Canyoning in Ticino: these are the most beautiful gorges
Rock faces, waterfalls, pure adrenaline: the 8 best canyoning spots in Ticino for adventure seekers.
Boggera Gorge: the ideal introduction
The Boggera Gorge in the Valle di Cresciano is the perfect place to get your first taste of canyoning. The gorge opens wide towards the valley, providing a sun-drenched introduction to the world of canyoning. A water park-like landscape with emerald green pools awaits you.
The Boggera impresses with its versatility. Jumps of up to eleven meters are possible. However, you can also bypass all passages or abseil down instead. It is also possible to exit at any time. The smooth granite rocks offer wonderful natural slides, which are ideal for first experiences.
Iragna Gorge: hours of action for advanced canyoners
This Iragna Gorge is one of the most challenging canyoning routes in Ticino. The tour through the Val d'Iragna is not for the faint-hearted, but for anyone who loves a sporting challenge. The narrow, deeply carved gorge offers long natural slides and waterfalls up to 40 meters high.
The rock faces tower high and create an almost cathedral-like atmosphere. When you descend into the Iragna Gorge, you experience Ticino canyoning in its purest form. The passage requires courage, body control and a certain amount of previous experience.
Must-do: Experience the free-hanging abseil point at the 40-metre waterfall. Depending on the provider, the guided tour takes around five to seven hours and is only suitable for experienced gorge hikers.
Lodrino Gorge: the supreme discipline
In a remote side valley of the Riviera, between Biasca and Bellinzona, the Lodrino Gorge is one of the most beautiful and challenging gorges in the Alps. Here, 200-metre-high granite walls tower up, concealing impressive abseiling and jumping opportunities.
The Lodrino Gorge is famous for its 50-metre-long abseil section, where a waterfall suddenly bursts out of the rock after the first third - no one stays dry here. Jumps of 15 meters, narrow passages and deep pools between massive boulders provide adrenaline.
Good to know: The Lodrino Gorge can only be visited when the water conditions are ideal. Then it is a dream location in Ticino for canyoning enthusiasts with a good level of fitness and a good dose of courage.
After such an exciting canyoning tour in Ticino, you deserve an excellent dinner. Preferably in one of the GaultMillau restaurants in Switzerland. As an American Express Platinum Cardholder, you can easily make your reservations at these fine dining temples via Platinum Travel & Lifestyle Service.
As a Platinum Dining Benefit, you will receive a credit worth CHF 40 once a quarter with your Platinum Card if you spend more than CHF 250 in a GaultMillau restaurant that accepts American Express. Simply pay at the restaurant of your choice and the credit will be issued immediately.
Pontirone Gorge: cave-like canyoning experience
The Pontirone Gorge above Biasca gives you the feeling of walking through a natural cathedral. The high rock faces create an almost mystical atmosphere.
The rock (Riale Legiuna) has created an impressive landscape in the canyon over thousands of years. Deep pools alternate with steep abseil passages. The Pontirone is suitable for all levels of canyoning experience. You can reach the wilderness via a 13-kilometre-long, winding route from Malvaglia.
Good to know: At the free-hanging abseil point on the 45-metre-high waterfall, you literally float in free fall next to the roaring water - pure adrenaline therapy.
Corippo Gorge: family-friendly and very impressive
The Corippo Gorge in the Verzasca Valley near Vogorno is the ideal place for families and canyoning newcomers in Ticino. This gorge combines safety with spectacular experiences. Children from the age of ten can also master the tour, which takes three and a half to four hours, offers jumps of a maximum of seven meters and well-secured abseiling points.
Val Grande: natural slides and mini-Niagara
Val Grande near Gordevio in the Maggia Valley is ideal for canyoning in Ticino. Especially if you love natural slides. The highlight is the so-called "Little Niagara", a 25-metre-high waterfall. The tour through the Val Grande first leads through the old chestnut forests of the Maggia Valley.
The gorge itself offers a good mixture of open and difficult-to-access passages. The interplay of light and shadow in the various sections of the gorge is particularly impressive: The white granite rocks reflect the sunlight and create a magical atmosphere.
Cugnasco Gorge: Family-friendliness meets adventure
The Cugnasco Gorge to the north-east of Lake Maggiore is a multi-talented canyon in Ticino. It is characterized by crystal-clear pools of water and round granite stones. Surrounded by forest, the gorge offers an ideal combination of technical challenges and natural beauty.
You can look forward to abseils up to 35 meters high, sometimes directly through waterfalls. Jumps from heights of up to ten meters are also possible and there are natural slides up to ten meters long.
Good to know: The Cugnasco Gorge is particularly family-friendly due to its moderate current and the fact that all jumps and slides are optional. The easy access by car and the short ascent of just 30 to 40 minutes make it one of the most accessible canyoning destinations in Ticino.
Val di Vira: taster course on Lake Maggiore
The Val di Vira in the southern part of Lake Maggiore near Monte Gambarogno is the ideal place for a canyoning taster course. Short sections of gorge alternate with streams, creating ideal conditions for your first canyoning experience. Children as young as six can take part.
The guided tours in Val di Vira last around two hours and offer everything a canyoning enthusiast could wish for: suitable abseiling points, slides and jump areas with heights of up to seven meters. The gorge is accessible from May to October.
Good to know: Val di Vira is the only place in Ticino where even six-year-olds can take part in canyoning, partly because of the short tour time of two hours.
Gold Card or Platinum Card? Which credit card will accompany you on your adventures?
Canyoning in Ticino: adventures between granite and crystal water
Ticino is Switzerland's canyoning paradise. From the family-friendly Corippo Gorge to the challenging Lodrino Gorge, the region offers the right conditions for every taste and canyoning level: with a Mediterranean climate, crystal-clear water and impressive granite formations.
After intensive days in the gorges, you will also find everything you need for perfect relaxation in the region. First-class restaurants, relaxing wellness offers, traditional markets and other sights round off your trip.
An American Express credit card makes traveling a particularly pleasant experience. Depending on the card model, various travel benefits are available to you - from insurance benefits and discounted car rental conditions to special dining benefits for first-class culinary experiences.
Frequently asked questions and answers
The minimum age varies depending on the gorge. In Val di Vira, six-year-olds can take part, while in most other gorges the minimum age is ten or twelve. For challenging tours such as the Lodrino Gorge, participants should be at least 16 years old.
Basically, you should be able to swim and have a normal level of fitness. A head for heights is important, as abseiling passages and jumps are part of canyoning. The maximum weight limit is usually 125 kilograms.
The main season runs from May to October. July and August are particularly popular. In the shoulder months there is less going on and the temperatures are more pleasant.
