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LAKE GARDA: LA DOLCE VITA

John Carter experiences ‘la dolce vita’ as he visits the Italian freeride paradise of Lake Garda, one of the most beautiful windsurfing locations in the world. 

WORDS AND PHOTOS – JOHN CARTER 

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Lake Garda must be one of the best-known flat water locations on the planet and has hosted many iconic events over the years. Unintentionally, it has slipped through the net for me and up to last October during my whole career, I had never made the pilgrimage to this windsurfing Mecca. Of course, as a windsurfing photographer, Garda has always been a location I wanted to photograph because the surrounding mountains always look so dramatic and beautiful and I knew that one day I needed to tick it off my bucket list.  

In the summer Garda is immensely popular with Italian and German windsurfers who flock to its shores to catch its reliable winds. Historically, Garda has also been an incredibly important windsurfing spot, hosting many windsurfing events, as well being a reliable test centre for many of the brands that operate in Europe. The ‘King of the lake’ freestyle event in Garda was seminal to the rise and development of modern freestyle, while more recently the huge iQFOil fleets have had some amazing racing in its majestic surroundings.  

My chance to tick Garda off the list finally came last September when Fanatic and Duotone were organizing a late in the season freeride photo shoot. Other options were being thrown around, like the South of France or Sardinia, but when asked for my vote, it was unequivocally Lake Garda!  

GETTING THERE 

Looking at the map the closest airport to Garda is Verona, which is around a one-hour drive away and served by Ryanair from Stanstead with very affordable daily flights. You can rent a car and drive to the lake yourself, but I had heard the parking can be busy, so opted for an airport transfer that worked out less expensive than car hire. Ryanair are not too bad to fly with in my opinion and during the comfy one hour thirty minute flight you are treated to stunning views of the Dolomite Mountains if you have a window seat. The beauty of these mountains was incredible from the air and I already had a gut feeling I was going to fall in love with Lake Garda. 

I tried not to do too much research about Garda before I went, as I didn’t want to spoil the surprise when I arrived. Obviously, I have seen many pictures over the years but as to exactly where the lake is, its culture and how the wind works, I was going in blind.   

Outside the airport my driver Matteo, an avid kitesurfer, was there to meet me with a shiny black Mercedes and once my bags were loaded we were on the highway headed to Garda in no time. It is a relatively straightforward drive to the lake and once out of the airport, it is not long before you hit the first valley as you enter the mountains. We passed through a lush wine growing area as we approached Garda, until finally, after about a fifty minute drive, I was treated to my first view of the lake. We were still quite high up in the mountains, but could see a stunning vista below as the sun dipped behind the mountains in the distance. There were at least a hundred windsurfers darting across the lake and it looked like it was blowing around 20 knots. “Don’t worry”, Matteo remarked, “You are lucky, the forecast is like this for the next week…sunny and windy every day!”   

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

Five minutes later I was unloading my bags at ‘Hotel Residence Torbole’ right on the shore of the lake just outside the famous town of Torbole. When Matteo had driven away, I just took a moment to take in my surroundings. The hotel was literally a stone’s throw from the water, which was awesome in itself, but the view was simply mind blowing. Some places it is hard to put into words how picturesque they are and it is not until you experience the location first hand, you realize how amazing nature can be. From the far side of the lake the incredible mountains rise from the water vertically and are even silhouetted as the sun dips behind them; they looked spectacular. I could not wait for the following day to check out these awesome rock walls in the morning sunshine.

The hotel staff were super friendly and after a quick check-in I was unpacking my camera gear in a lovely room. The only negative so far was that I didn’t have a lake view, but you can’t have it all and it left some room for improvement for a return visit! The plan was to meet up for a brief about the shoot about half an hour later at the Duotone Pro centre, so I had a quick shower before I made my way around 500 metres up the lake. It didn’t take long before I had a beer in my hand and I was already in awe of this place since the jaw dropping views just constantly consume you.  

