There’s a Nicosia not made of palaces and bell towers, but of beech trees and water. North of the centre, beyond the SS117, the mountain begins: the Sambuchetti-Campanito nature reserve, a strip of western Nebrodi where a forest that shouldn’t still be there survives, along with three lakes that change face with the seasons. It’s the least-told side of the area, and one of the finest.
Here’s what you’ll see and how to organise the climb.
The Sambughetti-Campanito reserve
The reserve covers 2,358 hectares between Nicosia and Cerami, and was established in 2000. It’s a regional protected area, freely accessible and waymarked: no ticket, no gate, only paths to walk with the gear and the caution the mountain calls for. The best window runs from spring to autumn; in winter the altitude and the snow change the conditions entirely.
Monte Sambughetti and the glacial beech forest
The heart of the reserve is Monte Sambughetti, which at 1,559 metres (per the Sicilian Region) is among the highest peaks of the province of Enna. What makes it special isn’t just the altitude, but what grows on it: a relict beech forest from the Ice Age, one of the southernmost in Europe. These are trees left over from a climate that no longer exists here, surviving up high while the Sicily around them turned Mediterranean. Climbing it is, in a sense, walking through a piece of the North stranded in the South.
The Campanito lakes
At the foot of nearby Monte Campanito, three natural basins form the Campanito lakes, which the Sicilian Region lists among the most important wetlands of the Nebrodi. They’re never the same: in summer they fill with duckweed, the green film that covers the surface; in winter you may find them frozen under snow. They’re the natural end point of a walk, and a small world apart for amphibians and water birds.
A useful clarification
It’s worth spelling out, because it causes confusion: Nicosia’s mountains belong to the western Nebrodi, but the municipal territory does not fall within the Nebrodi Park. Of the Enna-province towns, Cerami and Troina do. The Sambughetti-Campanito reserve is therefore a regional protected area in its own right, not a slice of the park. For the visitor little changes — you walk freely in both — but it’s worth knowing when you’re looking things up.
How to visit it
The reserve is walked on foot. The simplest way not to improvise is the mountain trek, with a guide on the paths of the beech forest and toward the lakes. Those who prefer two wheels can look at the e-bike along the SS117, which uses the ridge road as an access route to the mountain.
Either way you’ll want hiking boots, water and an eye on the weather: you’re above a thousand metres, and conditions change fast. The reserve is one of the “beyond the centre” stops in our guide to things to do in Nicosia; to get this far there’s the guide on how to get there.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Sambughetti-Campanito reserve?
North of Nicosia, along the SS117, between the territories of Nicosia and Cerami. It covers 2,358 hectares of western Nebrodi and was established in 2000.
How high is Monte Sambughetti?
1,559 metres according to the Sicilian Region, among the highest peaks of the province of Enna. It’s covered by a relict Ice-Age beech forest.
What are the Campanito lakes?
Three natural basins at the foot of Monte Campanito, listed among the most important wetlands of the Nebrodi: in summer they fill with duckweed, in winter they can freeze.
Is the reserve in the Nebrodi Park?
No. Nicosia’s mountains are part of the western Nebrodi, but the municipal territory is outside the park boundary. Sambughetti-Campanito is a regional reserve in its own right, freely accessible all the same.
Sources
Sicilian Region — ORBS portal (Sambuchetti-Campanito nature reserve, the altitude of Monte Sambughetti, the wetlands of the lakes), Vivi Nicosia territory records, Parco dei Nebrodi for the towns within the park boundary.
