The hike from Varenna to Esino Lario follows 6.5 kilometres of ancient cobblestone mule tracks (mulattiere) climbing 550m through chestnut forests, shaded valleys, and limestone outcrops. These are the same paths walked for centuries by the farmers of Esino who descended to the market in Varenna with their mule-loads — today they make one of the most beautiful and least crowded treks on the whole of Lake Como.
The route starts at the center of Varenna Perledo (220m a.s.l.) and climbs to the village of Esino Lario (914m a.s.l.), gateway to the Grigna Settentrionale Regional Park. Unlike the more famous trails on Lake Como, this one is rarely busy — especially on weekdays and in spring/autumn.
Interactive map of the Varenna–Esino Lario route.
GPX track on Leaflet/OpenStreetMap to be added when available.
The route waypoint by waypoint
The full route description
The historic mule track itinerary between Varenna and Esino Lario passes through the forests of the Lecco municipalities of Varenna, Perledo, and Esino Lario. It is the traditional walking connection between the two communities. The ascent to Esino Lario is approximately 6.5 km.
Where to start
Starting from Varenna-Esino-Perledo station, head south to take the road toward Esino following the stream of the same name toward the lake. At the end of the road, turn left onto Via Giovanni Polvani, then after 50m turn left onto Via per Vezio, then left again to enter the forest.
The route — from Vezio to Gesuolo delle Pianche
Follow the trail to the hamlet of Vezio. From here you can make a short detour left to reach the Castle of Vezio. To continue toward Esino Lario, follow the road to the car park. Just before the parking area, the high variant of the Sentiero del Viandante toward Lecco begins on the right. Take it and follow the trail to the first junction, bearing right. At the next junction bear left and follow the trail along the mid-slope of the valley to reach the Gesuolo delle Pianche, which marks the boundary between Perledo and Esino Lario.
The historic mule track — ruins and mills
Continue along the ancient mule track to the valley floor, where you find the ruins of a dam on the Esino stream — it supplied the village's first electricity in the late 1920s. Further on, past the confluence of the Vigna and Ontragno valleys, cross the Esino stream on the ancient stone bridge (said to date to Roman times), surrounded by the ruins of several old mills.
Arrival at Esino
After a short but steep climb you arrive at Esino Inferiore (Psciac), welcomed by the Lavatoio di San Giovanni, a characteristic old stone trough. From here follow the road to the village square, where you can admire the church of San Giovanni Battista. To reach the town hall, skirt the church and take Via Dante on the left, following it to the junction with the provincial road.
Source: Wikivoyage. Photos by GianClaudio Ferraroli.
Images from the trail
Variants & extensions
The Sentiero del Viandante
An important medieval communication route along the eastern shore of Lake Como: it ran from Lecco to Colico and then up the Adda and Mera valleys into Switzerland. Because of the sheer cliffs over the lake between Mandello and Bellano, from Lierna the road climbed to Ortanella (a hamlet of Esino Lario) before descending toward Vezio — where the Castle of Vezio can still be visited today.
The mule tracks you walk today from Varenna to Esino follow part of this ancient medieval route. Every bend, every cobbled stretch carries centuries of footsteps: merchants, soldiers, pilgrims, and later the 19th-century geologists heading up to the Grigna fossils.