July 02, 2009
Hey, all you wind addicts:
We are back for July, summer is finally here, the sailing and kiting season is in mid swing. For some of us, July also means great weather but no wind. May be it’s time to break with tradition and take a Summer adventure; check our pick this month, something a little out of the ordinary.
This month’s pick is Lake Garda:
Lake Garda is set in North Italy, very close to the Austrian Boarder.
It is know as a “Gorge of Europe”. Fly to Venice and drive (less than 2 hours) to this magnificent natural wonder. The beauty of this place is unbelievable. The scenery is full of colours, surrounded by the steep mountains, gorgeous Mediterranean villas and medieval castles scattered along the shores. The water in the lake has an intense turquoise colour and it is a perfect temperature. It is not too warm and not too cold. You can wear shorties but it is not absolutely necessary.
There are two winds here. A North wind and a Southerly wind. In the morning the wind is the strongest (25 knots) and blows from the North. You have to be up early to catch this at 7am. In the afternoon the wind changes and comes from the South. It is usually lighter, (14 to 20 knots) which is great to practise your freestyle and to learn for beginners. At about noon it feels like if someone flicked a switch and the wind stops blowing. The flags go dead. Everyone comes in and mopes around on the beach. It takes about another hour and the wind is blowing about 15 knots from the opposite direction. Just like magic!
The wind usually finished about 5pm every afternoon like clockwork, so be sure you get ready to come off the water or you will get stuck out there and need rescuing. (There is a rescue boat out there all the time looking after all the Nubies.)
The upper north area, near Riva del Garda and Torbole, is reserved for just windsurfing and sailing where you will find plenty of rental shops and schools. Kitesurfing is allowed about 10 km (6 miles) south. Malcesine, Campione, Navene, Limone are the best spots for kitesurfing on Lake Garda.
There are many little hotels all along the lake. We recommend Locanda Ruscello in Limone and Hotel Pier in Riva del Garda, both happily located right on the lake with panoramic views and a short walk to the beach.
There are plenty of other activities to do at lake Garda if you fell like doing something else one day. You can choose from rock climbing, rafting, horse riding, mountain hiking, scuba diving and canyoning.
A cheerful nightlife can be found in the many small towns scattered all around the lake shore, while for some hard party action head to the clubs and disco in the biggest cities on the south shore.
The kiting and windsurfing communities here are very big and both very friendly. The beauty of the place, the wind, the water and the community all make it a place too good to be missed.
Happy Sailing,
Windresorts Administration.
Check out www.windresorts.com for all the free info you need; we don’t sell travel, our goal is to provide unbiased info and advice on wind destinations in the Caribbean.
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