Lago di Tenno

Updated October 2026 · Sources: Comune di Tenno, Garda Trentino, Visit Trentino, Trentino Trasporti

Find a place to stay near Lake Tenno

Lake Tenno (Lago di Tenno) is in Trentino, northern Italy, at 570 metres above sea level, in the municipality of Tenno above Riva del Garda, at the northern tip of Lake Garda. It sits at the foot of Monte Misone, on the road that climbs from Riva to the Ballino Pass and drops towards Fiavé and Comano Terme. It is about 12–13 km from Riva del Garda (20 minutes by car), around 10 km from Arco, about 47 km from Trento (50 minutes) and roughly 100 km from Verona airport.

It is a small lake but a deep one: about 750 metres long and 400 metres wide, and almost 50 metres deep at its deepest point. The water is turquoise because the lake bed has no aquatic plants and the water is very clean. In 2026 the lake was awarded the Blue Flag, and it has been a protected local nature reserve since 2024. Half an hour’s walk away is Canale di Tenno, listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy.

In summer you come to swim and to walk the lake loop with its suspension bridge. In spring and autumn, to hike between the lake, the hamlets and Tenno castle. In winter, for quiet walks and the Christmas market in Canale. Below you will find what to see, the reserve rules, parking, the bus from Riva and where to stay.

The lake loop takes under an hour, but allow at least half a day for the area: the lake, Canale di Tenno and, if you have time, the Varone waterfall on the way down to Riva.

The lake and its colour

The lake was formed by a huge landslide around the year 1100: the rock that came down blocked a stream, and the water filled the hollow. A local legend says the landslide fell at midday and buried a village. The survivors founded the village of Pranzo on the other side of the valley, its name meaning “lunch” in Italian, after the hour of the disaster.

The colour ranges from green to turquoise and is strongest on sunny days. Only three houses stand on the shore: around it is forest, and above it Monte Misone.

The island and the water level

In the middle of the lake is an island with a small biotope. The water level changes a lot through the year, sometimes by 10 to 15 metres. In summer, when the water is low, the island becomes a peninsula you can walk to. In spring and autumn the water rises and covers the path and much of the beach. When the level drops very low, a second islet briefly appears, called the “island of 1986” after the year it was first spotted.

The suspension bridge over the Rio Secco

The lake loop crosses a 120-metre steel suspension bridge over the bed of the Rio Secco, the stream that feeds the lake. It is the most spectacular part of the walk and replaced the most awkward stretch of the old path. Bikes must be pushed on the loop.

Tenno, its castle and the hamlet of Frapporta

The village of Tenno is just over a kilometre from the lake, towards Riva. Above it stands Tenno castle, built at the end of the 12th century to control the road from Lake Garda up to the Giudicarie valleys. It is privately owned and closed to visitors: you see it from outside.

Below the castle is Frapporta, a small fortified hamlet. You enter through an old arched gate and walk up the lane to the church of San Lorenzo. A short, car-free stroll with views over the plain of Riva.

Varone waterfall

The Varone waterfall (Cascata del Varone) is in the municipality of Tenno, about 3 km from Riva del Garda and around ten minutes’ drive from the lake. The water drops 98 metres into a gorge cut into the rock. You see it from two points: the lower grotto, looking up at the last part of the fall, and the upper grotto, about 40 metres higher, where you see the whole drop.

The park is open all year except 25 December. Opening hours change by month: May to August 9am–7pm, April and September 9am–6pm, March and October 9am–5pm, November to February 10am–5pm. An adult ticket costs 7 euros and is sold only at the entrance. Current hours and prices are on the Cascata del Varone website.

Riva del Garda

Riva is the nearest town on Lake Garda, about 20 minutes by car, and your starting point if you come by bus: old town, lakefront promenade, water sports and ferries.

Ballino Pass and Fiavé

Beyond the lake the road climbs to the Ballino Pass, at about 750 metres, and descends to Fiavé, about 12 km from the lake, known for the remains of Bronze Age pile-dwelling villages. A little further on are Ponte Arche and Comano Terme, about 17 km from the lake.

