HOTEL VOLTA CANZO - Percorsi in bici da strada e MTB

Description: The big tour of Lario will lead you on very evocative roads that will allow you to enjoy a lot of fantastic views of Como Lake, to pass beside the fantastic villas of the lake and their infinite gardens, to visit bewitched towns on the shores of the lake, to pedal in wild zones with peeks and reefs and to see inviting small and reserved beaches. Como Lake, thanks to its characteristic shape that is like a “Y”, offers the possibility of a complete tour outside (“the big tour” detailed in this page ) or inside (“the short tour”, see the page “The short tour of Lario”). The big tour presents really much more difficulties than the short one, above all for the much greater distance to cover. Even if you won’t have to effort particularly hard climbs, the distance to cover is great and demands a good physical preparation and a good experience and acquaintance of your own limits.

Road book: At the beginning of the proposed tour you have to head for the Segrino Lake (southwards), and you have to go along the shores of it until his ending. When you reach the crossroads you have to continue on the main road that leads to Erba. When you'll arrive in the city it is necessary to proceed towards Como. We advise you to take “the old” road, that passes through the towns of Albavilla, Albese con Cassano (place of birth of Fabio Casartelli, the cyclist tragically famous for his death on the Tour of France ways), Tavernerio and Camnago Volta (where is situated Alexander Volta’s grave). In this way you will ride your bike without too many worries for the automotive traffic. Once you’arrive at the end of Via Valassina in Erba, it is necessary to turn on the right and take the main way of the city ( XXV Aprile street), crossing the Lambro river over the Bridge called “Malpensata” and crossing the railroads of the Milano - Asso Railroad. You have to go on as far as the ending of XXV April street and there you’ll find a roundabout, near the Monument to the Fallen in War. There it is necessary to turn on the left and to pass through the hamlet called “Crevenna” (through a only sense alternated) and following the indications for Albavilla. After the Castle of Pomerio, it is necessary to go on the main road until reaching two traffic lights, separates from a turn rightwards. The first traffic light, in proximity of a petrol station, has to be passed going on the main road, while at the second one it is necessary to turn on the left, following the indications for Albese, Tavernerio, Como. From this point it is necessary to keep follow the main road that, alternating flattish parts and little climbs will lead you to the hamlet of Tavernerio called Solzago, where the descent to the city of Como begins. There it is necessary to run along the evocative lake-front and to cover it completely. After the Sinigallia Stadium you’ll arrive to a roundabout where it is necessary to turn on the right, following the indications for Cernobbio, Argegno, Menaggio. From this point until Domaso it is practically impossible to make mistakes: it is enough to always follow the road that runs along the beautiful shores of Como Lake. In spite of this, let us give you some useful indications: before entering in Cernobbio, a little bit after you left Como borders, you’ll reach a large roundabout where you have to keep going straight on, even if the indications suggest you to turn on the left for Argegno, Menaggio, etc… This way, in fact, you’ll avoid the recent constructed tunnel, definitely less tourist than the mythical hold road called “Regina”. In Argegno and in Menaggio you’ll find the crossroads for Intelvi Valley and for Porlezza and Lugano Lake, but for the tour described in this page it is necessary to go straight on following the main road.

When you reach Domaso, you’ll be practically at the “turning point” and you’ll begin your way back home that will lead you first towards Lecco and after towards Canzo. In the built-up area of Domaso it is necessary to keep going straight on the main coastal road until reaching the bridge that allows you to cross the river that connects the small lakes of Novate and Mezzola to Como Lake. Once you overstep the bridge you have to go straight on until meeting the main road “of Como Lake and of the Spluga”, in its part that, northern Colico, leads towards Novate Mezzola and the Chiavenna Valley. At the stop line it is necessary to turn to the right southwards and after a few hundreds meters you’ll meet another bridge, that allows you to cross the Adda River, just before it gets into the Como Lake. After the bridge we suggest you to turn to the right at the first (main) crossroad you meet, so that you’ll head for the centre of Colico and you’ll take the old road that passes in the centre of the town. Once you overstep Colico, there’s no more danger to make mistakes until Lecco. It is enough, in fact, to follow the coastal road that, through the towns called Piona, Dorio, Dervio, Bellano, Varenna and Mandello will carry to you to enter an opened to bicycles part of the two-lane higway SS36. We mark out that along the way to Lecco you’ll encounter a short climb near Piona and you’ll see the crossroads for the famous climbs that carry to the Valsassina Valley from the Lario shores: the “Val Varrone”, the “Vendrogno” (see the page “The tour of Valsassina”), the “Bellano-Taceno” and the “Varenna-Cainallo” (see the page “Cainallo”). Once you get into the SS36 highway it is necessary to follow it until you find the first exit on the right, than will carry you until Lecco lakefront. The long street that runs along the whole Lecco lakefront has to be followed until his end, where you’ll find a 90 degrees curve on the left, and a traffic light. Here it is necessary to turn on the right following the indications for Erba, and crossing the bridge on the lake. After the bridge you’ll find a large roundabout, where you have to turn to the right and to take the two-lane road always following the indications to Erba. Such road has to be followed until its end, with the entrance in the SS36. Once again you’ll have to follow this highway for the short part (allowed to bikes) that is necessary to reach the exit to Erba, near Suello. From this point you’ll have to always go straight on, crossing the towns Suello and Cesana Brianza. In Pusiano you’ll find a traffic light, where it is necessary to turn to the right, towards Canzo.