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The woodland area around Casa Carotondo is ideal for short walks. The town of Sarnano has identified nine routes starting in the town, which can be used for walking or
mountain biking. These routes have been graded according to difficulty. They are described online under the
heading excursioni and are a good way of getting to know the area around Sarnano.The valley of Fiastra is a pleasant area on the edge of the mountains, offering walks of
a less demanding nature than the mountains themselves. There are, of course, a wide range of routes on the mountains themselves,
from the relatively flat in the piano grande around Casteluccio to the very steep and only for the very fit. A route around the entire range of the mountains,
called the Grand Anello is also possible. It is 120km long and
altitudes range from 560m to 1790. It is non-technical and does not require extreme fitness.
A description of suggested hikes is available online.
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A map is essential when walking in the mountains. A 1:25000 map of walks can be purchased locally or
online. The national park offer a 1:50000 map, which can be bought online as can
their guide book on the Grand Anello written in English click here.
Kompass do a map of the Sibillini mountains at the 1:50000 scale. This includes hiking and mountain biking routes. The Cicerone series of guide books includes
an edition on the Sibillini Mountains from 2009. Guided walks are also available. Both the Sibillini National Park
and the Club Alpino Italiano offer walks of varying levels of difficulty.
Winter walking for the experienced is also possible, routes are described in the guide book, which also points out hazardous areas largely due to avalanche risk.
The scenery in the mountains in winter can be quite spectacular, especially if the skies are blue and the sun is shining -
look at our picture gallery to see some views.
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The area around Casa Carotondo is quite hilly, so cycling is not recommended for the unfit although there are some areas such as around Casteluccio, where the ground is
a little more level. Bike hire is possible in Sarnano which
includes all necessary accessories such as helmets, puncture kit and a car rack. They can give you advice on routes too.
The town of Sarnano has, as mentioned above, 9 routes starting in the town suitable for moutain bikes. They are described online under the
heading excursioni. The same organisation also has a program of bike rides during the summer.
For the more adventurous there are routes in and around the moutains.
These can be viewed online and
are available in English in book format from the National Park's
website or from one of their park offices. There is also a Grand Anello especially for moutains bikes! For fit mountain bike enthusiasts this
adventure website could provide some challenging routes. There are plenty of photos
and the routes can be traced on google earth.
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A local agriturismo, le Querce
offers lessons in horse-riding or, for the more experienced an excursion into the mountains of up to 4 hours is possible. The national parks website lists other
establishments further away.
The national park offers mule trekking either for a few hours or for 2-3 days.
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There is a centre for hanggliding and paragliding close to Casa Carotondo. Tandem flights and
courses are available.
For a birds eye view of the area you can take a trip in a balloon. Check out the balloon.it, website
for information.
The Lago di Fiastra is a dam used for electricity generation. Here you can hire canoes, fish or swim.
For the more adventurous kayaking and white water rafting are possible from Norcia .
Winter can be a beautiful time of year in the Sibillini mountains with snow on the ground, blue skies and a warm sun look at our
picture gallery to see some views. There are several ski stations on the
Sibillini mountains, the nearest at Maddalena is about 30 minutes drive away.
with pistes for all abilities.
Ski-school is also available.
There is also a cross country circuit near the down-hill ski areas at the Pintura del Ragnolo .
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