Lago Barrea

For me, one thing distinguishes Lago Barrea from all the other lakes in Abruzzo:  it’s the only one I’ve actually swum in.

I’m not a fan of bathing in lakes. I’m squeamish about muddy bottoms. Not to mention murky water and what might be lurking there. 

I blame it on growing up in a country of lochs where monsters are known to thrive.

So it took a lot to get me into this lake.  It took a hot, sweaty day on the road and a great longing to wash away a layer of travel dust.  It took the inviting glossy perfection of the lake itself. And it helped that a bunch of people were already splashing about happily without, apparently, being devoured from the toenails up by some horrible aquatic creature.

After a rather undignified hobble over the pebbles lining the shore, and a moment’s panic when I mistook the distant revving of a motorbike for the opening bars of the Jaws theme, I was in. At first I felt a little on edge. I couldn’t – didn’t want to – touch the bottom and no way was I going to put my head under.  But I soon relaxed.  The water was clean on my skin and cool but not icy. It wasn’t murky at all.

Before long I’d swum to the far shore and back again. It was, I had to admit when I was back on dry land, delightful.

The Lago Barrea is a long skinny lake, stretching from the little town of Barrea in the south-east to Villetta Barrea in the north-west.  One might be forgiven for noting a lack of imagination in place-naming around these parts. But the name Barrea, given to the whole valley, has lofty connotations, coming either from the word reale, royal, or from the pagan goddess Rea.

Like San Domenico, the lake is artificial. It is part of the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise.

Happily, facilities are at a minimum and the area is relatively unspoilt. There are no jet skis churning up the lake and terrorizing bathers, though there are pedalos and other small craft. The beach described above is a couple of kilometres down the road from the town of Barrea, and it’s popular because it happens to be near a restaurant.  There is ample parking and though, like us, many people just throw their towels down on the grassy bank or on the beach itself, there are umbrellas and sunbeds available for greater comfort. But the overall effect is modest and low-key.

The road round the lake is pretty: on one side, the water can be glimpsed through a screen of trees and all around are the mountains of the Parco Nazionale, the tallest of which, in the distance, is the Monte Marsicano at 2245 metres.

On this visit we drive to the Villetta Barrea end of the lake and cross the road bridge to the far shore.  We have a canoe with us and as I round a small promontory, I find myself in a partially submerged forest.

It’s magical, but the best is yet to come. As I paddle in and out of the trees, I come face to face with a deer who’s wandered down to drink. I don’t know who’s more startled.

For many minutes we both stay quite still and stare at each other. Then the deer turns to climb back up the grassy bank and I paddle off again through the trees.

All you need to know

From Barrea, take the SS83 (Strada Statale Marsicana) that skirts the lake as far as Civitella Alfadena and Villetta Barrea. There are two better-equipped areas with easy access to the lake, offering parking and bar/restaurant and toilet facilities, one 2km from Barrea (see La Gravara restaurant) and the other 4km from Barrea, at the far end of the lake, across the road bridge (see Oasi del Lago).