Kitesurfing at Lago di Como

Overveiw and popular spots description.

Lake Como, or Lago di Como (IT)  is located in north Italy, just an hour drive from Milano. If you plan on flying in it is easily accessible by train. I would recommend coming here by car, especially if you intend to go kitesurfing. My first impression of this place was a freeride heaven. Usually, thermal wind, picks up around noon (plus minus hour). It is a classical “foil start, twin tip finish” place. Once in a while, you can get a really nice surprise from the North, and then it can be a looping “game on mode”, not so often though. Everything here depends on the forecast and the bigger picture – remember You are in the mountains, not any mountains!

• Beginner – If You want to learn to kitesurf your career can start here from a boat only. All the schools that teach around the lake use boats, there is no safe (#ikosafe)  place here to fly the kite so from the very beginning you are in the water, deep water. This is very beneficial, as bodydragging upwind, kite handling, and good kite flying skills are second nature, usually on the first day out. You have the kite all the time for yourself and there is no walking upwind – all you can get is a boat ride upwind ha! The progression curve is insane here! I’ll stop here and save the topic of how it is to work at the best kite school around here for another time.. 414kiting you know I’m talking about you!

• Wave rider – sorry but there are no proper waves here. It gets choppy more or less from the wind and the amount of the boats, ferries, and other water shizzle that you can spot here.
• Foil – as I said – heaven. Although skills are necessary when going from land.
• Wing foil – is very popular here and it is also a very good place for it. You can rent equipment easily around the lake in almost every windsurf school.
• Freestyler – yes, you can but you won’t find a lot flat here (one small place close to La Punta). On the other hand, who said you need flat for freestyle. Ben Beholz has a lot of content from around Como and there you can see how you can shred here! But for those who want easy flat water progress – there are better places to go.

Amount of activities here is endless! Hiking, biking, mtb trails, team sports, adventure parks, every water activity besides kitesurfing, and I do count eating amazing Italian food also as an activity. This place is beyond beautiful, no wonder they shoot James bond movies here. As it goes for accommodation options there is plenty to choose from. Campsites, hotels, Aiirbnb. If you don’t have a car – Gera Lario or Cremia would be my choice. Both are very quiet, Gera with a bit better accessibility.

Overview:

• Easy accessible freeride and foil paradise.
• Lake in the mountains – check the forecast and always be ready to do a self-rescue.
• Safety – nothing to stomp on as it is deep, noting scary in the water and helpful people at the spots, but still I would say go from a boat. At least once.
• Gets crowded during the weekends and can be a mess.
• The wind season is here from May to September (before and after these months the wind can be there but the water temperature gets much lower and you need to be prepared for it).

Wind&Weather

It is a chase or follow the wind place, it can be windy at one spot but even mirror calm at the other, so it is on you to get as much intel and prediction skill for this place. There are a lot of meters and web cameras to evaluate the situation and pick the best place for today’s session. Having a car here is very useful.  
The South thermal classic winds is called Breva it’s between 8-20knt. Starts around noon and can last the whole day. S wind works with most spots here, so pick the best that day (meters and webcams).
The North wind, the other way around stronger brother from another mother Tivano blows usually in the early morning (7-10 am). It can be predicted using the gradient of air pressure between Zurich and Lugano. Tivano is stronger (up to 30knt and more) and gustier. When the weather is not so sunny and stable, you can also catch a ricaduta wind, which means strong wind just after a storm passes. The N winds spots are Dervio or Cremia. 
I will repeat that again and again – always check the forecast, do research about wind in the alps  and always be ready to do a self-rescue! 
Storms – deserve another mention here. Check a radar. Even if there is a storm passing on the west/north side of the mountains, it can affect the wind at the lake (drop/changes of direction). SwissMeteo is a basic application to go to, observe what happens with the wind here and you will have a good idea what to expect. The app is not perfect but usually, it is enough. 

This is a classic from a boat experience place but there are few spots you can go kiting from land. In the North of Lake Como it would be:

Honorable mentions:

1. Dongo
   east side of the lake, between Gera Lario and Cremia, launch spot on a thin strip of grass, works on S and N wind, but with N for advanced riders (limited landing area)
2. Valmadrera
   west side just outside the town Lecco, really early morning sessions (5am-9am), N Tivano wind, advanced kiters only due to launching/landing options, gets very busy
3. Mandello del Lario
   west side just between Lecco and Dervio, N Tivano wind, advanced kiters only due to launching/landing options, can be very gusty

Check out also this Epic article about Como from a slightly different angle!
Hope the informations here are useful.
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See you on the water!