The lake as teacher
I am a Brazilian professor and researcher. I work in regional development and the environment, and I supervise dissertations on a mestrado profissional, a Brazilian professional master’s programme. I am also a great admirer of Lake Garda, my most patient teacher.
I don’t watch Lake Garda to judge it. I watch it to learn from it.
An open-air classroom
In my work, the questions of regional development often remain on paper. On Lake Garda they take shape: three regions, three provinces and twenty-six municipalities share one body of water and the task of welcoming guests from around the world.
The lake teaches that a place loved by many must be shared with care, and that the balance between those who arrive, those who work and those who stay is built season after season.
Two concerns, one balance
I value what tourism makes possible: jobs, businesses, culture and human connection. It is wealth created by those who welcome others, and it deserves respect. I am also concerned about the pressure peak days put on services, the environment and residents.
I see no contradiction. Overtourism is not the fault of any one group: it is a shared challenge of distribution – in space and time – for residents, workers, businesses, local authorities and visitors alike. Often the most breathing space lies not elsewhere, but on another day or in another month.
Open data for better choices
That is the spirit of Il Garda.live: useful information for residents, visitors and anyone thinking of moving or investing around the lake. Its tools include the Garda Score, a daily estimate – not a head count – to help choose where and when to go.
The site is independent and speaks for no municipality or public body. In the Gardalytics analyses I sign, I cite sources, label estimates as estimates, explain the calculations under Methodology and correct mistakes under Corrections. To inform, not to sell.
Questions, not formulas
I bring no ready-made formulas from Brazil. I bring questions, and the conviction that a lake loved by so many deserves both rigour and affection.
Those who live and work on Lake Garda know it better than any dataset, and every comment teaches me something.
Three questions that guide me
Where and when do visitors concentrate?
The Garda Score and Gardalytics maps try to show this without telling anyone what to do: another day or time can make a visit calmer and ease the peaks, for residents too.
What does tourism bring to those who live and work on the lake?
Jobs, businesses, services and cultural life. That is why Gardalytics also looks at visitor flows, accessibility and transport links, not just pressure.
What can be measured – and what can’t?
Not everything that counts can be counted. So I explain sources and limits under Methodology and log the errors I have corrected under Corrections.
Whether you live or work on Lake Garda or are just passing through, your view of the lake completes mine. Write to me at info@ilgarda.live – observations and corrections are always welcome.