Discover
The aquatic paradise of Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) is 51.6km long and 16.7km wide of pure Bellissimo. Framed by the Gruppo del Baldo mountains, enchanting fortified towns and aromatic olive groves, it boasts a plethora of historical significance, marvellous panoramas and importantly,
the best environment for swimming off all those buoni gelati!
View from Spiaggia Tifu beach - Limone sul Garda
It's an incredibly popular destination for fishing holidays, and for good measure - literally. My first Lake Garda freedive involved pretending to be calm whilst encountering some intimidating Tench (tenca in dialect). They can reach lengths of up to 60cm and around 6kg in weight. If you catch one of those, reward yourself with a Limoncello or two, one to recover from the hard work and then another to aid your digestion afterwards.
One of the henchest Tench that I ever did see
Limone
Forgive the cliché, but if life gives you lemons, I hope you're in Limone. Not just because the place is famous for its lemon gardens, but also because the 'Limonesi' have a reported lower risk of cardiovascular diseases in comparison to other populations. Before you steal a bunch of Mini Coopers and embark on a classical heist in North Italy to loot Limone of its (citrus) gold, note that the 'secret' to this longevity seems to be due to a mutant form of apolipoprotein A-I, resulting in a reduced prevalence of atherosclerosis.
Crystal Structure of Apolipoprotein A-1 (Borhani et al, 1997. PDB code: 1AV1)
Brenzone
To be honest, I would certainly want to live forever if my early morning swims were decorated by mountainous backdrops. For instance, the waters of Assenza, Brenzone are at the foot of Monte Baldo (with the mountain accessible by cable car from Malcesine). Here you are also in close vicinity of Trimelone Island; once used for storing ammunition during WWI and II (although now it's guarded by an army of cormorants and seagulls). Underwater, you can spot a variety of different fish, including small Perch...
An abnormally docile Perch.
...and if you're lucky, shoals of even smaller, tiny, mini, baby fish. Carino!
Tiny, mini, itty-bitty, super-micro, nano-cute baby fish!
Torri del Benaco
Neighbouring Brenzone is the municipality Torri del Benaco, which is home to the intriguing Scaliger Castle museum, distinctive medieval walls and luscious underwater forests, teaming with bustling aquatic civilisations.
The hidden underwater forest of Benaco.
Visits from pollution-sensitive 'pumpkinseed' sunfish are a well-received sign that the water is clean and healthy to swim in (as if we had any doubt!).
The colourful 'Pumpkinseed' Fish
Sirmione
Last but not least, Sirmione is a photographer's dream. This popular tourist attraction (allow two hours in advance to find parking spaces) has the captivating Grottoes of Catullus (remains of a Roman villa), majestic Scaliger Castle and of course breath-taking underwater landscapes carved from prehistoric glacial might.
Wow.
I really mean it. Wow.
Freshwater Gobies are found pretty much everywhere in Lake Garda, but in Sirmione they are distinctly numerous. Sometimes they are found hiding together in little clusters or defending their territory with dignity atop sun-soaked rocks. The males often guard eggs with adorably fierce determination. They are very similar to the saltwater Gobies, often seen in UK rockpools.
Left: Gobies camouflaged, stationed strategically in their tiny trenches. Right: Goby on a mission.
If having your Action Cam attacked by Gobies gets you down, at least you can cheer yourself up by making friends with shoals of Common Bleak. They don't care if you can't afford the latest Go-Pro - if you fin near rocks and kick up hidden shrimp, they will follow you as if you're royalty. If you kick up invasive species of shrimp, the Garda Lake ecosystem will thank you too.
Left and Right: Symbiotic relationship between fish and fins.
Travel Advice
For those now inspired to go swimming in Lake Garda, take note to be careful when swimming close to reeds as they are often habitats for dice snakes. Such snakes are not venomous, but can be disconcerting for some. Beach shoes are advisable since most of the beaches are rocky, and they will provide extra protection when exploring the sharp rocks of Sirmione. If you want a softer experience underfoot, the sandy beach of Lazise may be a more ideal destination of choice.
An example of suitable beach shoes. These will give you added protection against adorably aggressive Gobies.
Whether you're swimming, sunbathing or windsurfing, I guarantee that Lake Garda is one of the most beautiful places for a duck dive or two...
Ducks also visit Lake Garda on their holidays (#UnderachievingBirdwatcher)
And if you're still not convinced, I have stitched together some underwater Lake Garda videos to the wonderful song 'In Cielo in Una Stanza' by the incredible Mina.
Spero ti piaccia (I hope you will like)
Ciao for now! Baci baci!
