Porto Ronco is the part of the municipality of Ronco sopra Ascona that lies on Lake Maggiore. Here, different beaches meet hiking trails, boat trips and architectural history. This makes choosing a location more specific: consider whether you mainly want to spend time at the beach, plan a hike or reach the Brissago Islands by boat.
Beaches with different features
Porto Ronco Beach is small and has no facilities; it is in the Porto Ronco area below the cantonal road to Brissago. McCouch is also a small beach without facilities. A large eucalyptus tree provides shade there. Crodolo differs as an equipped beach area on a sunbathing lawn, with services, a café and a restaurant.
This gives you a clear distinction to help with your choice: Crodolo combines a sunbathing lawn with amenities, while Porto Ronco and McCouch are small beaches without facilities. McCouch also has the shade of the eucalyptus tree. You can choose between the spots based on the features that matter to you for a stay by the water.
Architectural heritage from two historical periods
An oratory in the Porto Ronco district was built in 1762 by the brothers Benedetto and Carlantonio Cattaneo, using the remains of a small chapel dating from 1620. The dates mark two different stages: 1620 refers to the earlier chapel, and 1762 to the construction of the oratory. The oratory is accessible by a staircase.
Another building with a clear architectural connection is Casa Tutsch in Porto Ronco. It dates from 1928 and was designed by Carl Weidemeyer, a pioneer of modern architecture in Ticino. Together, the two sites represent different approaches to architectural history: the oratory, with its chapel origins, and Casa Tutsch as a work of modern architecture.
Getting around on foot, by bus and by boat
The Brissago Islands can be reached by boat from Porto Ronco. As boat schedules may vary, check the timetable for your planned visit. The landing stage is also a good starting point for walks exploring the surrounding area.
For travel on land, bus route 316 connects Porto Ronco with Locarno and Brissago. After the Ascona Tunnel, the route follows the shore of Lake Maggiore. This gives you several ways to get around: a bus connection between the towns, a boat connection to the islands, and walks that can start at the landing stage.
Choose hikes based on the time they take
The Rasa–Ronco sopra Ascona hike descends to Porto Ronco along a route with many hairpin bends. The entire route is 12.8 kilometres long and takes 5 hours and 20 minutes; route updates may result in slight changes to these figures. This hike takes up a large part of the day.
A different time estimate applies to the Ascona–Ronco sopra Ascona–Brissago route: from Ronco sopra Ascona, a descent to Porto Ronco takes about 15 minutes. The roughly 15 minutes refers to this descent, not to the entire hike from Rasa. So when comparing the routes, it is worth planning the short section and the longer route as separate excursions.
Choosing Porto Ronco as your base
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Porto Ronco, it helps to decide what you want to focus on during your stay: the beach, a hike or a boat trip to the Brissago Islands. The differences between the beaches and the time needed for the hikes give you specific points to consider. This can help you decide whether Porto Ronco suits the activities you want to plan for your trip.
Discover more destinations: Vira, San Nazzaro, Muralto, Mergoscia, Rasa, Borgnone, Brione, Intragna
Back to the main travel guide: Locarno.
