Walks and rifugi you can reach from the house

Some of the best walking in Cadore starts on the path behind the house. Within reach you'll find a 30-minute climb to Rifugio Larin, the open plateau at Rifugio Senes, the classic Antelao-side rifugi, and the turquoise Lago di Sorapis — walks for every level, from an easy pre-breakfast loop to full mountain days.

Straight from Serdes

• Rifugio Larin — the closest of all. Take the path behind the house down to just before the Serdes bridge, then follow the signs: about 40 minutes of brisk uphill on paved road brings you to a spectacular panorama and a good lunch spot. Late spring to autumn. 
• Rifugio Senes — a little beyond Larin, on a beautiful open plateau and one of the most typically Cadore corners near the village. Summer to autumn; pair it with Larin for a fuller day.
• Taula delle Regojtes & Taula de la Frates — keep going and bear left uphill at the fork to reach these old haymaking shelters below the Rocchette. Before tourism, summers here were all about the hay harvest, stored to feed the animals through winter. A half-day in summer.
• Panoramic Serdes loop — an easy circuit right from the hamlet: meadows, the surrounding peaks, and in the colder months opportunity to see deers - a lot of them. Good before breakfast, spring to autumn.

From the San Vito lifts (Sun Bar car park)

• Rifugio San Marco & Forcella Grande — classic Antelao-side scenery; a half- to full-day mountain walk in summer.
• Rifugio Galassi & Forcella Piccola — the tougher push deep into the Antelao massif, for confident walkers. Full day, summer.

A short drive, a big reward

• Lago di Sorapis — the milky-turquoise lake everyone comes for, its colour from glacial rock flour and its backdrop the spire locals call the Dito di Dio ("Finger of God"). From Passo Tre Croci follow trail CAI 215 for roughly 2 to 2½ hours each way (about 6 km): easy forest at first, then a narrower exposed ledge with fixed cables and a few metal steps — fine with sure footing, but not one for vertigo. Rifugio Vandelli by the shore does lunch in season. Go at first light: the small car park fills by 8am and the colour is at its best in the morning sun. No swimming — it's protected. Summer to early autumn. Dolomites Guide + 5\
• Rifugio Venezia (Pelmo) — a half- to full-day hike right under the great north face of Monte Pelmo, one of the first major Dolomite summits ever climbed. The path circles the mountain's base through pasture and larch, and the rifugio makes a fine lunch stop with the Pelmo filling the sky. Summer.
• Borca waterfalls — a short, cool, shady walk to a run of falls in the woods below Borca di Cadore; gentle and green, it works well with children on a warm afternoon. Late spring to summer, when the water is fullest.
• Malga Ra Stua & the Fanes valleys — drive to Cortina and park at the Curva di Sant'Uberto (or take the shuttle from the Tourism Office at Fiames), then it's about a 40-minute walk up to Malga Ra Stua, where the gentle Fanes valley opens out. From the malga, trails fan out for easy-to-moderate walking — pick your distance — through some of the softest, most family-friendly scenery in the park, with a working mountain dairy for a snack. Half to full day, summer.
• Passo Giau & Mondeval — a high, wide-open walk from the hairpins of Passo Giau across the rolling meadows of Mondeval, ringed by the Croda da Lago and the Pelmo. These pastures are famous in archaeology: the Uomo di Mondeval, a Mesolithic hunter buried here some 7,000 years ago, was found on this very plateau. Iconic panorama for modest effort. Half a day, summer.
• Cinque Torri & the Great War — five great rock towers rising straight from the meadows, ringed by easy loop trails and one of the finest open-air Great War museums in the Dolomites: restored trenches and walkways you can wander freely among the front-line positions. A chairlift from Bai de Dones does most of the climb, so it's ideal with children and history lovers, and Rifugio Scoiattoli and Rifugio Averau are right there for lunch under the towers. Half a day, summer.

Iconic Day Trips, Where to Eat & Drink, San Vito — Your Base, Apartments.