Windsurfing Spots

The Best Windsurfing Spots in Lake Como

Best windsurfing spots?…Now that is something Lake Como is very famous for. Its location among tall, majestic mountains with deep valleys, and plenty of sunshine contributes to its excellent conditions for wind-related sports.

Lake Como is especially renowned for its Breva wind or Breva di Como. It is a strong valley wind that blows north by day towards the head of the lake.

The best time to go is in the afternoon of the spring and early summer when wind conditions are ideal and last until sundown.

The northern region of Lake Como is most ideal for windsurfing spots when on any clear day you will notice swarms of them out and about. Domaso – also known as “surf city” is the most popular town on the lake with the best Breva conditions.

Others great spots are Gera Lario, Sorico, Colico, Dervio, Rezzonico and Pare at Lecco.

Below is a map showing the very best spots for windsurfing in Lake Como.

Lake Como Windsurfing Map

For a more detailed map that draws out all wind types that occur in Lake Como, try the Kompass map which uses a scale of 1:500000.

Schools

Here is a list of two great schools located in Domaso:

Windsurfcenter Domaso, Via Case Sparse 14, Domaso 22013 (I), near Camping Paradiso, phone +39 380 70 000 10, (winter: +41 79 330 5042). These German guys are of huge help in getting you prepared for the water with a small shop, repair and rental services. Website

Surfin Progress, Via Case Sparse 54, Domaso 22013 (I), phone/fax +39 344 96 208, email [email protected] (winter: Via Regina 54, Gravedona 22015 (I), fax +39 344 89 262, cell. +39 335 6550287)

Supply and Repair Shops

Here is a list of stores that have many windsurfing supplies and also provide repair.

Chicca Sport 1, Via Stadale 31, Dongo, phone +39 344 81 138
Nautica Sport, Via Sacco 49, Colico, phone +39 341 94 0521
Chicca Sport 2, Via Case Sparse, Domaso
Chicca Sport 3, Via Nazionale 57, Colico

Useful Data

Below are two very helpful graphs showing monthly wind percentages and water temperatures in Lake Como.

Lake Como Monthly Wind Percentages

Lake Como Monthly Water Temperatures

Types of Winds

TIVANO blows from north-east (Valtellina) all year round during the early morning. reaching about 5 metres per second. Its absence is a sign of bad weather conditions.

BREVA is a long wind (from 10am to 6pm) that blows from the south as the Tivano subsides reaching gusts of 7-8 metres per second.

The following winds can be quite dangerous especially during stormy summers:

MONTIVA is a sudden wind that breezes from the valleys leading to the lake and can become dangerously hazardous during storms.

VENTO or VENTONE is a strong wind lasting from 3-7 hours gusting up to 40-60 km per hour. It is most common during springtime after a spell of bad weather in the pre-alpine area.

MENAGGINO is a violent blast of wind that blows from the south.

BELLANASCO blows down from the Val Maggiasca above Bellano.

ARGEGNINO rushes violently down from Val d’Intelvi.

BERGAMASCA blows its way from Lecco to the lake’s center where it loses its force.

GARZENO descends from the valley above Dongo.

One place where you can get the most current wind information on your favorite windsurfing spots is at windfinder.com

Lake Como is quite renowned for having some wonderful windsurfing spots.

Of particular interest is the so-called Breva wind, which blows from the south to the north in the afternoon (during the spring and summer seasons). Most of the winds last until the sun goes down on ideal days. Because of this phenomenon, most windsurfers have based themselves in the Northern towns such as Domaso, Colico, Dervio and Gera Lario.

Types of Winds in Lake Como Ideal for Windsurfing

Direction From: Type: Description

NE: Tivano: Blows at about 6 m/s year round.

S: Breva: 8 m/s, present during daylight hours.

There are numerous other winds, which are dangerous and to be avoided. Check with your local tourist office for a detailed weather report before taking off! You can also check out windfinder.com for the most current information regarding wind speeds, directions and times of day.

Windsurfing Spots in Lake Garda

If you really are serious about taking part in windsurfing activities, be sure to take a day trip or so to nearby Lake Garda which hosts worldwide championships. While Lake Como has the “soul” of windsurfing each summer, you could say that Lake Garda has the space to host more surfers. Hundreds of competitors can arrive at once during ISAF World Sailing Championships, as the lakeshore becomes packed with international competitors. Particularly notable is the presence of loads of youthful sailors from Poland, France and Italy.

Just ask Jim Ballantyne, owner of a windsurfing company in MA, who spent many of his summers at Lake Garda, Italy. This prompted him to leave a successful skiing career for windsurfing. In 1983 he became a fully accredited windsurf instructor in Austria and upon completion came back to America to start a windsurfing school in Lake George, New York State.

In the event you consider Lake Garda as your windsurfing hotspot, be sure to come at the right time of day. For example, you will experience the currents of air coming from the North in the early portions of the day, while later in the day, you’ll experience the air currents coming from the south. But don’t forget that the winds are very violent at the later hours of the day. The natural attractiveness of character encompasses all of the lake. There’s accommodation of all kinds and at all ranges to make your stay all the more comforting.

Lake Garda is renowned for having many more sport activities and facilities than Lake Como, but hey, we have George Clooney and some awe-inspiring villas!