Canale di Tenno is the best-known village in the area and is on the list of “I Borghi più belli d’Italia”, the most beautiful villages in Italy. It sits above the lake, about half an hour’s walk away. It belongs to Ville del Monte, the largest part of the municipality, together with the hamlets of Sant’Antonio, Pastoedo and Calvola. Stone houses, narrow lanes and vaulted passages: the centre can only be explored on foot.

The Casa degli Artisti

The village has a Casa degli Artisti (artists’ house), named after the Turin painter Giacomo Vittone, who made Canale the subject of many of his paintings. Today it hosts a collection, exhibitions and cultural events, and is a meeting place for artists who stay in the village.

Rustico Medioevo

In August the village holds Rustico Medioevo, a medieval festival with costumed re-enactments, banners, torches and traditional food. Dates change every year: check them before you travel on the Garda Trentino website.

Canale di Tenno Christmas market

From late November through December, Canale hosts an unusual Christmas market: the stalls are set up in the cellars and vaulted rooms of the village houses. It opens mainly at weekends, with a few extra days around Christmas. The calendar changes every year, so check the dates before you go. On market days the car parks near the village fill up quickly.

Yes, you can swim in Lake Tenno, and it is one of the cleanest lakes in the area: it was awarded the Blue Flag in 2026. The beach is pebbles and stones, so bring water shoes. In spring and autumn the high water covers much of the beach: the best time to swim is summer, when the level drops and the island joins the shore.

The lake is a local nature reserve with clear rules:

• No boats: boats, inflatables and SUPs are banned to protect wildlife. Only rescue craft are allowed.
• No fires: across the whole municipality, open fires, barbecues and camping outside authorised areas are not allowed.
• Drones: in the reserve, drones stay on the ground.
• Dogs: on a lead, on the paths around the lake, and kept out of the water.
• Wildlife and litter: do not feed the fish, keep the noise down and take your rubbish home. Respect the marked strict-protection zones.
• Fishing: allowed from March to September under the rules of the local angling association.

The current rules are on the Comune di Tenno website. On summer weekends the beach near the staircase gets crowded: come early in the morning or on a weekday.

The path around the lake is about 3 km long and almost flat: allow under an hour, longer if you stop on the beach or at the island. You can walk it in either direction, and it crosses the suspension bridge over the Rio Secco.

• Bikes: you can ride in on the forest road and the gravel track, but on the loop you push your bike. Leave it in the bike racks.
• Accessibility: from the main car parks you reach the lake down a long stone staircase, and the loop has obstacles. The pebble beach is not wheelchair accessible. Visitors with disabilities can ask the municipality for a permit to drive to the car park by the kiosk. Wheelchair users can follow the forest road towards Ballino, which gives a view of the lake.

Garda Trentino, the local tourist board, suggests several routes that start at the lake or pass by it. Times are approximate and exclude breaks.

Lake Tenno – Canale di Tenno

About 4.5 km, 1 hour 30 minutes. From the lake you climb to the hamlets of Ville del Monte and reach Canale. The best way to combine a swim and the village on the same day with just one parking spot.

Lake Tenno – San Martino archaeological site

About 6 km, 1 hour. A walk through the woods to the San Martino archaeological site above the hamlet of Campi.

Grotta Camerona and Lake Tenno

About 10.6 km, 4 hours. A longer hike for experienced walkers, linking the lake with the Grotta Camerona cave. Hiking boots are a must.

Tenno and its hamlets

About 15.3 km, 3 hours 10 minutes. A long route linking the lake with the hamlets of the Tenno municipality: a good choice to see the whole area on foot in one day.

Rifugio San Pietro on Monte Calino

Above the village of Tenno, Monte Calino is home to the Rifugio San Pietro mountain hut, with wide views over Lake Garda. You walk up from the village via the hamlet of Calvola. Check the hut’s opening dates before you go: they vary with the season.

In winter the lake is quiet and you have the loop without the summer crowds. Days are short: go in the middle of the day. In cold weather the path can be damp or icy in shaded sections, so wear hiking boots. Then head up to Canale for the Christmas market, on weekends from late November through December.

The lake is at low altitude and has no ski slopes. The nearest ski resorts are Andalo on the Paganella plateau (about 43 km, 45 minutes), Pinzolo (about 46 km, 50 minutes) and Madonna di Campiglio (about 59 km, one hour).

