Circular panoramic walk in Limone sul Garda

The starting point is at one of the jetties from which you can reach Limone by boat. You’ll need to adapt your route depending on where you’re heading in town.

(S/E) From the small harbour known as “Porto Vechio”, turn left onto the high street and follow it for about 150 metres.

(1) Turn right onto “Via Rovina” (be careful, the slope is steep and the small pebble surface makes it tricky, especially in wet weather). You’ll soon reach the main road, the SS45bis, which runs through Limone.

(2) Cross the SS45bis and, opposite, take the uphill path onto “Via Milanese” (be careful not to take the path immediately on the right, which climbs straight up towards the cliff). You’ll soon find yourself overlooking a lemon grove. Follow “Via Milanese” to reach a small inn situated on the banks of the San Giovani stream.

(3) Cross the stream, then take the path furthest to the left (actually a set of steps) which leads to the cliff. Then follow the path along the cliff face (it is equipped with a metal handrail throughout). Set in the heart of nature, in the shade, it offers magnificent views of the town and the lake.

(4) At the junction, turn left onto the path and begin the descent towards the town. You’ll come to a series of hairpin bends which you should follow downwards.

(5) Continue along a tarmac road which quickly becomes a street and winds its way between villas and hotels. Walk gently downhill to a bridge over the San Giovanni torrent and cross it.

(6) Just after the bridge, turn right and follow the banks of the torrent along a well-maintained path to the lakeside (crossing to the other side twice via footbridges). At the lakeside, turn left, keeping the lake on your right, and stay as close to the lake as possible to easily find the junction you passed at the very start of the walk.

(1) Retrace your steps along the route you took on the way there to reach the jetty (S/E).

For the start of the walk, if you have trouble finding ‘Via Rovina’, the important thing is to reach the main road that runs through Limone (SS45bis) and locate the point (2), which is the starting point for several hiking trails (it is situated past several car parks to the north of Limone and the first tunnel – so you could use this as a starting point if you’re coming by car).

This walk could be classified as easy, as the path sections are very well maintained and safe; however, the gradients are sometimes steep, so be sure to wear shoes with good grip (especially in wet weather).

As most of the route is very close to Limone, it is very easy to find food and drink, and even shelter (except in the section situated directly on the cliff overlooking Limone – between (3) and (5)).

Public toilets (clean, as is often the case in Italy, and free of charge) are available by the lake on the way back towards the town centre.

Near the inn ((3), there is a waterfall upstream of the bridge and the start of several hiking trails into the valleys overlooking Limone and the lake (takes at least 4 hours).

Of course, the main attraction of this walk is the view it offers of the town and the lake, with its beautiful villas and adjoining gardens. It also allows you to escape (a little) from the throngs of tourists at the lake.

There are picnic tables along the route, offering superb views, particularly just before the viewpoint (4).

The fact that you can reach Limone by crossing the lake from many other towns means you can combine a walk with a trip out on the lake in a single day (on average, there are crossings every hour from numerous towns situated along the lake’s shores).

And, of course, the charming historic town of Limone, with its lemon groves clearly visible from the lake.