Though fairly compact, Fondotoce, sitting on an extensive floodplain, is one of the area's most accessible nature reserves and wetland areas. It offers vast swathes of reed-beds, a picturesque "hidden" beach, an elevated hide for spotting birdlife, several raised embankments allowing you to look down on the wetlands from above as well as a running/cycling track.

 

Over 130 species of bird have been spotted; the most common are snipe, mallards, great crested grebe and swans.

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On account of its ease of access, Fondotoce is extremely popular with runners and cyclists as it provides a flat terrain circuit taking in a tree plantation, the outskirts of a small village, Fondotoce, an embankment running alongside a stream which connects Lago di Mergozzo with Lago Maggiore and most interesting of all, from the natural perspective, the area is blessed with a long strip of rare riverside woodland, mostly alder trees, next to the Toce river.

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The walk, or run, through this wooded strip is stunning, especially early in the morning as the sun rises. If you decide to walk the complete circuit, which takes almost one hour, a good option is to start and finish in the village of Fondotoce where there are several bars and restaurants.

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As for cycling, you can pedal all the way from the shores of Lago Maggiore up the flat-bottomed Ossola valley to Domodossola, half way to the Swiss border. The only problem is that whilst much of the route follows wonderful woodland cycle tracks along the valley bottom alongside the Toce river, there are still stretches where you are left to your own devices, in other words, you'll be negotiating public roads.