• Summer (June–September): swimming, the island reachable on foot, Rustico Medioevo in August. The busiest time: arrive early.
• Spring and autumn: the best time for walking and for autumn colours in the woods. The water is high and covers part of the beach.
• Winter: a quiet lake, the Christmas market in Canale, skiing less than an hour away.

• Riva del Garda (about 12–13 km): lakefront, old town and ferries on Lake Garda.
• Varone waterfall (about 3 km from Riva): a 98-metre fall in a gorge, open all year.
• Arco (about 10 km): the castle on its rock and the climbing walls.
• Fiavé and Comano Terme (12–17 km): prehistoric pile dwellings and thermal baths, beyond the Ballino Pass.
• Andalo and Molveno (about 40 km): the Paganella plateau and Lake Molveno below the Brenta Dolomites.
• Pinzolo (about 46 km): Val Rendena, gateway to the Adamello Brenta nature park.
• Madonna di Campiglio (about 59 km): the best-known resort in the Brenta Dolomites.
• Trento (about 47 km): the old town, the cathedral and the Castello del Buonconsiglio.

If you like mountain lakes, our guide to Trentino and the Dolomites also covers Lake Carezza and Lake Braies.

There are no hotels on the lake itself: you stay in the villages around it. Choose your base depending on how you travel and what you want to do.

• Tenno and Ville del Monte (Canale, Calvola and the other hamlets, a few minutes from the lake): the quietest choice, for an early-morning swim and walks between the villages. Apartments, B&Bs, farm stays and holiday homes. You need a car.
• Riva del Garda (about 12–13 km): plenty of choice, restaurants, the lakefront and the bus to Tenno. For travellers without a car and anyone who wants to mix Lake Garda and Lake Tenno.
• Arco (about 10 km): for climbers, mountain bikers and anyone looking for slightly lower prices than Riva.
• Fiavé and Comano Terme (12–17 km, beyond the Ballino Pass): for combining spa days and walks, away from Lake Garda’s summer traffic.

In August, over spring bank holidays and during the Christmas market, book early: there are few places to stay in Tenno and Canale.

By car

From the A22 Brenner motorway, take the Rovereto Sud – Lago di Garda Nord exit and follow signs for Riva del Garda. In Riva, take the road towards Tenno and Ponte Arche (SS421): it passes through Varone and the village of Tenno and reaches the lake, about 12–13 km and 20 minutes. From Trento, drive down the Valle dei Laghi towards Arco and Riva: about 47 km, 50 minutes. From Milan allow about three hours, from Innsbruck about three hours via the Brenner Pass.

By train

The most convenient station is Rovereto, on the Brenner railway, served by Trenitalia and by Austrian and German trains (ÖBB and DB). From the station, take the Trentino Trasporti bus to Riva del Garda (line B332 Rovereto – Mori – Riva – Arco), then change for the bus to Tenno. Bus tickets must be bought before boarding.

By bus

From Riva del Garda, Trentino Trasporti line B211 climbs to Tenno and continues to Fiavé, Ponte Arche and Comano Terme. With the Garda Guest Card the bus is free. Services are infrequent: check timetables and the lake stop on the Trentino Trasporti website.

By plane

The nearest airport is Verona (about 100 km, an hour and a half by car). A bus leaves the terminal every 20 minutes for Verona Porta Nuova station; from there take the train to Rovereto and then the bus to Riva. There are also direct buses from Verona to Lake Garda. Milan Bergamo is about 137 km away (just over two hours). Private shuttle transfers link the main northern Italian airports with the Garda Trentino area. If you rent a car, it makes the lake, the villages and the hikes much easier to combine.

Parking

There are three parking areas around the lake:

• Lago di Tenno car park: paid, the closest. About 5 minutes’ walk to the lake, down a long stone staircase.
• Matoni car park: paid, also about 5 minutes’ walk with a staircase.
• Ville del Monte: free, about 20 minutes’ walk from the lake along a quiet side road and then a dirt track.

Fees are set by the municipality and can change: check them on site. In July, August and on sunny weekends the car parks near the lake fill up early: arrive before 10am or leave the car in Ville del Monte and walk the last stretch.