Monte Tamaro: Everything You Need to Know and More!

Monte Tamaro is one of the best places to visit in Ticino for both families and adventure lovers alike. Sara grew up in the same area of Switzerland and visited Monte Tamaro multiple times as a child and teenager. So she decided she wanted to show me around!

You can find the park in the middle of the triangle of towns made up of Lugano, Locarno and Bellinzona. Taking its namesake from the nearby mountain peak – Monte Tamaro offers visitors a plethora of outdoor activities.

We had the pleasure of spending an entire day exploring Monte Tamaro and experiencing everything this small mountain resort has to offer. By the end of this blog you’ll be able to plan your perfect day out to this extraordinary destination. So lets dive right in!

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Monte Tamaro activities for all the family!

Monte Tamaro is way more than just a mountain that you can climb (or ride the gondola up). You’ll find it’s more akin to a mini-amusement park. With plenty of activities for both adults and children to enjoy together you can’t go wrong.

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a monkey? The treetop adventure park is the place for you.

Want to speed down the mountain at speeds of up to 50 km/h? Then Monte Tamaro’s Coaster Bob toboggan run should be your first stop.

But there’s more than that to treat the family for the day!

Splash & Spa Tamaro

In the small town of Rivera you can find Splash and Spa. Its huge white domes and spiraling green waterslide should easily give it away.

What makes Splash and Spa a great family day out? You can find the answer in its name.

The “Splash” area offers a range of pools and fun amenities for the younger generation. These include a wave pool, multiple heated pools and a children’s splash area. With names such as “Gravity Killer”, “Tunnel of Horror” and “Washing Machine” for their waterslides, you can be sure that your kids will be able to amuse themselves for hours!

Now for the adults! Think of hot and cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms and a swim-up cocktail bar. You’ll be excited to see the back of your kids as they run off.

There’s a huge range of packages to go for. Just make sure to check out the prices and opening times before visiting.

This is perfect combination of fun, excitement, relaxation and wellness. Together you’ll have yourself a recipe for an experience you’ll never forget!

Gondola Ride up Monte Tamaro

To get up to Alpe Foppa which is 1530m (5020 ft) high, you’ll get to ride the gondola cable car almost all of the way up Monte Tamaro.

The cable car return price is CHF 31 for adults and CHF 16 for children. There’s also a seasonal price if you’re a local and are planning to visit a lot! The cable car runs from 8:30am to 5pm in low season, and 8:30am to 6:00pm in high season (July and August).

Enjoy the 15-minute ride up to Alpe Foppa as you watch the town of Rivera disappear below you. Disembark at the middle station for the Adventure Park or at the top station for everything else!

Monte Tamaro’s Coaster Bob

The Coaster Bob is the name for Monte Tamaro’s 800m toboggan slide, and it does not disappoint. Reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h, the Coaster Bob is an attraction that both adults and children can enjoy!

As soon as you step out of the top gondola station, it’s hard to miss. This huge metal structure runs from the top of the hill all the way to the bottom. It costs a minimum of CHF 5.00 for one run (which is cheap for Switzerland, trust me!). You can even buy packages of 5, 10 or 50 runs to save some money if you’re planning to toboggan down more than once.

In Alpe Foppa (the restaurant at the bottom of the run) you can pay for the tickets. The Coaster Bob is pretty popular so quite often you’ll need to queue and wait your turn.

Adventure Park Monte Tamaro

At the middle gondola station you’ll find Monte Tamaro’s very own treetop adventure park. It’s basically a bunch of acrobatic or balancing challenges that you may have seen in regular children’s play parks. However, the challenges are suspended around 10-12m up in the treetops! Don’t worry though, you’re all harnessed in, so you can’t fall to the ground.

Adventure Park Monte Tamaro boasts three different courses: the mini trail, the medium trail and the big trail. Each trail is based mainly on height. Most adults will only be able to tackle the big trail (unless you’re under 150cm tall). Kids can take on any of the trails as long as they’re under the minimum height and age requirements. You can find them here.

The big trail offers four different levels of difficulty between 3-13m of height. The final drop at the end aptly named “The Final Tamaro Jumping”.

The medium trail is suspended between 3-8m and is perfect for kids to test out their balancing skills. They can even try the new “extreme” level if they’re brave enough.

The last trail is the mini-trail. It is for smaller kids and is suspended between 1-1.5m off the ground. This is perfect for parents to tag along and help them out if need be.

Unfortunately Sara and I didn’t have the time (or the budget lol) to be able to give this a try. If you do go, drop us a message on Instagram and let us know how it went!

