Colico lies at the very top of Lake Como, on the flat plain where the Adda river arrives from the Valtellina, and it is a place that works for a living rather than for the camera. The mountains here are higher and closer than anywhere else on the lake, with Monte Legnone rising to almost 2,600 metres directly above the town, and the lake itself narrows and turns north into a wider, windier stretch. The wind is the local gift. In summer, a steady breeze blows up the lake from the south, the Breva, and the northern end is one of the best places in Italy for windsurfers and kitesurfers, who fill the beaches on warm afternoons.
History is visible in the landscape. On a rocky hill above the town stands the Forte di Fuentes, a Spanish fortress built in 1603 by the governor of Milan, Count of Fuentes, to control the routes into the Valtellina and the passes to the north and protect the Spanish possessions from the Grisons and the Swiss. It was a strategic place, since whoever held it controlled the way between Italy and northern Europe. The fort fell into ruin but has been partly restored and can be visited, and the view from it over the lake and plain is wide.
Colico is a junction. Roads lead east into the Valtellina toward Sondrio, Tirano and the Stelvio or Bernina routes, and north towards Chiavenna and the Splügen Pass into Switzerland. The roads are generally good, with a mix of straights and bends, and the traffic is a mixture of local and long-distance vehicles. The valley floor roads can be busy and dull, and the interest picks up as the roads climb. Be wary of strong winds on exposed stretches and the occasional fog in the plain in autumn and winter.
Services are practical. The town has fuel stations, supermarkets, a train station and plenty of places to eat, and the prices are lower than in the famous lake resorts. It is a good place to refuel the bike and the rider before heading into the mountains or down the lake. Colico Piano, the flat part of the town, has most of the facilities, and the old village of Colico is on the slopes above. There is also a nature reserve at the Pian di Spagna, a wetland with reeds, birds and quiet paths, a short ride from the town.
If you want a taste of the local cuisine, try pizzoccheri, the buckwheat pasta of the Valtellina, with cheese and cabbage, or missoltini, dried lake fish. Both are honest food made for cold winters.