Day 15

Day 15: From a Flat Start to Lakeside Bliss... The day began with the familiar ritual of packing up camp at Lake Ledro—only to discover we had a flat battery. Not the best start, but we hooked it up to charge and made the most of the moment with a tranquil lakeside breakfast: croissants and coffee by the water, enjoying the stillness. Once the van was alive again, we finished packing and set off—about an hour later than planned—heading down towards Riva del Garda.

But the notion of exploring Riva quickly dissolved into frustration. The roads were clogged with tourists, bikers, and Sunday strollers. The town was gridlocked, parking was impossible, and there was no room at the proverbial inn. So we made the executive decision to skip it and retrace our route, heading back up to Ledro and onto the SS240.

That stretch of road turned out to be one of the day’s highlights—a renowned route through a scenic gorge, complete with waterfalls, sharp turns, and endless switchbacks. It’s clearly a playground for local bikers, and it felt like driving through Matlock Bath on a sunny Sunday, only Italian-style. Motorbikes zipped past at frankly terrifying speeds, some on blind bends and within inches of our van. I’ll admit, they scared the life out of both Gill and me.

We paused for a midday bruschetta stop in a small mountain town, then carried on along the twisting mountain roads—still sharing the route with fearless bikers—until we crested the final ridge. And there it was: Lake Iseo spread out before us in a spectacular panoramic view. We pulled over to take a few photos and soak it in before descending the last leg of the journey to Camping Covelo.

Our pitch at the campsite was an absolute gem—right on the water’s edge, looking out across the lake. It’s a lively site, set against an equally lively little town just two kilometres away, which we walked to along the lakeside road. The town was full of energy, with designer shops and restaurants lining the waterfront. Gill managed to squeeze in a little retail therapy—window shopping, at least—while I joined the ranks of patient husbands parked on comfy benches outside.

I’ll admit, a couple of smart Italian shirts caught my eye, but between my ‘generous’ waistline and the €95 price tags (even discounted), I decided to leave them for now. Dinner was at a charming little seafood restaurant right on the water. It was a lovely meal, though there was a mild panic at the end when I thought I’d lost my sunglasses—only to find them safely nestled at the bottom of my bag.

We rounded off the day with the obligatory gelato and a pleasant stroll back to the campsite. Now we’re settling down for the night, ready to wake to that incredible view. Tomorrow, I’m planning to do a full circumnavigation of the lake while Gill takes to the water on ferries to explore the villages, towns, and mountains from a different perspective.En savoir plus