5 Things to Do in Colico
The perfect place for your outdoor holiday on Lake Como
Colico connects the province of Lecco and Valtellina, as well as the east coast with the west coast of the lake, and is the point where the Adda River flows into Lake Como. For this reason, Colico has been subject to numerous dominations and has become an ideal area for territorial control. For this reason, you can visit the fortifications that are scattered around Colico.
The town is also an oasis for those seeking outdoor experiences: Colico is close to Mount Legnone and the Lake, making it possible to practice many sports and mountain activities.
Wakeboarding and Kitesurfing
If you are looking for the best area to join the kite surfing crowd, Colico is the place for you. Easy to reach and fully equipped, the low coastline of Colico is ideal for launching into a race between wind and water. The wind blows all year round, and being consistently sunny, it is also an ideal area for sailing, windsurfing, and other sports. Let yourself be carried away by your kite!
Forte Fuentes and Montecchio Nord
Colico was chosen for the construction of these forts due to its position at the end of Valtellina, which has always been a connecting artery between the valleys, the lake, and Milan. Forte Montecchio Nord, a structure that can be considered modern, was completed at the end of 1914 and represents the most technologically advanced Italian installation of the First World War. Forte di Fuentes stands on Montecchio Est, in Pian di Spagna. It was built between 1601 and 1605. The fort, commissioned by the Spanish governor of Milan, had the task of defending the border with the territory of the Grisons, which at the time extended as far as Colico. Both are open to the public only via guided tours.
Piona Abbey
Located on a peninsula that extends over the calm waters of Lake Como, creating a bay of brilliant greens, Piona Abbey offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the Upper Lake Como and the western shore of the Lario. Piona Abbey possesses a mysterious charm, perhaps given by the rustle of the wind passing through the cloisters of this monastery. Walking among the walls and gardens, still cultivated by the monks who live in this wonderful place, you can admire a breathtaking panorama while breathing in an atmosphere of calm and peace, ideal for soothing restless souls. Finally, the mastery of the Piona monks is a certainty: even today, they cultivate herbs, aromatics, and plants to create herbal remedies and liqueurs, always and only respecting their ancient recipes and traditions.
Diving in Olgiasca Bay
The Underwater Thematic Park of Piona Bay was created to encourage and pave the way for a very particular type of sports tourism: scuba diving. Lake Como might seem like a step for niche diving—technically complex and perhaps unsatisfying from an aquatic scenery perspective. The lack of light, the cold water, and the currents that are best not relied upon make Lake Como resemble an unknown man in a dark suit, yet handsome and with a magnetic gaze.
To overcome the uncertainty of diving in Lake Como, we recommend first visiting the Piona Underwater Park, just a few kilometers from Colico.
Pian di Spagna Nature Reserve
At the northern end of Lake Como, between the mouths of the Mera and Adda rivers, lies the protected oasis of Pian di Spagna. This marshy area is an important stopping and nesting point for numerous bird species that find their natural habitat among the silent reed beds. It is a natural crossroads, making it an essential stop for all birdwatchers in the area.
In ancient times, this territory was considered particularly important for its strategic position; it was reclaimed by the Romans and hosted Spanish camps throughout the 16th century, hence the name Pian di Spagna. The pivot of the Spanish defense was Forte di Fuentes, located on the long isolated ridge that rises from the plain to control the final stretch of the Adda.