Colonno to Cadenabbia along the shore of Lake Como

From Colonno, the path follows old lanes, mule tracks and short stretches of road north along the western shore of Lake Como to Sala Comacina, with views across to the Isola Comacina, and on to Ossuccio and its church of Santi Giacomo e Filippo. It continues through Lenno and Mezzegra to Tremezzo, passing Villa Carlotta and its gardens, and ends at Cadenabbia in Griante, by the Anglican church.

It is 10.3 km one way with 316 m of ascent and 347 m of descent; allow about 3½ hours. The grade is Moderate: cobbles, tarmac lanes and paths, with short climbs between the villages.

The path is signed throughout and the official site says it suits all ages and seasons. It crosses the busy lake road, the Statale Regina, at Ossuccio: take care there. Villa del Balbianello is a detour of about 1 km from Lenno; on foot it can be reached on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from mid-March to mid-November. The route was laid out in 2005 and 2006 by the villages of the Tremezzina.

The C10 bus from Como stops at Colonno and along the lake road, and boats call at Sala Comacina, Lenno, Tremezzo, Villa Carlotta and Cadenabbia for the return. There is a small free car park in Colonno.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.