The Italian Lakes is a collection of lakes that sit predominantly in northern Italy but which, in two cases, also dip their toes into southern Switzerland. The lakes include our favourite Lake Maggiore along with Lake Orta, Lake Garda, Lake Como, Lake Iseo, Lake Lugano, Lake Varese and Lake Idro. The lakes fall into four separate regions of Italy – Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige.
The Italian Lakes have been attracting holidaymakers since Roman times but the area became particularly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries when the Grand Tour almost became an essential exercise among Europe’s elite. Its appeal has not waned since. But if you haven’t visited the Italian Lakes before, which lake is most suited to you? Find out in our handy guide to the Italian Lakes region.
Lake Maggiore
Perfect for: Families, water sports enthusiasts, nature lovers, hikers, cyclists and sightseers
We make no secret of the fact that Lake Maggiore is our favourite of the Italian Lakes. Italian Lakes villas were the first villas within the Bookings For You portfolio when we launched the company over a decade ago and it remains one of the Italian destinations closest to our heart.
Part of the reason for our love of the lake is the sheer amount of things to see and do on Lake Maggiore. If you’re a nature lover, you will be in paradise in the gardens of the Borromean Islands or surrounded by the tulips in Villa Taranto. If you’re into water sports, you’ll love the plethora of water based activities on offer from canoeing to windsurfing and from sailing to waterskiing. What’s more, for those more adventurous still, there’s paragliding and even parachuting on offer. And we mustn’t forget the incredible walking and cycle paths that Lake Maggiore offers, with both road and mountain biking in abundance.
Sightseers will enjoy using the excellent public boat system on Lake Maggiore allowing you to easily criss-cross the lake and explore the many beautiful towns and villages of Lake Maggiore from Stresa to Arona, from Cannero to Cannobio and from Locarno to Ascona. The good news is that there is plenty to do around the lake to suit all ages, whether you’re 1 or 101!
And finally, for those looking for a more sedate pace to their Italian Lakes villa holiday, then the beautifully clean and clear lake waters are wonderful to swim in, and there are numerous lakeside lidos and beaches where you can access the lake water and where you’ll often also find a lakeside pool to cool off in too.
In short, we think Lake Maggiore ticks the boxes for everyone! If you fancy exploring it for yourself, then check out the Lake Maggiore villas available from Italian Lakes villa rental specialists, Bookings For You.
Lake Lugano
Perfect for: Hikers, shopaholics
Lake Lugano is one of the Italian Lakes that falls into both Italy and Switzerland. In fact, only 37% of the lake is actually in Italy and the lake’s main town, Lugano, is Swiss. I hate to admit that our favourite places on Lake Lugano – Morcote and Lavertezzo – are also on the Swiss side. Lugano itself is quite different from many of the Italian Lakes towns and cities. Here you will find flagship stores of many of the top designer brands along with a casino.
Otherwise, as you would expect, Lake Lugano again offers some wonderful hiking opportunities. For the best views of the lake, use one of the funiculars to reach the tops of the hillsides that surround the lake. Some options include the Monte San Salvatore funicular (from where you can walk on to the villages of Carona and on to Morcote) along with the Monte Brè funicular. Alternatively, a rack railway takes you from the lakeside town of Capolago to the top of Monte Generoso, which at 1700 metres above sea level is Lake Lugano’s highest mountain.
Lake Iseo
Perfect for: Nature lovers, off the beaten track travellers, hikers, cyclists, history enthusiasts and wine buffs
Sandwiched between more famous neighbours – Lake Como and Lake Garda – Lake Iseo rarely gets a mention among holidaymakers enjoying an Italian Lakes villa holiday and yet it is a real gem. It’s also a good destination option for those travelling off season. Since the lake is home to Europe’s largest inhabited lake island – Monte Isola – boats operate all year round ferrying inhabitants from the island to the mainland.
