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Windsurfing, spot review: Pra de la Fam (Garda Lake) The spot of Pra de la Fam, at Tignale, on Garda Lake, is one of the best spot of the lake where you can ride with the Peler, the typical morning thermal wind, or with foehn winds from the North. We tried it, and we were immediately well impressed by its characteristics. You can reach the spot driving on "gardesana occidentale", the main road on lake west coast. Coming from the South, the spot is 6.5 km after Gargnano village, while, coming from the North, it is 3.5 km after Campione del Garda. The spot is particular, and therefore suggestive. In this part of the lake, the coast is mostly steep and rocky, and the beach of the spot is one of the few points that offers some extra plan space, and allows the entry into the water with a reasonable comfort . Coming from the South, as we did, the spot catches you almost by surprise. After several galleries and steep coast parts, suddenly after a last tunnel, you see in front of you a beautiful lemon garden (a typical greenhouses for Lemons that you find on Garda lake), in a large rocky niche in the mountain, well exposed South/Southeast. The road here  enlarges and offers parking for a dozen cars on the left. On the right, that is on the shore of the lake, you can see a short pebble beach with a few trees, just in front of the Pra Bar, located on the opposite side of the road. Entrance into the water from this beach is easy. You just have to deal with the inconvenience of transporting the equipment from the parking lot where you left the car (and where it is more convenient to assemble your rig) to the beach. The car parks, however, are located at a maximum of 50 meters from the beach (in front of the beach, on the contrary, where the road bends, there are no parking facilities). Otherwise, at least until the wind is not entered, you can also put the rig toghether directly on the beach, which offers little but enough space. On the beach there is a concrete structure where a rack is placed, and where you can leave the sails rigged (few places). It's possible to leave your car in one of the ten places (parking disc), located immediately at the exit of the tunnel on the left (mountain side), coming from the south. Typically these places, within the 7.30 to 8.00, are depleted (unless you are out of season, and during the week). Otherwise, there is a large fee parking (fifty places) right by the lake, which is easier to access coming from the North. In fact, it is reached by a narrow road (attention bar 1.85 cm high at the entrance!) that crosses at 10-20 degrees the Gardesana (on Campione direction side), almost at the North end of the tunnel. So, coming from the south, just before the end of the tunnel you should make a dangerous turning of 340-350 ° (to be avoided!). Better, in this case, to proceed further, and shortly after the exit of the tunnel do inversion. Coming from the north, access is safer. Pay also attention to the fact that, coming out of the parking lot (compulsorily to the north) on the Gardesana road, you have little visibility: just before the graft, you have a curve on the Gardesana, then you do not see the cars arriving. Here, except in summer, there is room enough even coming about at 8.00. Parking here, you assemble comfortably your rig on the parking lot, and then you bring your equipment along the beach under the Gardesana road, for fifty meters up to the beach previously described in front of "Bar al Pra". Otherwise, you can help each other with your friends and pass boards and sails, to overcome the low wall that borders the parking lot on the lake side. In general, however, most riders get into water from the beach in front of the Bar al Pra. In fact, one of the peculiarities of the spot, which is a small disadvantage, but it also offers some positive consequences, is the fact that until the Peler has not entered well, the beach and the shore in general remain slightly sheltered from the wind. If the Peler comes in at over 25 knots, the wind is assured even on the beach (while Bar and parking places along the road are sheltered from the wind, being hidden in the rocky niche). In such cases, wind is strong and well spread off shore. If it comes less strong, or when is entering, or letting go, near the shore is unstable, and almost absent in the area of paid parking. Some riders, therefore, prefer to park along the road (few places), further north, facing the discomfort of having to get into the water with the equipment from the shore of the lake, which here is steep, but less protected from the Peler, which here comes full abeam. Besides the paid parking, finally, there is the small port of Tignale (few small boats) and a space reserved for swimming (with another stretch of beautiful beach), as well as a green area fenced where there is windsurfing and kitesurfing school