Monte Velo Trail-Tour

Signage: 760. Monte Velo Trail - Tour

Long climbs, entertaining descents, beautiful views and varying landscapes – and a great variant: all this awaits you on this circuit. From Arco, begin as for tour 759 via San Martino and Carobbi to Passo Due Sassi, then continue via Malga Zanga to Santa Barbara. A variant via the Maso Naranch Trail starts here, but should only be tackled by experts. The tour skirts around the west of Monte Creino, taking a series of beautiful trails to the Maso Naranch farmstead, which is a great place to stop for refreshments. From there you don’t ride straight down to Nago, you cross over instead into Val di Gresta, an agricultural valley famous for its organic farming. The varied descent to Loppio is on partly tarmacked, partly gravel cart tracks. You then take the cycle path to Nago and return easily to the starting point in Arco.

Variants: 760a. Variante Maso Naranch Trail

The starting point of the tour is in Arco, along the cycling path next to the Caneve car park. Following the cycle path towards the town centre of Arco, we cross the river Sarca and ride northwards along it. We pass by the climbing stadium and cross the river once again. At the roundabout we cross the main road and reach the treelined street on the other side, which leads to the Convent of San Francesco.

Instead of going all the way to the convent, we turn left in Via di Sai and then right into Via Angelo Maino. At the crossroads near the car park we turn left and ride through the hamlet of San Martino passing by the church located on a high spot. Then we keep right and start our ascent on a rather narrow asphalt road in the direction of the Policromuro crag and the Bosco Caproni. Once we reach Pianaura, we come upon a fork and turn right to continue the climb towards Troiana, where the asphalt gives way to a dirt road, and Carobbi, a nice spot surrounded by beautiful chestnut groves. From here, make sure before heading straight at the junction for Braila to fill up with water at the spring near the house nearby.

Now follow directions again and, after a short downhill stretch through the woods, you start climbing again towards Passo Due Sassi. On a clear day, this stretch of the route which takes you towards Malga Zanga, offers stunning views. Once you have passed the pastures, you need to make one final effort to get to the pass, Passo Santa Barbara. When you come to the stop sign at the pass, where you will also find a water fountain, keep to the right and follow the main road for a hundred metres or so. Follow directions and leave the road, keeping to the left, and you are back on a dirt track again. Now you come to the downhill run with the worst going which leads you down towards Malga Fiavei. When you come to a sharp bend to the right, which is on route 762, keep left and head towards Pannone. At the next junction keep on straight, still going downhill, and you will come to Maso Naranch and its marvellous views over Lake Garda.

Keep on going in the direction of Pannone and when you get near the shrine of San Rocco, you will find yourself back on a paved road again. Keep on straight until you come to the main road which goes up from Pannone to Passo Santa Barbara. Keep to the right here, heading down towards the nearby village and almost immediately, turn right. An old dirt road brings you back onto the main road near the ruins of Castel Gresta. From here on, continue downhill towards Loppio and the route will  take you off and back onto the main road repeatedly until you come to the cycle path which runs along the bottom of the valley. Turn right onto it in the direction of Lake Garda. When you reach the pass at Passo San Giovanni, follow directions for the bike trail towards Nago and ride through the historic centre. As you leave the town, you come to a roundabout where you turn left onto a steep downhill lane which runs through a car park. You are back on a dirt track again and when you come to the snack bar Sesto Grado, cross the main road for Torbole, continuing downhill in the direction of Arco. Once you get to the bottom, in sight of Arco Castle, follow directions and cross the peaceful farmland of Pratosaiano until you get back to where you started from.

Find out how to reach Garda Trentino.