an altitude of over 1,000 metres. The municipality offers views and access to the sea. You can plan your trip around whether you want to explore trails, experience a river landscape or learn about the town’s history.

Hiking: Trails, High Points and Routes

San Mauro’s trail network comprises 16 routes with a total length of around 180 kilometres. One route from Portella Ciambra to Timpa del Grillo climbs to 1,345 metres. Timpa del Grillo is the highest point in the San Mauro Castelverde area.

Another route starts at the former Capuchin monastery, passes through the historic centre and runs through the forest behind the municipal cemetery towards Colle Calandra. A route that is considered very easy and suitable for families with children starts at Piano San Mauro. It can be travelled on foot, by mountain bike or e-bike, as well as in a Joelette. The routes can therefore be considered according to different criteria: one leads to the highest point in the area, while the other combines an easy difficulty rating and suitability for families with several ways of getting around.

For a multi-day itinerary, the Sentiero dei briganti siciliani starts in San Mauro Castelverde, passes through Gangi and ends in Cesarò in the Parco dei Nebrodi. The route covers around 100 kilometres and is designed to take five days, with four overnight stays. In addition to the local trail network, this offers a route connecting the town with a trail through two areas in the Madonie and Nebrodi.

Gole di Tiberio: Geology and Excursion

The Gole di Tiberio are a river karst gorge carved into limestone by the Pollina River. They lie between San Mauro Castelverde and Castelbuono in the Parco delle Madonie and are a UNESCO-recognised Geopark area. The limestone rocks formed in the Late Triassic, more than 200 million years ago; uplift and the formation of the gorge began around 23 million years ago, in the Miocene. The rock and the gorge therefore belong to different geological periods.

From the Castelbuono or Tusa exits on the A20, the Gole can be reached via the SP 52 and SP 60. A path with around 400 steps then leads down to the gorge. The steps are part of the access route described here and are therefore a practical point to consider when planning the excursion.

Excursions organised in spring and summer include crossing the gorge by dinghy and a walk along the Pollina River. Depending on the season, they may also include a detour to the small gorges or upstream to swimming pools. The excursion thus combines a river crossing with a walk along the Pollina; the possible detours vary by season.

Churches, Castle and Local Crafts

The Church of San Mauro Abate was built in 1620 over three older churches. Its bell tower has a polychrome majolica spire with spheres arranged partially on top of one another. The Church of San Giorgio Martire preserves an Arab-Norman portal and a bell tower influenced by Arab-Norman architecture. Further Arab-Norman columns were uncovered during restoration work in 2014.

The Castello di San Mauro Castelverde is considered an ancient fortified centre in the Val Demone, at an altitude of around 1,100 metres. It probably dates from the Byzantine period; place names point to a presence in the Arab period. Under Norman rule, the Castello was granted to the Diocese of Troina in 1082 by Count Roger. In 1196, the Countess of Geraci, Guerrera Creon, had work carried out. The two towers associated with her on the hills of Colle Maddalena and Colle San Marco may date back to her.

The old windmill is also part of the town’s architectural history: it is one of the few surviving examples of this type of architecture in Sicily and dates back to the 17th or 18th century. The Museo Etnoantropologico features rooms dedicated to agriculture, shoemaking, woodworking, blacksmithing, weaving, the grape harvest and rural life. The interactive Antiche Botteghe map offers another perspective on local trades. It leads visitors through historic streets to old craft shops and shares stories about trades, skills and people.

Olive Oil as a Local Feature

The Banca dell’Olio delle Madonie opened in 2025 in renovated underground rooms of the former Badia as a permanent exhibition on extra virgin olive oil. The multisensory visitor route combines technical explanations with guided tastings of oils from local producers. Together with the themes of agriculture and rural life at the Museo Etnoantropologico, the exhibition highlights another aspect of local culture.

Discover more destinations: Petralia Soprana, Villabate, Isnello, Caculla, Santa Flavia, Ginestra, Mezzojuso, Borgetto

For the main travel overview: Palermo.