Lake Limides lies in the Dolomites, within the municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo, and is reached only on foot. A path climbs from the road through forest and comes out on open ground at the basin, with the Dolomite peaks lined up across the far side. That panorama, rather than the water, is what the walk is for: the basin can empty completely, and in late August and early September 2026 walkers found nothing but a dry bed.
Lake Limides
Local name: Lago Limides
The same walk earns one star and five, and the difference is only whether the basin had water in it that day.
- Accessibility
- Reached only on foot, by an uphill forest path from the road; not suitable for wheelchairs or prams.
- Parking
- Free gravel car park about 970 m from the lake; a second car park lies about 985 m away.
- Difficulty
- Uphill walk on a forest path from the road, just under a kilometre from the nearest car park.
- Transport
- Nearest bus stop: Ra Nona, about 890 m from the lake.
What makes it special
The forest does the work on the way up. The path leaves the road and climbs under trees, then breaks out onto grass, and the Dolomite skyline arrives all at once across the basin. That arrival is the payoff, and it holds regardless of what the lake is doing. Lately the lake is doing very little: the bed lay completely dry on 26 August 2026, and it was dry again in the first days of September. Anyone walking up for the mirror image found bare ground; anyone walking up for the climb and the view still got both.
Good to know
- The lake dries out. The bed was completely dry on 26 August 2026 and still dry in the first days of September.
- Cars stop short of the lake. The nearest car park is gravel and just under a kilometre off; the path then climbs from the road through forest.
- No toilets and no drinking water near the lake or the car parks — deal with both before you set off.
Getting there
Cars stop at a gravel car park just under a kilometre from the lake, and everything after that is on foot. The path leaves the road and climbs through forest before opening onto the grass basin; there is no driving up to the water. Arriving by bus at Ra Nona leaves a walk of much the same length, so either way the last stretch is yours to climb.
Best time to visit
Better: earlier in the season, while there is still water in the basin.
Avoid: late August and September if the reflection is the point — the bed was completely dry on 26 August 2026 and again in the first days of September.
The climb and the view over the Dolomites work whether or not the lake is full, so timing only decides whether there is water to photograph.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
Is there always water in Lake Limides?
No. The bed can be completely dry — it was bare ground on 26 August 2026 and again in the first days of September. The walk and the view over the Dolomites are the reliable part.How far is the walk in?
Just under a kilometre from the nearest car park, on a path that climbs from the road through forest. The last stretch opens onto the grass basin holding the lake.Does parking cost anything?
No. The gravel car park closest to the lake is free, about 970 m away; a second car park lies about 985 m off.Are there toilets or drinking water at the lake?
Neither, at the lake or at the car parks. Carry what you need and sort out the rest before you set off.Can you get there by bus?
The nearest stop is Ra Nona, about 890 m from the lake, which leaves a walk of roughly the same length as from the car park.