Arco with kids: a campsite below the rock, ice cream in Riva and a bike ride to the Ponale waterfall on Lake Garda

Arco is a small town a few kilometres north of Lake Garda, famous among climbers all over the world. A rock with castle ruins rises above its roofs, and all around there are vertical walls where the Rock Master competition has been held since 1987. In summer 2025 we spent nine days here, from 29 July to 7 August, during our campervan holiday. Several families we are friends with stayed on the same campsite, so the kids had company from morning till night. We explain how we organise such trips in our guide A holiday with several families.

Arco Prabi campsite below Monte Colodri

The campsite lies on the Sarca river, right below the rock face of Monte Colodri. From our pitch we could see the rock with the castle above the town. We booked the campsite well in advance. At reception everyone got a wristband. A gate leads from the campsite straight onto the cycle path, and it is open from seven in the morning to eleven at night.

For the kids the most important thing was the playground with a red slide below the vertical rock.

Campsite guests can also use the nearby Prabi lido for free. The best things there were two diving boards and a climbing wall that you fall off straight into the water. No surprise, really, because Arco is a mecca for climbers. The water in the pools was quite cold, though, so Helena soon found her favourite spot: under the outdoor shower with warm water.

On 2 August it poured for several hours. We put the bikes under a tarp, waited out the storm in the tents and in Beza, and wondered what had happened to sunny Italy.

A via ferrata to Monte Colodri starts above the campsite. We climbed it twice, both times in the evening. We wrote about it in our post Via ferratas with kids near Arco.

Evenings in Arco

The centre of Arco is a few minutes from the campsite by bike, so in the evenings we often rode into town. On the square below the collegiate church we ate pizza and listened to street musicians. In the centre there is also a playground in front of a yellow building, where Helena could swing as much as she wanted.

By bike for ice cream in Riva and Dro

A cycle path runs from Arco to Riva del Garda through vineyards and olive groves. It is about 5 km to Riva. On 31 July we rode it to get ice cream at Gelateria Eta Beta in Riva. You can even buy ice cream there in one-kilogram boxes.

On the afternoon of 2 August, when the rain stopped, we rode for ice cream in the other direction, to Dro. The ice cream shop there is easy to spot thanks to the giant cone that stands by the roundabout.

In Riva we had lunch twice at Osteria degli Artisti on Via Disciplini. The kids spent part of the meal sitting in the window, which looks out onto a narrow street in the old town.

By bike to the Ponale waterfall

On 5 August we cycled the old Ponale road. It was built in 1848-1851 to connect Riva with the Ledro valley. The road is cut into the rock high above the lake, and since 2004 only cyclists and walkers can use it. From Arco we rode about 30 km in total, and the climb above Riva was really tough. But the views of the lake made every metre worth it.

Our goal was the Cascata del Ponale waterfall in a green gorge. Below it there is a natural pool, and in the heat we were happy to cool down in it. We only got back to the campsite at eight in the evening.

Practical info

We checked this in November 2026.

The campsite

• Camping Arco (also called Arco Prabi) is at Via Legionari Cecoslovacchi 12, on the Sarca river.
• In 2026 the campsite is open from 20 March to 8 November.
• Campsite guests get free entry to the Prabi lido.

Garda Guest Card

• Guests of partner accommodation in the Garda Trentino area get the card for free. It is valid for your whole stay.
• With the card you can use public transport in the province of Trento as much as you like.
• With the card a day ticket for the boats on the northern part of the lake costs 12 € including a bike, and without the card 20.50 €.
• The card also gives free or cheaper entry to museums and castles, and in Riva one free ride in the lift up to the Bastione.

The Ponale road

• The road starts in Riva del Garda and leads to Molina di Ledro. The whole route is about 10 km long with about 550 m of climbing.
• The road is gravel, and the climb is long and steep in places. Our youngest daughter rode in a child seat, but the other kids had to ride up on their own.