For the photo shoot we had an awesome team including world slalom champion Pierre Mortefon, Jordy Vonk, Daniel Eberli, Marco Lang, Maria Behrens and Riccardo Marca. We were given the brief about the shoot which had a staggering amount of products included. I had almost forgotten this was a work trip so I would have to knuckle down over the following days. The team could not believe that I had never been to Lake Garda and found it amusing how I was constantly rambling on about the amazing mountains surrounding us.  

BACKGROUND 

Lake Garda is a very old lake and it was created by a glacier in the ice ages over 1.5 million years ago. The glacier cut through the mountains and spilled onto the adjacent flat land. When the ice eventually receded an axe shaped freshwater lake was left behind. The lake is the largest in Italy and is around 65 metres above sea level with a circumference of 158 km and a maximum depth of 350 metres. It covers three Italian provinces – Lombardia, Veneto and Trentino and the northern stretch of the lake is surrounded by the mountains of the Gruppo di Baldo.  

THE WINDS 

There are two distinct winds that riffle through this amazing valley as regular as clockwork. The Pelèr, which blows from the north, is the morning wind which blows from the Torbole end of the lake and is consequently less choppy. After this wind fizzles out around late morning, it is time for the Ora wind which blows from the south and usually kicks in after noon and lasts until dusk. The period between the winds usually glasses off for a few hours, so for any paddle boarders out there, it is the perfect window to also enjoy the lake. Both of the winds are thermal winds caused by the interplay between the mountains and the valleys, so are reliable outside any abnormal stormy conditions. The locals say that every shore and area of the lake has its own kind of wind and from what I experienced, they are not wrong.  

The Pelèr, which normally blows first thing in the morning, seems to start blowing out in the middle of the lake and then spreads to it shores as the sun creeps above the mountains. Be prepared for chilly mornings in the late season on the lakeside until the sun has risen above the mountains, but when that sun hits, boy does it feel good.  

ACTION 

After a tasty breakfast washed down with fresh Italian coffee at the hotel, we headed up to the centre to check out what was planned for the day. With freeride and race on the agenda we were in the perfect location, being based at the Duotone Pro centre with its magnificent views of the lake, storage and helpful staff to accommodate us. Sure enough the Pelèr was blowing around 12 knots and the golden sunshine had lit up the far side of the lake to make the mountains look even more stunning than the previous evening. We hit the water by 9:30 and headed out to the middle of the lake into the warmth where the sun was shining brightly.

The light was amazing, the wind was steady and the scenery was just nuts. Just in case you are not getting my drift by now, I was rather taken with Lake Garda as an amazing location for photography. We had started the shoot with foiling and all you could here was the whistle of the foils cutting through the water as Pierre and Jordy cruised around through the shimmering green water. By midday, just like everyone had predicted, the morning wind was gone and the lake was becalmed, almost mirror flat.  

ORA TIME 

With the sun shining it was a beautiful day and the perfect time to relax in the warm rays, SUP or have lunch. Weirdly, the locals in the know were all scampering around rigging up. Within an hour the Ora wind had kicked in and stayed right through until the sun dipped behind the majestic mountains. Because the Ora blows right down from the other end of the lake, by the time it hits Torbole the water is much choppier than the Pelèr. We spent the afternoon shooting slalom and freeride and by the end of the session Pierre and Jordy must have put in five to six hours on the water. All that windsurfing was thirsty work, well for me at least, but not to worry, the bar just over from the centre had plenty of icy colds in the fridge!

And that was pretty much the pattern of every day I was in Lake Garda, just like it says on the tin! Morning Pelèr wind, a relaxing break of a few hours for lunch and then the Ora kicks in! Both winds are around force 4 to 5, but as they say in Garda, no two days are the same! During my stay though they were all pretty similar, at least in my experience, though the wind could be a slightly different direction or wind strength for no apparent reason. My experience of Lake Garda was in a stunning autumnal setting and apparently in summer the wind can blow harder, kick in earlier and the temperatures are warmer and crowds busier!   

