Vinadia canyon round tour

Driving from Lauco to Vinaio, you immediately reach the big, free parking place. From there, hike by the main road back some 150 m. By electrical station the marked path deters left down from the road (plate). You quickly lose altitude, then the path turns right into the side ravine and by it again down (eastwards) into the canyon of Vinadia creek.

The first landmark is the natural rock gate. A big tower almost collapsed, but due to narrow canyon it just leaned till the opposite wall. You follow the creek through the natural window and on the other side almost reach the confluence of Dongieaga creek and Vinadia creek. The Picchions waterfall is just left around the corner. You can visit it immediately (you need to cross the creek) or leave it for later, on the return.

Then you continue southwards, along the right bank of Vinadia creek. There's no more path, so you need to follow rare red marks. Some scrambling over the boulders, but passages are mostly easy. Very soon you reach the point where on return you'll need to cross the creek. That can be a small challenge in high waters, on our visit the ropes for help were demolished.

But we first continue southwards along Vinadia. In minutes, on the right a high, but poor wit water waterfall shows up. Another short stretch along the right bank of Vinadia and we are on the wild point where the creek enters into a narrow canyon between two hills. There it looks like the end of the tour, but supposedly a more difficult, with steel ropes and pegs secured route continues into the canyon. Still, on that route you must supposedly also enter into the cold water.

So, on point "D" we return and hike back to the point where the marked trail crosses the creek. On the other side it ascends steeply, first to a nice bench with the view down on Picchions waterfall, then further up, and finally left above the Dongieaga creek. Descending to it, we lose some altitude, and then continue just by the water.

Red marks can easily be followed till the section with some wonderful cascades. There we lost them, not even trying to cross the creek. So, we climbed the steep slope right out of the creek bed and hiked over meadows till the road. The marked path crosses the creek and goes by it up till the road.

Finally we only return by the road to the church in Vinaio and further to the parking place.