Paragliding at Monte Tamaro

A popular activity at Monte Tamaro (and various other mountains in Ticino) is paragliding!

If you own your own paraglider, then great! You can get yourself a paragliding day pass on the gondola for CHF 31. With this you can ride up to paraglide off Alpe Foppa as many times as you like.

Otherwise you can book a tandem flight with one of the professionals at Monte Tamaro. This experience will have you soaring over Valle Vedeggio with 360-degree views of Ticino all around you!

Santa Maria degli Angeli Church

Less adrenaline fueled than the toboggan or adventure park, Church Santa Maria degli Angeli is more of a sightseeing activity than a heart-drops-into-stomach wild ride. This unique looking church was built by world-renowned architect, and Ticino local, Mario Botta. 

Built between 1992 – 1996, this church was dedicated to Saint Mary of the Angels. The structure is widely considered a masterpiece of contemporary architecture. It’s built upon the slope of the mountain, so when you stand at the end, it almost feels like you’re standing on the edge of the world. You can also admire the town of Bellinzona below and the 360-degree vista of mountains surrounding you.

Also, the symmetry of the design left us feeling very satisfied. 

The Children’s Playground at Monte Tamaro

Just a few meters from the top gondola station is the children’s playground. Probably the least exciting attraction for us adults, the playground is perfect to keep the kids entertained. It can even be a great picnic spot for lunch with amazing views right the way over Bellinzona and Lugano.

One of the things that sets this playground apart from many others is the 18m slide that runs from the Alpe Foppa restaurant into the playground below. Any aspiring adrenaline junkie 3-year-old is going to love it!

Hiking & Biking Trails across Monte Tamaro

Okay, now that we’re finished with the family activities, let’s move on to what is (in our humble opinion) the good stuff. Did you know that from Alpe Foppa gondola station it’s possible to walk across the border into Italy? Well, now you do!

Unfortunately we didn’t do that as we simply just didn’t have enough time in the day. However, we’ll touch on that in the three different trails below and let you know how you can tackle this monster of a trail if you so wish.

Tip: Trails in Switzerland are marked according to colour. Yellow diamonds mean an easy trail. White-red-white indicate a harder alpine trail. Blue indicates an area that could be dangerous without experience (blue trails are quite rare).

Monte Tamaro Summit Loop

The Monte Tamaro summit loop trail is by far the most popular trail to hike, which probably because it’s the shortest!

Beginning the Monte Tamaro Loop

Starting at Alpe Foppa, the trail winds up the side of the mountain along continuous switchbacks towards the huge telephone tower you’ll see at the top but that’s not the Monte Tamaro summit quite yet!

Heading past  the phone tower, you’ll then find yourself at Capanna Tamaro, which is a small mountain hut where you can indulge in drinks, food and homemade cake. You can also sleep here, but more on that later.

From Capanna Tamaro to Monte Tamaro Summit

After passing Capanna Tamaro, this is where the real fun begins. Now you begin hiking along the ridge of the mountain. If you catch weather like we did, you’ll be surrounded by clouds below you on either side, giving a very Mordor feeling to the whole experience. I actually said to Sara, I think the clouds here definitely made me feel like we were a lot higher than we really were. However, if you manage to have a clear sunny day, you’ll get some insane views of Locarno and Ascona to your right, and Lugano to your left!

Before long you’ll come to a section that’s going to make you question your fear of heights. Up until this point you’ve been hiking along the moderate part of the trail – now, you’ve just reached the hard part. This is because the trail all but disappears into rock scrambling along the spine of the mountain to reach the summit. If you suffer a fear of heights, this bit may not be for you.

But if you can stomach the drop to the left of the trail, then once you conquer this part, you’ll reach the big white cross that signals the summit of Monte Tamaro – a full 1962m above sea level! This is the spot to take your photos so you can prove to your mates you made it to the top and grab a bite to eat, just like we did!

Getting Back to Alpe Foppa

Now from here you can turn around and go back the way you came (which a lot of people do) or you can continue down the other side of the mountain and turn left at the fork in the trees. We did this, and I’d recommend it. Taking this route turns the trail into a loop and makes it a tad less boring, and you’ll get amazing views of Lugano in the distance. You can easily follow the route on All Trails to not get lost.

Monte Tamaro to Monte Lema Trail

Our Monte Lema Trail Experience

The Monte Tamaro to Monte Lema trail starts from Alpe Foppa and takes the same route I described above, but instead of turning at the fork in the trees like we did in the Monte Tamaro Loop Trail, you just keep going to Monte Lema.