EVENING ACTION 

As if these incredible days on the water and après action beers were not enough for me to award Lake Garda with a five-star review, then the delights of the Torbole restaurants were the icing on the cake, although definitely not great for waistlines! There are tonnes of awesome places to eat in Torbole, mostly serving up the classic pizza and pasta as well as delicious salads. I was surprised how reasonable the cost of food was, with a pizza around 8-15 euro and beers, coffee etc usually cheaper than the UK. A vaccine passport or proof of two jabs is required if you want to go inside a restaurant and if you are not jabbed then you are allowed to sit outside. Hotel Centrale has the best pasta (try the Tris Della Casa or spaghetti and definitely have a Tiramisu after), the Al Porto has the best pizza I experienced (very thin but bigger than the plate), the Casa Beust is next to the harbour and has excellent fish and meat dishes and also the Nuova Garda is recommended, which serves up good old pizza and pasta! The town is enchanting with many narrow streets and quaint buildings. During the day there are plenty of cafes on the quayside to enjoy a cappuccino while you watch all the action on the lake. After a week in Garda I was looking to buy some new board shorts with a few extra inches on the waistline! 

EXPLORING THE LAKE 

During my stay the winds were cranking every day, so we didn’t really have a reason to visit the other sailing spots around the lake, but a few km upwind is Malcesine, which seemed very popular in the Pelèr winds and is also a hot spot for kitesurfing. Apparently Lake Garda can get very busy in the prime summer months, especially in 2021 with the lack of international travel. Parking spots can become like gold dust at this time of year and a bit like people going down early with their towels to get a lounger by the pool, many take down their car before breakfast to ensure a spot and come back later in the day. I heard that Garda was totally packed this summer and also very hot, so perhaps gambling on the late season from September to November, or going in early spring is not a bad idea if you want to avoid the chaos. 

THE DUOTONE PRO CENTRE 

The Duotone Pro Centre was our base for the week and it has an epic location on the Conco d’Oro Beach. It’s an amazing centre, fully equipped with all the latest Fanatic and Duotone toys for windsurfing, wing foiling, kiting and stand up paddle, with super friendly staff and an excellent teaching and rescue service. There are hot showers, lockers and equipment storage available, as well as an amazing hang out area literally at the water’s edge! Ciba, our boat driver for the week, is head of safety at the centre and always available to bring you back to shore if for some reason the wind dies. 

STRADA DEL PONALE  

On the far side of the lake from Torbole, is a pathway that winds its way along the face of the mountain. This is called the Strada del Ponale and is closed to traffic and just open for cyclists and hikers. Some stunning views of the lake are available from this rugged track and it is said to be one of the most beautiful and historical panoramic roads in Europe.  

On one of the windier mornings our crew headed about 4 km across the lake to windsurf in front of an old abandoned hotel at the foot of the mountains. Sat in a stunning location right at the base of the cliffs, this magnificent old hotel used to be home to a really excellent fish restaurant, but was closed down. Slowly crumbling away, it made a really eerie backdrop to the photos and also had a beautiful waterfall hidden away in the caves just next to it.   

PERFECT 

Maybe I was just lucky and I hit the perfect week at the right time of year, but even so I am not sure how anybody would not like Lake Garda. Obviously if you are a wave sailor then it won’t tick the box aside from rare lake storms in the winter, but for all other flat water windsurfing, it is a stunning location to enjoy windsurfing in. It was my first time to Garda, which can be a bit like your first time to Maui, where your initial reaction to the beauty bowls you over, but then as the years go on you kind of get used to the mountains and spectacular scenery. While I was in Garda I had to keep pinching myself that the views were real, since the backdrop is so impressive and almost too good to be true. It took me over thirty years to make it to this magnificent lake for the first time, but I am sure it won’t be too long before I am back there again, especially as my wife, having seen the pictures, is keen to visit too! 

JORDY VONK  

Jordy – “Besides the amazing scenery, Garda is simply a wind machine. In one ‘normal’ Garda day you can test 7.0-7.7 or high wind foil in the morning in Malcesine and 8.4 / light wind foil in the afternoon in Torbole. So if you need to test plenty of stuff, you just know this lake will give you most of the wind you need! For small equipment you have to be lucky, but I’ve definitely had 5.5/6.2 slalom sessions as well. So if I’ve to do a lot of testing in several sizes it’s the place to be for me!”