Planning Italian lake holidays? Check out my impressions after visiting the top three lakes in Italy: Como, Garda, and Maggiore, and decide for yourself which one feels like the best lake in Italy.
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Which Italian Lake to Visit: Lake Como, Lake Garda or Lake Maggiore?
Are the Italian Lakes worth visiting?
While Italy is world-famous for its iconic landmarks, old charm, and delicious food – with destinations like Rome, Tuscany, or Cinque Terre topping every bucket list – no Italian itinerary feels complete without a visit to its lakes. Some travelers choose one lake for their getaway, while others plan a one- or two-week road trip to explore them all. However, in the list of all the Italian lakes, three destinations stand out as the most iconic: Como, Garda, and Maggiore.
If you don’t have enough time to see all of Italy’s lakes, you’ll face the tough decision of choosing just one. While I wouldn’t say there is a “best” lake in Italy, after visiting its three main lakes, I’ve put together this article to share my honest impressions of each. Although all of the Italian lakes are perfect for honeymoon trips, each one has a very different atmosphere. So, which Italian lake is the prettiest?
Top Destinations for Italian Lake Holidays
1. Lake Como – Hollywood´s Favorite
Lake Como has become a favorite destination for Hollywood stars seeking Italian lake holidays. Since 2002, when George Clooney purchased a luxurious lakeside villa in the village of Laglio, other celebrities have followed suit, buying houses, hosting weddings, and visiting for summer vacations. This naturally attracted tourists eager to glimpse celebrity homes and experience the lake’s allure. As a result, it is now a bustling hotspot in summer, especially since it’s easy to visit Lake Como on a day trip from Milan.
The views remain stunning, but the atmosphere has changed. If you’re into the hype, trends, and don’t mind crowds searching for celebrity homes, you’ll likely enjoy Como. For a calmer experience, visit in late autumn or early spring. This way, you can truly appreciate the lake’s beauty and understand why everyone is so captivated by it.

2. Lake Garda – The Biggest in Italy
There’s no better choice for a jam-packed Italian lake holiday than visiting the biggest one of them all. If you take the gondola up to the mountaintop, you’ll get the most breathtaking views. You can walk to different points on the mountaintop to see the lake from all angles. My favorite part was meeting alpacas.
Once you come back down to earth from this heaven, you can visit Malcesine, a very cute lakeside village. It has its Italian charm, but you can tell it’s designed for tourists.So, if you want something more authentic, I’d recommend heading to other small towns around Lake Garda. If you have enough time, you can take a boat to the other side of the lake and visit Limone Sul Garda. The best thing about this Italian lake is that it’s so large that you can find a variety of unique places to see on Lake Garda.


3. Lake Maggiore – A Poets Inspiration
While Como has been loved by Hollywood, Maggiore has been loved by poets. Stendhal, Dickens, Dumas, and Hemingway visited the lake and the little town on its shores – Stresa – for inspiration and relaxation. From Stresa, you can travel to the three islands: Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Isola Pescatori. The aristocratic Borromeo family acquired the islands in the 14th century, and today they still own Isola Bella and Isola Madre.
Isola Bella is a luxurious island with an Italian baroque garden and a gorgeous palace, where the world’s elite and aristocrats stayed during their visits to Lake Maggiore. Another island, Isola Madre, has all kinds of exotic plants brought from different parts of the world. This island isn’t as extravagant as Isola Bella; it’s considered the holiday home of the Borromeo family. Isola Pescatori (Fishermen’s Island) is the only island that doesn’t belong to the Borromeo family. It’s also the only island that is permanently inhabited. This tiny island is absolutely charming with its narrow streets and various restaurants serving fresh fish caught the same day.
Lake Maggiore is definitely a unique place, full of charm, history, and luxury. As Stendhal once said, “If you had a heart and a shirt, you would sell your shirt and visit Lago Maggiore.“


Which Italian lake is prettiest?
All in all, if you have the chance, I’d highly recommend visiting all of the lakes, as each one is beautiful in its own way. However, my personal favorite is Lake Maggiore, because it has it all: various islands to explore, delicious restaurants offering fresh seafood, stunning botanical gardens with exotic plants, and a quieter atmosphere compared to Como and Garda.
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For more ideas to plan your epic Italian vacation check my Pinterest board – Italy Travel Tips and Destinations.

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Ohhmmy how I wish to visit them all
Such travel inspos.
Much Love,
Looks amazing! Love the photos!
~Samantha
These pictures are incredible. Your post made me want to go back to Italy soon.
Thank you for sharing what makes each different lakes so different! Oh man, I am still struggling which one to go to! But I am leaning towards Lake Garda!
All of these lakes are beautiful and this was really helpful! I’d love to be able to visit all 3 someday, but Lake Maggiore would be my top choice!
x Kara
These places look incredible!! I’m dreaming of an Italian getaway now
Lyndi
What a wonder to visit Italy! The pictures you share are breathtaking! We really need more vision in life than “George Clooney likes it, so I go”, sure I’m a fan, he’s amazing, but we need to start appreciating things with our senses and not through celebrities. The history, the art, the way your soul can find peace and new feelings is worth this and more.
These lake photos are amazing! Lovely roundup you have here dear, thanks for sharing!
Jessica
Holy moly! What a gorgeous area. The photos are just breathtaking. Doing anything there would be my perfect vacation.
I love Italy, so I definitely want to go to these places! I’ve done both Rome and Tuscany. Now, what’s next?!
The landscape and terrain are simply beautiful here! I would not mind exploring this place with my husband some day!
breathtaking views!
awesome photos….SOON!!
I’ve been to all three and they are all beautiful. But Lake Como definitely has my heart. I prefer to visit in the summer because its just so perfect on the water.
I have seen Lake Como before and it looks so pretty. I’m so excited to see Lake Maggiore as it looks so amazing! The water is so clear! Perfect for outside shoot!
Aaaahhhhh….so, this is Lake Como? It’s nice to finally get to know more about it. I love it.
I have always wanted to go to Italy. We have a Lake Como here in New Jersey, I wonder if they named it after this beautiful location.
MY idea of an Italian vacation has always involved boats on the water lol. However, I went to Italy last year and it was so much more than that.
I would love to just take a month and explore Italy. We have been once but not for near enough time.
We LOVED everything about Lake Garda when we visited, especially its proximity to Venice and Verona. Driving in Milan wasn’t my favorite, but I enjoyed everything else about Milan. I can’t wait to go back to Italy again!
Wow these are all beautiful in their own way. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I will keep them in the files for possible future vacation.
I needed a guide like this! Thanks for writing about it in depth – the photos were also amazing.
Honestly, I’d go to any of those places!! Looks amazing!
I’ll take all three options for a thousand Alex! LOL! I don’t think a couple go wrong with any of these three lovely locations.
Lake Como is beautiful, but we prefer Lake Garda. Its only 15 minutes from us in Verona, and it also tends to have more Italians and less tourists in our opinion. Plus there is just an endless amount to do around Lake Garda. SO many towns to visit and hikes to take.