on the spot (kiteschool.it), which is closed out of season. The spot is only 1 hour and a half / 2 hours drive from Milan (and is closer to the other towns of Bergamo, Brescia; while Verona is about 1 hour and a half). So for those who do not have trouble waking up very early, it is reachable directly the morning of the session, starting between 6 and 7 o'clock a.m., depending on where you begin your driving. Otherwise, you can stay overnight in Toscolano-Maderno, Gargnano or Campione del Garda (the latter another spot where you can ride with the Peler). We tried to stay in Bogliaco of Gargnano at "Al Marinaio", small guesthouse with restaurant (59 € the double and about 25 euro for dinner - prices updated at November 2014). Otherwise, you can stay at the B & B "Torre degli Ulivi" (right on the spot, entrance overlooking the paying parking lot - 75 € per person in low season in 2014), run by the legendary Mariella. Finally, just in front of the spot beach you have the Hotel al Pra de la fam.  The windsurfers who usually ride at the spot refer to "Pradelafam.net" website (where you can also see the webcam of the spot), or to the Association "Windsurfing Garda Lake" . The beauty of this spot, besides the great scenery you have around, is that the rocky niche, sheltered from the wind, facing south and kissed by the sun, gives in autumn / winter time very pleasant temperatures that allow to assemble and wear and unwear your wetsuit without suffering much cold (read  our report on session of 2th of november 2014: 16°C at 7 a.m. and 25°C at noon). The sun rises enough early behind the Monte Baldo (obviously, in winter you have to wait more time), and immediately offers its warmth (while Malcesine - the other famous Peler spot, in autumn / winter, remains in shadow both on shore and in the water for a great part of the morning). It is no coincidence that here there is the lemon garden, and you can see the Bouganville flowering in autumn. Having completed the description of the logistics, we come, now, to the most interesting part: the wind. As we said, the spot works with the Peler and with the winds from the north (e.g. Foehn). In the afternoon, the "Ora" also rises here (the thermal wind from South typical of Garda). But it is very light, and suitable only for beginners. The Peler blows all year round and is generated by the temperature difference, and, therefore, even pressure difference, between the colder and heavy air that in the night, and in the early morning, is positioned in the mountains and valleys at North of the lake, and the warmer and lighter air which is located in the southern part of the lake. At Pra, the Peler enters later that in Malcesine, located further north. Typically, here, it comes between 8.00 and 8.30 a.m., or, better, at this time it spreads well and reaches even the beach from where you start and it is enough strong offshore. Before that time, it remains off, and to reach it you have to ride even 150 meters from the shore (possible if you don't have low volume boards). Once spread, it can last until late morning (around 11.00) and can achieve remarkable intensity, superior to similar thermal other pre-alpine lakes winds (e.g. the Como Lake Tivano).  In the better days, it can get to 25-35 knots, requiring sails from 4.0 / 4.7 m. Off, in such conditions, significant wave is generated, to be a lake spot (approximately 1 meter / 1 meter and a half). Near the shore, however, the water remains flat (good conditions for freestyle), and the average wind lowers, although the gusts can reach with violence even the beach. The foehn wind from the north can get really bad here and grow up to 40-50 knots (especially during winter), resulting in very demanding conditions, and suitable only for the more experienced riders. But, we have to say that the Foehn, often, blow crooked over Lake Garda, that is, from the North West. It is not an ideal direction, since the Lake is oriented North-South, so that the Foehn is pretty gusty here. In the section "Wind predictions of Waterwind", you can find the more useful links for Peler predictions, and, in general, for typical Garda lake winds predictions. The spot, on the whole, is relatively safe, although generally not suitable for beginners with the Peler. Leaving from the beach in front of the Bar Al Pra, you have about 150 meters to drift, with other downwind beaches, useful for the landing in case of breakage, or other problems, before the coast gets steep agaiun. As mentioned, near the shore, the wind is less strong (especially at mid-morning). So, if you do not feel sure, you can stay close to the beach, without going off, even if with more unstable wind conditions. For those in search of planing, you have 4 kms before reaching the other coast at Brenzone..... In short, the Pra de la Fam is a spot that we really like, and that sincerely recommend to all fans.   Aloha. Fabio Muriano