7 Tips to SUP in safety

• Always find out about the winds, weather and water conditions. The lake is subject to currents and steady winds which in the afternoon can make the water rough so that sup becomes difficult for beginners.
• If you are planning solo sessions, always tell some where you are going and what time you are leaving. Use schools or the sup club as a base.
• Keep to the coast but stay 500/600m from the shore and the cliffs where there might be rock falls.
• It is important to know how to swim in rough water and have the right equipment and proper clothing for the weather conditions. You must use a sup board with a volume suited to your abilities and wear an CE approved personal buoyancy aid.
• Always tie on the leash; the coast or shore might be far away and in case of problems you should never abandon the sup.
• Find out about any local ordinances and ask locals for advice
• Enjoy yourself. Sup combines a love of sport and nature and the beauty of Garda Trentino.

The information on this chart is subject to inevitable variations, so this means that none of the indications are absolute. It is not entirely possible to avoid giving inexact or imprecise information, given how quickly environmental and weather conditions can change. For this reason we decline any responsibility for changes which the user may encounter. In any case,  the hiker is advised to check the conditions of the places, environment and weather before setting out.

You leave from Purfina,  a busy beach just beyond the tourist harbour of San Nicolò. Paddle the length of Sabbioni beach as far as the magnificent Punta Lido where you have a stunning view over the gulf of Riva del Garda and you can stop off for a while in the estuary of the Varone and Albola streams.

To avoid the harbour area where sup boards are not allowed,  cross the lake in the area right in front of the centre of Riva del Garda, and go as far as the statue of Cristo del Lago, by Fra Silvio Bottes, a well-known local artist. The statue can only be seen from the water right below the start of the famous Ponale Trail. 

From here on, follow the Serenella rock wall, a cliff which rises sheer above Lake Garda. Passing a series of little inlets with turquoise blue water,  you finally arrive at the Sperone beach where you are advised to stop off for a break; continue then along the shore to the south until you come to a little gorge where you will find the waterfall of the Ponale stream as well as Ponale harbour, hidden by the lush vegetation which protects this spectacularly beautiful place.

On the return trip you should cut across the lake to get back to the beach you started from.

The towns in Garda Trentino - Riva del Garda, Torbole sul Garda, Nago and Arco – are connected by a number of urban and intercity bus lines which will take you to the starting point or in the immediate surroundings.

For up-to-the-minute information on timetables and routes: www.gardatrentino.it

Getting to northern lake Garda / Garda Trentino: www.gardatrentino.it

The car park nearest to the point of departure is Porto San Nicolò (pay parking).

Free parking in Riva del Garda at the old hospital (via Rosmini) and the old cemetery (Viale D. Chiesa). Further pay parking at the Public Gardens Porta Orientale, Roman Baths, Viale Lutti (Ex Agraria), Monte Oro, shopping center Blue Garden.