The Cannobino Valley Loop

Out and back along the whole Valle Cannobina, from the lake to the top at Malesco and over into the Val Vigezzo: 22km of steady climbing up, 22km of freewheeling down, and in my words, almost car free. 52.5km and 1,292m.

The valley road from Cannobio climbs gently but steadily for over 20km, from the lake to the pass at the top, and in October there's hardly anyone on it. On Sunday 10 October 2021 I rode the whole thing and back: "Out and back along the stunning cannobino valley. Almost car free."

The Valle Cannobina And The Val Vigezzo

The valley takes its name from the Cannobino river, which comes down to Lake Maggiore at Cannobio. Its villages were once separate tiny municipalities and are now one, Valle Cannobina, taking in Cavaglio San Donnino, Crealla, Cursolo, Falmenta, Gurrone, Lunecco, Orasso and Spoccia. At the top of the valley the road crosses the Passo dello Scopello, at about 970m, into the Val Vigezzo, known as the valley of painters for the artists it produced. The Vigezzina railway runs along it on its 52km way from Domodossola to Locarno; it has linked Italy and Switzerland since 1923, and Malesco has a station on it.

The RideCannobio To The Top Of The Valley And BackSunday 10 October 2021

The route, from my GPS track. Green: the start below Cannobio. Straight up the Valle Cannobina past Spoccia and Cursolo, over the top to Malesco and Zornasco in the Val Vigezzo, and back. This ride on Strava →

52.5kmDistance

1,292mClimbing

965mHighest point

193mLowest point (by the lake)

2h 37mMoving time

12:53–15:45Out on the road (2h 51m)

20.0km/hAverage moving speed

48.2km/hTop speed

139 / 168Heart rate, average / max (bpm)

2,318Calories

How The Day Went

12:53 – 14:18

Up the valleySant'Anna → Cavaglio → Spoccia → Cursolo → the top

22.1km197m → 938m+741m3.4% average

14:18 – 14:26

Over the top→ Malesco → Zornasco

3.7km−173m

14:30 – 14:38

StopZornasco

8 min

14:38 – 14:56

Back upZornasco → the top

4km+169m

14:56 – 15:44

All the way downCursolo → Spoccia → Cannobio

22.5km−733m48 min

I set off at 12:53 from just below Cannobio and climbed for an hour and 25 minutes without a break: 741m in 22km at about 3.4%, through Sant'Anna, Cavaglio San Donnino, Spoccia and Cursolo to the top of the valley. Over the top it drops into the Val Vigezzo past Malesco to Zornasco, where I stopped for a few minutes, then climbed back over and let gravity do the rest: 22.5km and 733m downhill in 48 minutes, back at the lake at 15:45.

It's the same road as my two Cannobio to Malesco rides in 2026, and the first time I rode it.

That Week In Cannobio

Two coffees on a café table by the lake at Cannobio with mountains behind — Coffee on the lakefront (6 October 2021).

An Aperol spritz and a beer on a table in the evening sun by Lake Maggiore — An evening spritz by the lake (6 October 2021).

A cappuccino on a table at a lakeside café in the morning — Morning coffee (7 October 2021).

Two spritzes on a café table beside the lake at Cannobio — And another (8 October 2021).

Where It Is

The Valle Cannobina, with Cannobio at the lake (east) and Malesco in the Val Vigezzo (west).