If you are looking for the lakes of Liguria, it helps to start with a simple truth: this is a region of sea and of mountains plunging into the sea, not of great lakes. Natural lakes are very few and small, almost all hidden in the woods of the Apennines; the larger stretches of water are man-made reservoirs, created in the twentieth century with a dam to supply water to the cities or power to industry.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t worth a visit. Some of these lakes are surrounded by beech woods and nature parks, others offer peaceful walking loops far from the coast. And in the Ponente, around Bordighera, fresh water takes another form: the clear pools carved out by the mountain streams, which everyone here calls \u00ablaghetti\u00bb (little lakes).<\/p>\n
In this guide you will find the lakes grouped by area, with their type (natural or man-made), what you can do there and, broadly, how to get there. Where swimming is not allowed, or no sources confirm that it is, we say so clearly.<\/p>\n
Liguria is a narrow strip of land between the sea and the watershed: its rivers are short and steep, and rush down to the sea without leaving hollows where water can settle. The only natural lakes of note are glacial in origin and lie in the upper Val d\u2019Aveto, in the hinterland of the Levante, where small glaciers flowed down from Monte Aiona during the last Ice Age.<\/p>\n
So when people talk about lakes in Liguria, they almost always mean artificial reservoirs: the largest in the region is the Lago del Brugneto, built in the late 1950s for Genoa\u2019s water supply. Many of these basins are reserves of drinking water or hydroelectric power: you can admire them and walk around them, but they are not meant for swimming. Bear that in mind before setting off with towel and swimsuit.<\/p>\n
The Riviera dei Fiori has no true natural lakes. It does, however, have the streams of its inland valleys, which flowing over the rock have carved out basins and pools of clear water, and a small high-altitude reservoir at the gateway to the Ligurian Alps.<\/p>\n
Type:<\/strong> natural stream pools. The laghetti di Rocchetta Nervina<\/a> are a series of basins carved by the Barbaira stream just upstream of the village of Rocchetta Nervina<\/a>, in a side valley of the Val Nervia. The water runs over smooth rocks and takes on emerald-green reflections: in summer it is one of the most popular spots in the hinterland for a cool dip.<\/p>\n You leave the car in the village and continue on foot along the stream. For a longer walk there is the Sentiero Balcone, which starts from the oratory and in about 50 minutes reaches the Cin bridge, at the entrance to the Barbaira canyon, where canyoning is practised with experienced guides. From Bordighera it takes about 35 minutes by car, driving up the Val Nervia beyond Dolceacqua<\/a>.<\/p>\n Type:<\/strong> man-made. A small reservoir in the upper Val Nervia, in the municipality of Pigna<\/a>, along the road that climbs from the Colla di Langan towards Colle Melosa<\/a>. It is not a lake for swimming but a lovely scenic stop among the woods, on the way to the trails of the Alpi Liguri<\/a> park, such as those to Monte Toraggio<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the Valle Argentina the stream flows beside the village of Badalucco, where the Riviera dei Fiori tourism website suggests cooling off in its waters; further upstream, towards Triora<\/a>, the valley narrows into limestone gorges popular with climbers and canyoning enthusiasts. On the French border, at Airole in the Val Roja, the same website points to small natural pools for a swim and a river used for canoeing and rafting. More on this below.<\/p>\n Type:<\/strong> man-made. It lies in the Val Bormida, in the hinterland of Savona, in the municipality of Osiglia, at just over 600 metres above sea level. It was created in the 1930s with the Osiglietta dam, built to regulate the water for the valley\u2019s steelworks: part of the old village was submerged in the process. It is about three kilometres long and is the largest lake in the province of Savona.<\/p>\n Today it is surrounded by woods of beech, chestnut and conifers and hosts rowing and canoeing races; halfway along, it is spanned by the bridge known as the Manfrin bridge, named after its designer. Trout fishing follows provincial regulations. You reach it by car from the Savona hinterland, driving up the Val Bormida.