Dog-Friendly Parks & Lakeside Walks in Locarno

A 4 km paved lakeside walk from Locarno's Piazza Grande west along the lake to the chic sister village of Ascona, with continuous Lago Maggiore views, palm trees, magnolias and benches. Leashed dogs welcome throughout; several pebble coves where dogs can dip paws. The path connects Locarno's Lido district to the Ascona Lungolago and onward to the Porto Ronco boat dock for the Brissago Islands.

Locarno's flagship botanical park dedicated to camellias, with over 950 varieties on a lakeside hillside near the Lido. Mature plane trees, paved promenades, water fountains and shaded benches make it the village's daily dog meeting point. Leashed dogs welcome throughout; the park is busiest at the Camelie Locarno festival in March and quiet the rest of the year.

A 660-hectare nature reserve at the Ticino river delta where the river meets Lago Maggiore, one of the most important wetlands in Switzerland with over 300 bird species. Leashed dogs welcome on the marked Sentiero Natura paths; off-leash strictly forbidden during the nesting season (March to July) to protect ground-nesting birds. Several wooden observation platforms and shaded picnic spots along the river.