The Classic – MTB Tour of the Cancano Lakes

The day reserves you a journey through the most iconic places in the Bormio valley: Cancano lakes, Torri di Fraele and even a very short uphill stretch towards the Stelvio pass – one of the temples of Italian road cycling. The characteristics of the route make it an ideal tour both for those who love traveling on two wheels and have already experienced it, and for those who would like to start.

Your ride starts from Bormio, a city in Valtellina where it is easy to find accommodation, services and rent MTBs or electric bikes. You can find directions on how to get to the city in the main description of this Collection. After the start, you immediately face the Boscopiano climb along a challenging, but at the same time suggestive and very safe dirt path. At the end of this excursion, the Cancano lakes are the finish line. They reveal themselves to you after a five kilometer climb and a spectacular 500 meter elevation gain. And don't worry: the climb is practically over for today. The tour around the lakes is a peaceful walk in a corner of paradise, free from traffic in the central hours of the day. The vivid colors of the lakes will surely strike you: these artificial basins that feed the hydroelectric plants in the area are an important testimony to the history of the place. Stop to read one of the signs illustrating the development and birth of these artificial lakes: you will discover the dam, Digopoli (the remains of the working village emerging from the waters) and the church of San Giacomo. Around the lakes you can find refreshment points, public fountains, lawns for picnics and even the bus stop that takes you back to the city, just in case.

If, on the other hand, you still have the right adrenaline in your legs, all you have to do is enter and close the tour. Follow the road that runs alongside the lake, up to the Torri di Fraele, you will finally arrive at the descent on the paved road. Before returning, do not miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Pozza di Leonardo, a public thermal water spring that you cross just a breath away from the end of the Tour.

Now you know everything there is to know before leaving for the Tour of the Cancano lakes by MTB. Always pay attention to the weather and the seasonal closures of passes and protected areas. Bormio is a beautiful place to cycle because it is protected and safeguarded from a landscape point of view.