The prime attraction of the lake for holidaymakers is certainly the scenery. Lake Iseo’s lakeside towns – Iseo, Sarnico, Lovere, Peschiera Maraglio and Pisogne – are wonderfully picturesque whilst the lake is surrounded by an incredible natural landscape. Monte Isola itself is a small wooded mountain in the middle of the lake, covering a total area of approximately 4.5 square kilometres and home to 12 delightful hamlets whose economy was historically always based on the construction of wooden boats, fishing and on the production of fishing nets. And at the southern end of the lake you will find the Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve, famed for its incredible diversity.
Walkers and cyclists will love the many paths on trails on offer, not least the paths that lead from the fishing hamlets dotted along the shores of Monte Isola to the Santuario della Ceriola that sits at its summit. The ancient Via Valeriana that, in part, winds its way along the side of the lake is also well signposted for hikers.
And for wine enthusiasts, the famous Franciacorta wines are produced here. We can highly recommend a cycle ride through the Franciacorta vineyards to one of the wine houses to enjoy a tasting of this sparkling wine.
And, last but not least, there are some more historic attractions to be enjoyed too. In the valley at the top of Lake Iseo is the Valle Camonica, you will find some quite remarkable rock carvings that date as far back as prehistoric times. This whole area is now one of Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Find out more about Lake Iseo.
Lake Como
Perfect for: Nature lovers, romantics, couples, hikers, cyclists and sightseers
Just as with Lake Maggiore, Lake Como is home to some beautiful lakeside towns. Many of these are more famous than those on Lake Maggiore, particularly those that fall within the golden triangle – Menaggio, Bellagio and Varenna. However, for us, the thing that differentiates Lake Como from Lake Maggiore the most is its elegant lakeside villas and gardens. Lake Como is home to Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello, both of which have incredible gardens to explore. But there are plenty of other stunning lakeside properties too including the Villa d’Este, Villa Melzi, Villa Serbelloni and Villa Monastero.
We probably don’t find Lake Como quite as accessible for swimming in as Lake Maggiore but there are, nevertheless, still a number of lakeside lidos where you can enjoy a few hours catching some rays and cooling off either in the lake water or in one of the lakeside swimming pools during your Italian Lakes villa holiday.
Equally, we don’t find the water sports activities quite as numerous either but head to the north of Lake Como and you will find sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing on offer. And for those looking to enjoy an adventure on land, activities such as canyoning and rock climbing are certainly on offer here too.
Keen walkers and hikers will also still find plenty of great paths and trails to enjoy and explore around Lake Como. And Lake Como certainly has an aura of romance about it. Perhaps it’s the proximity to acting heart-throb George Clooney that does it! Or perhaps it’s the dramatic backdrop of the mountains as they plunge into the water below that does it! Whatever it is, Lake Como is a great option for couples looking for a romantic break away.
Lake Varese
Perfect for: Water sports enthusiasts, keen cyclists and nature lovers
Lake Varese is most famous for being a frequent host of national, European and world level rowing competitions rather than being a tourist destination per se. But it’s certainly worth a visit when staying in one of the Italian Lakes villas within the Bookings For You portfolio.
You’ll find the Campo dei Fiori nature park in the area around Lake Varese. This is a great place for keen cyclists and walkers alike. A network of paths criss-cross the park and there are numerous routes and trails to be enjoyed such as the Giubileo trail (which mirrors the route that would once have been taken by pilgrims on their way from Northern Europe to Rome) and the Verde Varesina (a lengthy hiking trail that takes several days to complete). The park is also home to a number of impressive villas, churches and even castles such as the 15th century Rocca di Orino (once used as a refuge for villagers in case of an attack) and the Badia di Ganna church. It’s also possible to walk from the lake to the Sacro Monte of Varese, one of 9 religious complexes in the mountains of northern Italy that make up the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy.
Cyclists can enjoy the nearly 30 km cycle ride that takes you around the lake. Whilst you’re not lakeside the entire way, it’s still a super route on paved paths (albeit slightly bumpy in places) and it’s suitable for both novice and experienced riders, young and old alike.
Sadly, the water of Lake Varese isn’t suitable for swimming in at the current time. However, if you fancy a swim, then head to one of Lake Varese’s lidos where you will find swimming pools to cool off in such as the Lido della Schiranna.
