Who´s not dreaming of the Italian lake holidays these days? – Check the top three lakes in Italy: Como, Garda, and Maggiore. If you can only pick one – which to choose?
An Italian Vacation
What is your idea of a perfect Italian vacation?! Known for its ancient sights and beautiful sceneries, Italy is one of the most visited countries in all of Europe. Rome, Tuscany, Cinque Terre… when there are so many delights along the way it is often hard to choose, right?!
No matter where your Italian journey begins – it´s incredibly difficult not to fall in love. No wonder there are lots of travel stories out there! With this explosion of information available through the internet, finding really useful travel tips for Italy is harder than ever.
Nevertheless, there is one thing we can all agree upon. No Italian itinerary would feel complete and authentic without a visit to one of the country´s most iconic lakes: Como, Garda or Maggiore.
But what if you can´t see them all? – Let´s try to find your perfect match for the epic Italian lake holidays. One of these might absolutely end up on your personal list of romantic travel experience around the world.
Italian Lake Holidays
1. Lake Como – Hollywood´s Favorite Lake

Let´s start with Como, Hollywood’s favorite one when it comes to the Italian lake holidays. Since 2002 when George Clooney bought a luxurious lakeside villa in Laglio village, other celebrities started to buy houses and spending summers on Como. Of course, it led to tourists wanting to see celebrities’ houses and figure out what they love about this lake. Nowadays, Como is no longer a tranquil paradise, it’s a touristic place bustling with life.
Also read: Toscana – 3 Days Under the Tuscan Sun
The views haven’t changed, but the vibes are different. If you’re into the hype, following the trends, and you don’t mind crowds of tourists in the search for celebrities’ houses, then most likely you’ll enjoy Como.
For a calmer experience, head there during late autumn/early spring. In this way, you can truly enjoy the beauty of the lake and understand why everyone is so obsessed with it.
2. Lake Garda – The Biggest in Italy

There´s no better choice for unforgettable Italian lake holidays than the biggest one of them all. If you take the gondola up to the mountaintop, you’ll see the most breathtaking views. You can walk to different points on the mountain top to see the lake from all angles. My favorite part was meeting alpacas.
Once you go back to earth from this heaven, you can visit Malcesine – a very cute lakeside village. It has its Italian charm but you can tell that it’s all done for tourists. So if you want something authentic, then I’d advise heading to villages nearby.
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 Lake Garda is that it’s so big that you won’t run out of things to do. There are so many charming towns at Lake Garda, so just take a ride along the lake and stop whenever you see something that gets your attention.
3. Lake Maggiore – A Poets Inspiration

While Como has been loved by Hollywood, Maggiore has been loved by poets. Stendhal, Dickens, Dumas, and Hemingway were visiting 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.
Also read: Expat Story – Italy Through American Eyes
Isola Bella is the luxurious island with Italian baroque garden and gorgeous palace, where the world’s elite and aristocrats were staying 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 to be 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 with fresh fish caught on the same day.
Also read: One day in Savona – What to see and do?
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.”
All in all, if you have a chance, I’d really advise visiting all of the lakes, as each one of them is beautiful in its own way. Nevertheless, my personal favorite is Maggiore, because it has it all: different islands you can visit, delicious restaurants with fresh seafood, gorgeous botanical gardens with exotic plants, and quieter settings (comparing to Como and Garda).
For more ideas to plan your epic Italian vacation check my Pinterest board – Italy Travel Tips and Destinations.
Pin it:

Ohhmmy how I wish to visit them all
Such travel inspos.
Much Love,
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
Looks amazing! Love the photos!
~Samantha
http://goldcoastgirlblog.com
These pictures are incredible. Your post made me want to go back to Italy soon.
Nina’s Style Blog
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!
http://www.rdsobsessions.com
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 | http://karascloset.net
These places look incredible!! I’m dreaming of an Italian getaway now
Lyndi
http://www.stylecalling.com
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 | notjessfashion.com
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.