Circular walk around Menaggio

Those who have been following me for a while now know how much I love walking, discovering new places and routes. The one I am telling you about today is around Menaggio and it is perfect if you are looking for easy walks on Lake Como.

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It is a circular route of about 9 km, which is also beautiful to do with your family.

I describe it below, focusing on the most interesting points for me.

Menaggio walks: here is a route that never gets boring

The starting point is the car park beside the Menaggio hostel, which is also the starting point of the Menaggio-Grandola cycle path.

That’s right, because the first section coincides with this other beautiful route, built along the route of an old railway (1884-1939) and beautiful to walk along as far as Porlezza.

The only flaw in this first part of the walk is the obligatory crossing of the road on an ugly curve. Unfortunately, there is no alternative: in order to rejoin the cycle path, you have to pass that way and walk along the edge of the road for about fifty metres.

Care must be taken, especially if you are with children, but fortunately it is the only dangerous point.

Once you get to Cardano (hamlet of Grandola), you no longer have to follow the signs for the cycle path, but those for Val Sanagra.

My suggestion, at this point of the route, is to ride through the historic centre of Cardano, of medieval origin. There are only a handful of houses, but it is really worth it, especially to admire Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, an elegant historic residence, whose gardens can be visited (check the Villago website for scheduled visits).

Leaving the village you will find yourself on the asphalted road, which you should follow until you reach Villa Camozzi, seat of the Town Hall and the Val Sanagra Ethnographic Museum.

Past the villa you will find a small car park, just below the sports field. This is the point at which to take Via Molini, the road that will take you into the middle of Val Sanagra.

Here you will immediately come across the Vecchia Chioderia.

This is a characteristic agritourism where it is worth stopping for a hearty feast of trout dishes, the fish that they breed here and which you can also buy.

Let’s say that a nice aperitif also goes very well here, especially in summer, to escape the sultriness and heat.

All thanks to the Sanagra River, which flows nearby.

And it is along the river that the walk continues!

I love this part of the walk!

At the Roman bridge, turn left and continue to the Loveno Plains, another area popular with families.

Leaving the plains behind, one begins to descend towards Menaggio, passing through two other beautiful historic villages, the hamlets of Loveno and Castello.

Those who have been following me for a while know my weakness for the old and somewhat out-of-the-way parts of villages. Old gates, flower-decked balconies, colourful facades and narrow streets have an irresistible charm for me.

I think life here has a different flavour.

The final part of the route passes by the square in Menaggio, an excellent stop for an ice cream and a peek at the lake, which is always good!

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