Route 8: A ride around Riva del Garda, Lake Garda

The quietest and most charming of the Italian lake towns is surrounded by amazing motorcycling roads

Bond crashed cars here in Skyfall… Normally it’s more quiet and relaxing

There’s a stillness in the early morning. There are joggers on the path along the shore, even one brave swimmer taking an early dip in the lake, but the overwhelming sense is one of peace and calm. Ducks drowse, standing one-legged, on the slip at the harbour, the cool waters of Lake Garda lapping at their feet. It almost feels a shame to fire up a motorcycle and shatter the peace.

Almost… but it is worth getting the bike started. The roads around Garda are never quiet - but they’re not Deathrace 2000 busy, like the roads around Lake Como. You have time to admire the spectacular views, without worrying that every other vehicle is trying to kill you.

Our motorcycle touring route heads out along the west bank of Lake Garda, before climbing into the mountains - but not on demanding, narrow, bumpy roads. This route strings together broad, flowing, smooth roads that deliver epic views with relaxed riding. And that’s the appear of Riva del Garda: it’s a soothing, calming place to be. Our pick of the Italian Lakes.

MAPS AND DOWNLOADS FOR A RIDE AROUND RIVA DEL GARDA

Route 1 (our route): start/finish: Riva del Garda. Distance: 200 miles. Riding time: 6.5 hours. Suggested stops: AM coffee: Anfo, lunch: Ponte di Legno, PM coffee: Spiazzo
Route one map, Route one GPX file

Route 2: Distance: 180 miles. Riding time: 6 hours. Includes the east bank of Lake Garda and Monte Baldo.
Route two map, Route two GPX file

Route 3: Distance: 180 miles. Riding time: 6.5 hours. Includes Monte Baldo.
Route three map, Route three GPX file

Route 4: Distance: 170 miles. Riding time: 6 hours. Includes more challenging roads, suitable for adventure bikes.
Route four map, Route four GPX file

Please note: This page contains the route files for The RiDE Guide to motorcycle touring in Italy which came free with RiDE magazine in July 2015. These website page are not regularly updated, so please check all critical information before you travel. All route files are in .gpx format. Garmin and BMW users can download the main file, which contains all the routes and our recommended hotels as separate waypoints. TomTom users can download the individual routes and use the Tyre software to convert them. For many routes we also have Google Map links. However, as Google Maps will not plot routes over seasonally closed high Alpine passes (such as Stelvio) when they’re shut, these may not work for every route all year round.