Sentiero del Viandante Colico section

"Colico-Dervio stop. 4 adults, 6 children aged 9 to 14, and a 4-month-old puppy. We arrived in Colico by train. From the station, we walked to San Rocco. We didn't find any signs; maybe there were, but we didn't see any. The hike from the station to the trailhead is an hour's uphill walk among luxurious villas and homes. We gain altitude. Then the trail begins. The first section, always well-marked and uphill, is on a dirt road with car access through chestnut woods. Then we reach villages like Sparesee, followed by Perdonasco and Dorio, all connected by a truly picturesque, pleasant, and scenic stone path. From Perdonasco, the trail begins to descend, with a significant elevation gain, and slowly we reach Dervio, where, with a final push, we reached our accommodation. Dervio is delightful, with a quaint and well-kept historic center, made up of narrow streets and steps, and splendid views of the lake.
Dervio-Varenna stop. Compared to the others, it's not very well marked, or we weren't paying attention. It intersects with the Giro dei Borghi, and the signage is confusing. We even got lost and had to turn back. It also has a different road route (perhaps because we got lost?). Overall, it's quite challenging, with several ups and downs, mostly on stone steps. And if it rained, they can be slippery. The view makes up for the effort. We couldn't find accommodations we could afford in Varenna, so we took the train to a hotel in Mandello."

Fanny Locatelli

"5 of 5: Dervio - Colico Piano
Start from the Dervio train station and, after taking Via Martiri della Liberazione, enter Via Pietro Giglio, where the first signs begin. You pass through the small and charming historic center and, after a drinking fountain, you arrive at the ruins of Dervio Castle, including the beautiful Orezia Tower.
Despite the numerous signs ensuring you won't get lost, you continue for about 1 km, with the disturbing presence of the highway passing nearby before joining the dirt path.
A brief stop to visit the church of St. Thomas of Canterbury, nestled within the walls of the medieval castle of Corenno Plinio.
The trail sign is not well positioned, but you need to continue along the main road until the cemetery on Via Maronasso, where the trail resumes. Once you reach Dorio, you need to go to Via Panico (Panico) to resume the trail. An interesting stop is Mondonico, the so-called "ghost town," where the flat stretch ends and a long dirt road climb begins, culminating in Dorio
(here's another drinking water fountain). Two more small villages, Perdonasco and Sparesee, lead to the center of Colico and its train station, along a paved road that goes all the way downhill."

michele umer

"The Dervio/Colico section (from the Trekkinglecco website, medium difficulty) is 13.7km long with 530m of elevation gain. In fact, according to GPS data, we hiked 16km (to the Colico station) with nearly 700m of elevation gain. This was due to a ridiculous lack of signage at a fork after the hamlet of Mandonico: from there, we took the wrong turn, marked in orange like the entire Sentiero del Viandante (!!!!), which, after over 4km of steady ascent, led us to the hamlet of Monte Piazzo. This route is classified as a difficult trail, but in reality, it is extremely difficult. It winds through rocks, brush, and challenging sections that should be marked in advance to avoid endangering the safety of unprepared hikers and even children. It was only thanks to the specific app available on the Trekkinglecco website that we were able to correct and direct our route, but I believe this technology cannot and should not replace the trail signs, which must always be clear, timely, and logical for everyone.
What would happen if there was no signal, or if the smartphone failed or ran out of battery? Rating: 5"

Alberto 57