Unfortunately, as we didn’t complete this trail, I can’t give any more details other than the part of the trail we completed to the Monte Tamaro summit. However, judging by the stats on All Trails, I think getting to the Monte Tamaro summit is the hardest part of this hike, with everything after being fairly gentle ups and downs along the mountain line. 

This was the trail we originally wanted to tackle, but we couldn’t for one simple reason: time. We parked the car in Rivera, so we needed to be back in Rivera, so it was impossible to get to Monte Lema and back between the first gondola up and the last gondola down and the entire trail takes about five hours without stopping- so ten hours to get there and back.

Ways to Tackle the Monte Lema Trail

If you want to do this trail (and we definitely want to come back and smash it in the future) here’s a few ways you can do so:

1. Take the bus to Rivera and take the gondola up to Alpe Foppa. Then you can hike to Monte Lema and take the gondola back down there (fun fact: you’ll actually be in Italy now!) and use public transport to get back to your hotel.
2. Park at Rivera, take the very first gondola to Alpe Foppa and then hike to Monte Lema and back (26.4km and about 10 hours) and then you can walk back down to Rivera from Alpe Foppa which, according to the signs, will add about three hours to your hike. 
3. Park at Rivera and take any gondola up, but book to stay the night at Capanna Tamaro so you can enjoy a more leisurely paced walk to Monte Lema and back – this is the option we’ll take next time!

Mountain Biking on Monte Tamero

Neither Sara nor myself are mountain biking enthusiasts, I’ve only been downhill mountain biking once and it was a great experience, but these trails also include uphill sections too which doesn’t sound that attractive to me. However, I can tell you that there are over 80km of nature trails in and around Monte Tamaro that will be perfect for you if you are inclined towards mountain biking (both the uphill and downhill sections).

Monte Tamaro no.362 Trail

One of the most popular of these trails is Monte Tamaro no. 362, a loop trail that starts at Alpe Foppa at the top of the gondola and ends at Rivera, the bottom of the gondola (you can also ride from Rivera to Alpe Foppa too if you’re a tad on the crazy side). 

Monte Tamaro no.362 is 31.7km (19.7 miles) long and can take around 3 hours to complete, with a climb of 755m (2477 ft) and a descent of 1809m (5935 ft). If you have an e-bike, then there are charging stations dotted along the trail, as well as two maintenance stations with all the tools you may need in Rivera and Alpe Foppa.

Other popular bike routes take you from Monte Tamaro towards Malcantone, and include:

• Monte Tamaro – Up & Down to the Lake
• Monte Tamaro – Chestnuts Trail
• Monte Tamaro – In the Heart of the Hills
• Monte Tamaro – Hills and Mountains, Rivers and Lakes
• Monte Tamaro – On the Traces of Lugano Bike

Where to eat at Monte Tamaro

As far as we’re aware, there are four different places that you can find food and drinks in and around Monte Tamaro. These are:

• Alpe Foppa
• Adventure Park Snack Bar
• Capanna Tamaro
• Alpe Duragno

Alpe Foppa

Restaurant Alpe Foppa is the most popular, and biggest, restaurant on the mountain. It’s easy to find as it’s situated at the top of the gondola at the heart of all the activities on the mountain. 

At 1530m (5020 ft), this self-service restaurant has a large outdoor terrace which is perfect for those sunny days, and if you manage to catch the not so sunny weather, there’s plenty of seating inside too.

Offering a range of local Ticino cuisine, Alpe Foppa could be the perfect place to have your lunch (or aperitif) when you’re spending a day out on Monte Tamaro.

Adventure Park Snack Bar

Easy to miss if you’re not planning to spend any time in the adventure park, this snack bar is found at the middle gondola station. 

It doesn’t offer the kind of substantial meals you can find at all of the other places, but you can pick up a coffee or a coke, as well as a nice cold ice cream if you’ve worked up a sweat tackling the treetop adventure park.

Capanna Tamaro

As we covered above, this small restaurant (more of a hut really) can be found about halfway up to the Monte Tamera summit. It’s not the cheapest, with a can of coke zero costing us CHF 5, but it’s a great place to take a breather when powering up the side of the mountain.

They offer a range of drinks, from infused water to beer, as well as homemade hot dishes and homemade cakes. 

With the views you’ll have (on a clear day) of Locarno and Bellinzona, you definitely want to take a stop at Capanna Tamaro and relax.

