Corvara sits in a bowl of green pasture at the head of the Alta Badia, ringed by the great limestone walls of the Sella group and the Puez, and it has the compact, sunny confidence of a place that has been hosting travellers for a long time. It is a Ladin village, and in the signs, the church, and the farmhouses with their carved balconies, you can see how the Dolomites have kept a culture of their own. The sound of Ladin, a Romance language with hints of German and Italian, is still heard in the cafes.
Corvara is a good place to eat well. The food of the Dolomites mixes Tyrolean and Italian traditions, and menus here run to canederli, the big bread dumplings, casunziei, half-moon pasta stuffed with beetroot, polenta with mushrooms, and apple strudel with cream. Local producers offer cheese and cured meats, and the coffee is Italian in strength. A proper meal here is a pleasure that can turn a couple of hours into half a day, and it is worth allowing for that.
The roads around it are among the best in the Alps. From Corvara you can ride over the Campolongo Pass to Arabba, over the Gardena Pass to Val Gardena, or toward Falzarego and Valparola, and all of them have good surface, steady gradients, and views that make you slow down. The corners range from open sweepers to tight hairpins, and the traffic is heavy on summer weekends but manageable early or late. Winter closes some passes, and snow can fall in any month at altitude.
Fuel is available in Corvara and the nearby villages, though small stations may have limited hours, and it is sensible to fill the tank when you can. Cortina d'Ampezzo, about twenty kilometres away, is the largest town in the area, and has everything a traveller needs. Rest in the sunshine on a terrace if the weather is fair, and keep a warm layer for the evening, when the temperature falls quickly. The light at dusk, when the Sella walls turn pink, is something to remember.