If you fancy visiting Lake Varese, then a Lake Maggiore villa or apartment would be a great accommodation choice. After all, it’s as little as a 25 minute drive from Lake Varese to Lake Maggiore.
Lake Garda
Perfect for: Families, wine buffs, sightseers, hikers and cyclists
For those with young children, Lake Garda is a super child-friendly option, near as it is to a number of amusement and water parks, including the biggest, rather aptly-named Gardaland along with Caneva World, Aquatico Cavour and Parco Naturo Viva.
However, the adults can relax knowing that after a day entertaining the kids on the rides, they will have a good class of vino to come home to at their Lake Garda villa! Lake Garda is famed for its rather easily quaffable wines! Probably the most well known is Bardolono, a light red wine, but also of note is Chiaretto, Custoza, Lugana and Recioto as well as our favourite, Amarone.
As you would probably expect, it’s great for those that like the great outdoors and the water. Lake Garda can easily tick many of the same boxes as its famous neighbours. For example, for the water babies amongst you, Sirmione, Desenzano del Garda, Gargnano and Rivoltella sul Garda can all boast great rocky beaches whilst the sandy beach in Manerba is also excellent as is the grassed beach at Riva.
And, yes, it’s already great for hikers and cyclists too and will only get better in this department. By 2026, a planned 140 km long cycle path around Lake Garda should be completed. There are also some partial tracks open for people to use such as that between Riva and Limone. And the 3 km long ‘hanging’ cycle path connecting Limone sul Garda with Capo Reamol is second to none.
Lake Orta
Perfect for: Couples, romantics, design fans, hikers
Sitting west of Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta is probably the fourth most well-known of the Italian Lakes. When it comes to Lake Orta, all eyes are on the delightful promenade, streets and alleyways of the town of Orta san Giulio itself along with the incredibly picturesque island that sits across from it – Isola san Giulio. The latter is home to the Mater Ecclesiae Benedictine Abbey and is where you can step away from the crowds and experience a walk along the silent meditation trail.
Another walk that is highly recommended is the one uphill from Orta san Guilio to the Sacro Monte di Orta. The walk may be steep in places but the rewards from the top are well worth it. At the summit you will find around 20 small chapels, each containing life-size reproductions of key events in the life of Saint Francis, with the backdrop of the wonderful panoramic views of the lake below.
There are plenty of other walks suiting all abilities around Lake Orta and there are several lakeside beaches where you can relax and enjoy the sun.
However, for a completely different day out on Lake Orta, design fans should make a point of visiting the Alessi factory store which is found in the town of Omegna on Lake Orta. The Alessi brand has been synonymous with Italian design for nearly a century and fans will appreciate the opportunity to purchase discounted Alessi goods.
In other words, Lake Orta still offers plenty to do on your Italian Lakes villa holiday, however, much of the activities are at a slower pace than you may be used to on the larger lakes. As a result, we’d argue that it’s not as well suited to those with children who would probably need a little more action to keep them entertained.
Lake Idro
Perfect for: Water sports enthusiasts, off the beaten track travellers and nature lovers
Definitely more lesser known of the Italian Lakes and certainly one of the smallest, Lake Idro is nevertheless a great place to visit. If you’re into adventure sports, then make the most of the opportunity to go kite surfing in the northern part of the lake. Paddle boarding and windsurfing is also popular here. And for those who enjoy swimming, rumour has it that Lake Idro has the warmest water of the Italian Lakes.
Otherwise, the main attractions on Lake Idro include the ancient village of Bondone and the Castello di San Giovanni which it is home to. Bondone is one of the borghi piu belli d’Italia and historically was the home of charcoal burners who would leave their homes each Spring and only return in the Autumn after months of hard work. These days, the village is extremely picturesque.
As the lake is so small, accommodation options are much harder to find on Lake Idro so it’s worth considering renting a Lake Garda villa instead and heading to Lake Idro for day trips.
Whichever lake you fancy, it’s worth getting in touch with Italian Lakes villa rental specialists, Bookings For You. We’d love to help you find the perfect villa in the Italian Lakes for your next trip.