Alpe Duragno

So this restaurant was actually meant to be part of the Monte Tamaro Summit Loop, but the pathway marked on All Trails was actually closed so we ended up coming back down to Alpe Foppa the same way we came up.

However, after looking at the map we could see that there is an open trail from Alpe Foppa to Alpe Duragno if you fancy a walk to earn your calories. Unfortunately we didn’t make it over that way this time, so I’m not sure what they offer, how expensive it is or even what it looks like, so let us know!

How to get to Monte Tamaro

You’re planning your trip to Monte Tamaro, but you don’t know how to reach it from your hotel?

Driving to Monte Tamaro

The easiest way to get to Monte Tamaro is to drive, but we are aware that as tourists it may be too expensive to rent a car, especially in Switzerland. But if you do, then simply put “Monte Tamaro Rivera” into google maps and follow it to the car park at the bottom of the Gondola. Bear in mind that the car park costs CHF 5 to park in for the full day, but you can pay with card or cash when you get back down.

Getting the Train to Monte Tamaro

Rivera has its own train station which is well connected to the stations of Lugano and Bellinzona. If you’re more fond of public transport, then this is the option for you. The trains in Ticino are fairly priced and are always at a fixed rate so you’ll always know what price to pay. You can use this website to check the times and prices of public transport.

Taking a Taxi to Monte Tamaro

We haven’t actually had the privilege of using a taxi service in Ticino, but they are there! If you simply google “taxi + location” you’ll get a bunch of companies pop up that you can choose from. Be warned though, I’d imagine that taxi’s in Switzerland come at a pretty hefty price! We would just take the train if it was up to us.

Towns near Monte Tamaro

Locarno

Only a 30-minute drive away from Monte Tamaro is the beautiful lakeside town of Locarno. You may well have chosen to base here, but if not, you definitely need to take a visit!

Right on the shores of Lake Maggiore, Locarno offers a beautiful central plaza called Piazza Grande, access to the lake for paddle boarding and/or kayaking and shops and restaurants to keep you entertained and fed. 

We really enjoyed the pizza at the restaurant Lungo Lago!

Bellinzona

Being the capital of Ticino, Bellinzona is a fairly historic town that’s around a 20-minute drive from Monte Tamaro. 

The staple attractions here are the three castles: Castle Grande, Castle Montebello and Castle Sasso Corbaro. Built during the 14th century, these castles have stood the test of time well and are a lot of fun to explore! Especially Castle Grande as it’s elevated off of ground level on a hill. From the top of these castles you can expect crazy 360-degree views of Bellinzona.

Lugano

Lugano is found over the mountain pass from Bellinzona and Locarno, and is about a 30-minute drive from Monte Tamaro.

Situated on the shores of Lake Lugano, this spectacular town offers similar attractions to Locarno but is actually built around and up the slopes of the mountains surrounding the lake which gives it a completely different feel. 

There are also attractions like the Piazza de la Riforma and Parco Ciani to keep you entertained during your visit, and Via Nassa is renowned in the area as a place to shop for more expensive brands, if that’s to your taste.

Monte Tamaro FAQs

What time does Monte Tamaro open?

Monte Tamaro’s gondola is open from 8:30am to 5pm, and until 6pm during high season (July/August). However, the mountain never closes and you can hike the trails at any time of day.

How much does Monte Tamaro cost?

A return ticket on the gondola is CHF 31 for adults and CHF 22 for kids. You can also purchase a one-way ticket, a paragliding pass or a season ticket.

What activities are there at Monte Tamaro?

The most popular activities are the Adventure Park Tree Top Experience, the coaster bob and the hiking trails. Other activities are mountain biking, paragliding and the splash & spa.

How long does it take to hike Monte Tamaro?

The Monte Tamaro Summit Loop takes roughly around 4 hours, and the Monte Tamaro to Monte Lima trail takes about 5 hours. If you hike to Monte Lima you’ll have to arrange transport back to Rivera if that’s where you parked – or you can plan for a 10 hour out-and-back hike

Do the public buses run to Monte Tamaro?

The public buses do not run to Monte Tamaro, or Rivera for that matter. The only way to get there via public transport is the train.

Is Monte Tamaro child-friendly?

Yes, most definitely! There are a range of child-friendly activities at Monte Tamaro such as the coaster bob, the adventure park and the childrens playground. The hike up to Campanna Tamaro is also good for kids.

Where to park at Monte Tamaro?

There is a public car park at the base of the gondola that costs CHF 5 for the day.