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Lake Garda: Quick Overview

When should I go?

June to September is best for the really good weather, when daily highs average 23 – 28C/73 – 82F. Tourists flock to the lake in July and August. But all year, Lake Garda has something for everyone and is an ideal holiday destination. Many of our apartments and villas are available all year.

Where is it?

The 48km long lake is in Northern Italy, east of Milan and fairly close to the provincial town of Brescia and the famous city Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Who goes there?

Families, mature holiday-makers, couples, walkers and watersports enthusiasts looking for a sedate holiday in a beautiful location. Desenzano has some nightlife but this is not the place for loud partying.

How to get there?

Fly to Verona Brescia, Milan Bergamo or Verona Catullo airport with a no-frills airline such as Ryanair for unbelievable deals, then hire a car for total independence. Alternatively get a taxi transfer from the airport, or catch a bus from Verona, Brescia, Mantua or Milan, or go by train to Desenzano del Garda, on the main Milan – Venice line. Fly-drivers should take the A4 motorway and S11, which link Milan with Venice, or the A22 which connects Verona and Trento.

Where to stay?

Salò on the western shore is the most fashionable resort on Lake Garda and a favourite with Italian holiday-makers coming from Brescia and Milan, with designer shops, boutiques, fabulous restaurants and a quiet, sophisticated atmosphere. Visit its old centre with cobbled streets and squares and enjoy a walk along the lungolago, one of the largest promenades on the lake. At the southern tip of the lake on a peninsula sits Sirmione, loved by bathers but often full of tourists. We recommend staying elsewhere and saving Sirmione for a day trip.

Need a treat?

Splash out on a massage, sauna or choose from dozens of body treatments at the Terme di Sirmione’s Catullo or Virgilio spas. Leisurely cruises from small and friendly Malcesine to Riva or tiny, laid-back Limone are also relaxing. The Grand Hotel Fasano near Gardone Riviera has a fabulous day spa with excellent prices and a very luxurious feel.

If culture is more your thing, head for Gardone Riviera, Lake Garda’s most elegant holiday spot for decades. Here you can tour Il Vittoriale, an amazing villa once owned by the notorious 20th century poet Gabriele d’Annunzio. D’Annunzio’s Second World War museum and an open-air theatre staging opera, ballet, plays and classical concerts in July and August are among the highlights.

If you are feeling active, just north of Toscolano Maderno is Campione, an excellent and world-renowned windsurfing and kitesurfing spot. Alternatively, try wakeboarding at Padenghe del Garda, further south where the lake widens and the wind drops. You can also learn to sail, go mountain biking, paragliding and even canyoning – jumping into rapids and floating downstream. Pleasant, undemanding walks are possible from Gardone Riviera, inland to Monte Spino or Monte Pizzicolo, and you can hike all around the hills behind Salò, Gardone, Tignale and Toscolano Maderno.