<\/p>\n Type:<\/strong> man-made. This is the largest lake in Liguria: a reservoir about three kilometres long, at around 775 metres above sea level in the upper Val Trebbia, in the Parco naturale regionale dell\u2019Antola, near Torriglia. It was built between 1956 and 1959 with an 80-metre-high dam, which submerged a few small hamlets, and it is Genoa\u2019s main drinking-water reserve.<\/p>\n For this very reason it is not a lake for swimming. It is, however, a lovely place for walking: the surrounding woods are home to wild boar, roe deer and fallow deer, and the paths follow the shores. Fishing is regulated.<\/p>\n Type:<\/strong> man-made. It lies at Montoggio, in the upper Valle Scrivia, and was built from the 1920s onwards for the water supply of \u00abGreater Genoa\u00bb. A loop path around the lake passes by the dam and the large early-twentieth-century lime kilns, witnesses to the valley\u2019s industrial archaeology.<\/p>\n Type:<\/strong> man-made. These are three reservoirs, the Lago Bruno, the Lago Lungo and the Lago Badana, built in the nineteenth century to feed Genoa\u2019s aqueducts. They straddle Liguria and Piedmont, above Campomorone, in the Piani di Praglia area; the Badana lies entirely in Piedmont, in the Parco naturale delle Capanne di Marcarolo. The Sentiero Naturalistico dei Laghi del Gorzente links them in a hike of about five hours. Fishing is allowed at certain times of year.<\/p>\n It is here, in the hinterland of Chiavari, that you will find Liguria\u2019s few natural lakes. The Parco naturale regionale dell\u2019Aveto, with its beech and fir forests, is the place to go if you really want a mountain lake.<\/p>\n Type:<\/strong> natural, glacial in origin. It lies in the municipality of Rezzoaglio, at about 1,050 metres above sea level, in the Foresta delle Lame on the slopes of Monte Aiona. It formed some twenty thousand years ago when a small glacier retreated and is one of the region\u2019s rare glacial lakes: a secluded stretch of water, surrounded by woodland, that changes colour with the seasons.<\/p>\n Nature trails with information panels start around the lake, along with routes towards Monte Aiona and the other small lakes in the area; it is popular with hikers and anglers. You reach it by car, driving up the Val d\u2019Aveto to Rezzoaglio.<\/p>\n Type:<\/strong> natural, glacial in origin. Just above the Lago delle Lame, at around 1,300 metres, is the Riserva naturale statale Agoraie di Sopra e Moggetto, established precisely to protect a group of small glacial lakes. The best known is the Lago degli Abeti, named after the fossil silver-fir trunks preserved on its bed. It is a strictly protected area: before you go, check with the park on how and when it can be visited.<\/p>\n Type:<\/strong> man-made. In the Valle Sturla, in the municipality of Borzonasca and within the Aveto park, at about 1,000 metres above sea level, there are two stepped reservoirs, the Lago di Giacopiane and the smaller Lago di Pian Sapeio, built in the 1920s for hydroelectric power. They are not lakes for swimming, but an easy path runs around them among larches and conifers, and it is not unusual to come across free-roaming horses. Fishing is managed as a reserve.<\/p>\n The La Spezia area has no lakes of tourist appeal comparable to those of the Aveto: fresh water here mainly means the Vara and Magra rivers. If you are looking for a mountain lake, from the Levante the most natural choice is still the Val d\u2019Aveto.<\/p>\n If you are staying in Bordighera, Liguria\u2019s \u201cpicture-postcard\u201d lakes are far away, but fresh water is just half an hour\u2019s drive away. The valleys behind the coast make an excellent plan for a day of active holiday<\/a>: a swim in the stream in the morning, a tour of the inland villages<\/a> in the afternoon.<\/p>\n Stream pools are beautiful, but they are not swimming pools. Before you jump in, keep in mind a few rules that apply throughout the region.<\/p>\nLago di Tenarda<\/h3>\n
The Argentina stream and the Val Roja<\/h3>\n
Province of Savona<\/h2>\n
Lago di Osiglia<\/h3>\n
Genoa area<\/h2>\n
Lago del Brugneto<\/h3>\n
Lago di Val Noci<\/h3>\n
Laghi del Gorzente<\/h3>\n
Levante and the Val d\u2019Aveto<\/h2>\n
Lago delle Lame<\/h3>\n
The Agoraie lakes<\/h3>\n
Lago di Giacopiane<\/h3>\n
And the province of La Spezia?<\/h3>\n
Little lakes and natural pools near Bordighera<\/h2>\n
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River swimming in Liguria: safety and good practice<\/h2>\n
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When to go<\/h3>\n