This is awesome!
Leaving at 6:20 am from Desenzano del Garda: it was very cloudy.
Arriving at Limone sul Garda, area “Capo Reamol”: parking lot available (yeah!); therefore we decided to take a stroll on the most beautiful European suspended cycle-pedestrian way (2.5 km).
Even if the weather was rainy, the emotion to walk on this road, which is cantilevered from the steep rocky walls of the mountain and suspended 50 meters above the surface of the blue Lake Garda, is indescribable.
At 9:00 am we moved toward Riva del Garda, to commence the hiking experience on the high side of the lake.
After having walked along the main street, passing the hydroelectric power plant, we left the street pavement and started raising along the “sentiero del Ponale“, which was – many years ago – the Ponale way.
However, after more than a one-hour walk, we had to come back to the city centre to buy a new pair of trekking shoes, because they broke unexpectedly.
It was mid-day (the less strategic hour for walking the Ponale) that we re-commenced the walk.
One hour and we got to the refreshing point and crossroad towards the Ledro valley. We took towards Pregasina, a very small village halfway to our final destination.
Just before there, we reached the “Regina Mundi” statue, which oversees the northern part of the Lake.
Once arrived at Pregasina, after having walked on a very steep road, we took a refreshing and energising ice cream.
But the road to the final point, although offered some panoramic views, was still very long, and steep.
After more than one hour we finally got to Punta Larici.
What a surprise!
After the deep forest, a very strong wind challenged us on an open field, leading us to the final destination.
And again: wow! An incredible landscape of the whole Lake, from Torbole to Sirmione.
We ended up being on the highest point of the vertical-rock of the mountain where the cycle-pedestrian way, which we visited in the morning, was attached to.
Limone sul Garda was just in front of us (actually, about 850 meters below).
So, at 3 pm on the 13th of August 2020: we did it!
Time for taking pictures, getting proud for having reached the final destination, and having a quick lunch, surrounded by hundreds of butterflies, and we were on our way home (arrived at Riva del Garda: 7 pm).
Some numbers, just to contextualise the whole hiking day:
- Difference in height about 850 m.
- Highest point: 907 m.
- Distance: 31 km (8 km Riva to Punta Larici).
This hiking experience made Punta Larici the most incredible lookout point overlooking Lake Garda I’ve ever seen.
