The North Face: Trail Mix

Lake Como is like the front door for the magnificent mountain chain: the Alps. Looking North from Bellagio and Varenna you can see them in the background, white-topped giants even in Summer. Get a closer look by riding the North branch of the lake! From Cadenabbia or Menaggio, ride to Colico, the northernmost town on the Lake along the lakeshore (literally!), and cross the Adda river, the emissary river of Lake Como through the Pian di Spagna park on dirt trails. The “giants” will be closer than ever, and you can see the last of the PreAlps tower above you. The road to Varenna from Colico is very calm, with little traffic, but once again you’ll stay as close to the lake as possible on little town pathways before a final “off the beaten path” climb to take you back to Varenna.