Can You Swim in the Lakes Near Cortina?
A field-tested guide to can you swim in the lakes near cortina?, with honest logistics, current planning advice, and the small details that make a Dolomites trip run smoothly.
Reviewed by the Cortina Compass desk
Last verified on foot: June 2026 How we research
Short answer: in three of them, and not the ones you've seen photographs of. The turquoise lakes people arrive wanting to swim in are the ones where you'll be fined for trying, and the water in most of them would end your swim inside a minute anyway.
Where you can and can't get in
Legal: Ghedina, Landro, and the Dobbiaco lido. Prohibited: Sorapis, Braies, Misurina, Federa. Alleghe, forty minutes away, is the only place around here with anything resembling a proper beach.
Where the water is actually worth entering
Lago Ghedina
Warmest realistic option this close to Cortina, no lifeguard.
Dobbiaco lido
Lifeguarded, changing rooms, the most family-practical choice.
Lago di Alleghe
The one proper beach-and-swim lake in the wider region.
Boite river pools near Fiames
Cold, unofficial, locally accepted — sturdy shoes essential on the rocks.
Why the bans exist
These aren't precautionary rules. Repeated foot traffic in the shallows damaged shoreline vegetation and disturbed spawning fish through the 2010s, and the ordinances followed. Rangers patrol Braies and Sorapis on summer weekends and write tickets rather than warnings.
Local insight
Lago Ghedina, Lago di Landro (Val di Landro) and the Dobbiaco lido are the three legally swimmable lakes within a reasonable drive. Everywhere else — Sorapis, Braies, Misurina, Federa — swimming is prohibited by local ordinance.
Getting to the swimmable ones
Ghedina is a ten-minute drive plus a three-euro car park. Landro sits on the SS51 with a lay-by. The Dobbiaco lido is a signed entrance on the north shore — no walking involved at any of them.
Spots by the water
The Boite river pools near Fiames are the local secret: cold, unofficial, tolerated, and you need sturdy shoes for the rocks. Not a swim so much as a shock.
Temperatures, honestly
Ghedina reaches 18–20°C in late July and August. Landro stays around 15°C all summer, which is doable for about ten minutes. Everything above 1,700 metres is single figures — cold-water shock is a genuine risk, not a warning label.
If you'd rather stay dry
If the water's too cold, a rowing boat at Ghedina or a canoe at Dobbiaco gets you on the lake without getting in it, and costs less than most people expect.
Not really the theme here
Swimming days are bad photography days by definition — the good light is at either end of the day and the water is warmest in the middle. Pick one.
The six-week window
Mid-July to late August, and that's it. Outside that window the heated municipal pool at Guargné is a far more sensible eight euros.
Why the bans exist and why they're enforced
The prohibitions at Sorapis, Braies, Misurina and Federa aren't bureaucratic caution — repeated foot traffic in the shallows visibly damaged shoreline vegetation and disturbed spawning fish at several of these lakes through the 2010s, prompting the current ordinances. Rangers now patrol Braies and Sorapis specifically during peak summer weekends, and fines are issued rather than just threatened.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I swim in Sorapis or Braies?
Both are inside protected reserves. The shore vegetation is fragile, the water is cold enough to be dangerous (5-8°C at Sorapis), and heavy foot traffic in the shallows was destroying spawning grounds.
How cold is the water in the swimmable lakes?
Ghedina reaches 18-20°C in late July-August. Alleghe hits 22°C. Landro is colder, around 15°C even in August.
Are there lifeguards?
Only at the Dobbiaco lido and Alleghe. Ghedina and Landro are swim-at-own-risk.
What about wild swimming in mountain streams?
The Boite river has swimmable pools near Fiames (~14°C in summer) — accepted by locals, not officially designated. Sturdy shoes on the algae are essential.
Is there an outdoor pool in Cortina?
Piscina Comunale Guargné has a heated 25m outdoor pool open from mid-June to early September, €8 day pass, actual lifeguards, and a lawn for after.
Bring a swimsuit for Ghedina and the Dobbiaco lido, and admire the turquoise ones from the shore like everyone else has to.
Sources & further reading
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