Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Above the tips of the cypresses you'll spot the dramatically sighted
Castello di Arco
. Ori-
ginally built by the Goths over a thousand years ago, it guarded the Valle di Sarca and was
controlled by the Counts of Arco from the 12th century until 1703, when the French fi-
nally breached the walls.
From Arco, you can cycle north towards Drò to view the rocky desert of the
Marocche
-
an area of huge mountain boulders which have tumbled down the steep slopes and now
cover a desert-like area of 15 square kilometres between Drò, Drena and Lake Cavedine.
ACTIVITIES AROUND RIVA DEL GARDA
Though you can ride, cycle, hike and sail your way around Garda, the real hub of the lake's activities is the tri-
angle of towns Riva, Arco and Torbole.
Water Sports
Fleets of operators provide equipment hire and tuition along the lakefront in Riva and Torbole. One of the largest
is
Surfsegnana
( 0464 50 59 63;
www.surfsegnana.it
; Foci del Sarca, Torbole), which operates from Lido di
Tòrbole and Porfina Beach in Riva. It runs lessons in windsurfing (€72), kitesurfing (€110) and sailing (€75), as
well as hiring out all the windsurf kit (€40 per half-day), sail boats (€32 to €52 per hour) and kayaks (€9/14 for
one-/two-person kayaks). Other operators include
www.sailingdulac.com
,
www.pierwindsurf.it
and
Climbing
Surrounded by perfect waves of limestone, Arco is one of Europe's most popular climbing destinations and is the
location of the
Rockmaster festival
(
www.rockmasterfestival.com
) in September.
With hundreds of routes of all grades to choose from, Arco climbs are divided between short, bolted, single-
pitch sports routes and long, Dolomite-style climbs, some extending as much as 1400m. The 300m
Zanzara
is a
world classic, a 7a+ climb directly above the Rockmaster competition wall.
For information on climbing courses and routes contact
Friends of Arco
(
www.friendsofarco.it
).
Guide
Alpine Arco
(
www.guidealpinearco.com
) is another good resource.
Canyoning
Thanks to glacial meltwaters, which have worn smooth the limestone mountains surrounding Riva and the Val di
Ledro, canyoning here is a fantastic experience offering lots of slides, jumps and abseiling. Both Friends of Arco
and Guide Alpine Arco arrange trips to the Palvico and Rio Nero gorges in the Val di Ledro (€69 each) and the
Vione canyon in Tignale (€125); as does
Canyon Adventures
(
www.canyonadv.com
).
Eating
Riva is an unashamed holiday resort catering to a large number of sports enthusiasts,
many of whom have little time to spare for fine dining. As a result you'll find a plethora
of pizza places and trattorias serving generic 'Italian' dishes. To seek out something more
