Switzerland's Italian south: palm trees, grottos and the emerald Verzasca river. Two warm, full days from one base in Locarno on Lake Maggiore.
Day 1
The day: Up the Verzasca valley. The giant GoldenEye dam, the tiny stone village of Corippo clinging to the slope, then the Roman bridge at Lavertezzo over impossibly clear water. Lunch at the grotto, an afternoon swim, dinner in Locarno's old town.
8:30 AM — Breakfast at Hotel Belvedere Locarno
10:00 AM — Diga Verzasca — the 220m dam from the GoldenEye bungee scene
11:15 AM — Corippo — one of the smallest villages in Switzerland
12:00 PM — Ponte dei Salti — Roman double-arch bridge and emerald pools
1:00 PM — Lunch at Grotto al Ponte
7:30 PM — Dinner at Ristorante Cittadella Garni
Overnight — Hotel Belvedere Locarno
Day 2
The day: Drive to the end of the valley to car-free Sonogno and walk up to the La Froda waterfall. Afternoon on the lake: the Ascona promenade, then Locarno's palm-lined Piazza Grande as the light goes golden.
8:30 AM — Breakfast at Hotel Belvedere Locarno
10:30 AM — La Froda — 20-min walk up from Sonogno village
12:30 PM — Lunch at Grotto Efra
3:00 PM — Lungolago di Ascona — Mediterranean lakefront promenade
5:00 PM — Piazza Grande — Locarno's old square at golden hour
7:30 PM — Dinner at Hotel Belvedere Locarno
Overnight — Hotel Belvedere Locarno