from monte san salvatore overlooking lugano through the panoramic trail to the picturesque village of morcote where you’ll find the most beautifully curated botanical garden and where you can head for a swim in the lake, and later take the boat back - i’m so excited to tell you all about our favorite day hike in ticino, the italian-speaking part of switzerland - and why it better be mandatory on every bucket list!

there is no wrong way to get the day-hike started, whether it is enjoying a chill morning in the old town of lugano or going up san salvatore. let me tell you all about it!

A Morning in Lugano

what is more perfect than starting out the day by sitting at the teal blue lake with scooping some fresh papaya and having pistachio filled croissants (swiss german: gipfeli) from the old town? we took a dip at around parco belvedere at 9 am on a tuesday morning (like your unemployed friend), leaving locals and tourists wondering.

the colorful buildings, fountains, local shops and restaurants make you truly feel like you are somewhere in gelato-vino-italy. after all the italian border is just a few miles, and you’ll see later, a swim away.

monte san salvatore

san salvatore is one of the magical two local peaks, where you can overlook the city of lugano. from lugano paradiso, you can either take the rail up (website, timetable & prices), or take the yellow bus, line 434 to the station called carona ciona and hike to the top for an easy one-hour.

if you follow the sign to the public bathroom, you will find a nice panoramic spot, as well as walking up the stairs. you’ll even find a museum, although neither the rail, nor the museum was open when i hiked up monte san salvatore at 8 am.

swing the world

along the following hike from san salvatore to morcote, you will find two swings for a good break - the first one is a little detour from parco san grato, the second one right next to the church of morcote!

ℹ Swing the World

swing 1: google maps - swing 2: Google Maps

panoramic trail from carona to morcote

the main hike of the day starts in the charming village of carona on the hills. if you spent the morning in lugano, you can again take line 434. it runs from lugano belvedere and lugano paradiso, and you wanna get off at the last station, carona paese.

ℹ From San Salvatore/Carona to Morcote 

DISTANCE: 5.8 MI (9.4 KM) · Difficulty: Easy · 
ELEVATION GAIN: 778 FT (237 M)

you wanna follow the signs to morcote, which will first guide you through a botanical park, parco san grato, where you, by the way, can book a bed to sleep under the stars. be sure to stop for a minute for some snacks. take in the view and some water to stay hydrated. do you smell the scent of dry pine forest and orange peel? how refreshing! the trail stays on top of the mountain with occasional peeks of lake lugano until you reach a glade with a restaurant beneath it.

from there, it’s all easy stair-downhill, where once in a while, lizards will pass by in the dry chestnut forest. see the Chiesa Santa Maria del Sasso? that’s the name of the iconic church of morcote you can’t and you won’t miss out!

morcote, the village

hearing that morcote is considered as one of the most beautiful villages in switzerland shouldn’t be a surprise. there is not a single spot that is not picture-worthy from the ferry port where restaurants have a lake terrace to the boats parked by the lake to cute ice cream shops inside the arcade.

parco scherrer, morcote

from the port of morcote where all the restaurants and cute local shops you’ll reach the most unique botanical garden, parco scherrer, if you walk westbound along the lake for ten minutes where the garden awaits behind an unassuming wall. and the best thing above all? it is all free for you to visit!

inside you will find italian sculptures that make you feel like you are in star-wars como, lush tropical plants that take you deep down mediterranean, or to east asia. check out the restaurant, grotto del parco at the park exit that treats you with yummy ticinese food as well as pizza!

ℹ parco scherrer, morcote 

Google Maps - Apple Maps - openstreetmap

a dip in the lake and the ferry back

made it this far? here’s a true local gem! here comes the favorite part of the day where after a hike a refreshment in the lake washes away all the tiredness. let me present to you the best place in the world to head for a dip. it’s free. it has showers, bathrooms, a lawn where you can rent an umbrella and get ice cream from the restaurant, a swimming area, and a landing stage, the perfect place to dive in head first. from parco scherrer, it’s a 15 minute walk, or you can take the bus!

although we haven’t tried, italy is on the other side of the lake!

ℹ riva pubblica di morcote 

Google Maps

be sure to not miss out on the last boat ride, which unfortunately leaves fairly early at 5:45 pm in summer. you can step out anywhere you like to fade out the evening with a dinner or ride all the way to lugano.

with 🐝 by frank.

useful information

feeling inspired? here are some resources you might find useful if you would like to follow our footsteps:

• website of the monte san salvatore rail

• official tourism website of morcote: swing the world!

• parco san grato, the botanical park on the hike

• parco scherrer, the botanical garden in morcote, as well as the grotto del parco restaurant

• the best place in the world to head for a dip, Riva Pubblica di Morcote

• Ristorante della Posta - a great restaurant in morcote by the lake

• ferry time table