Hello all, I will be visiting Lake Garda this upcoming summer in July and wanted to get some input about the best areas to stay/visit. Specifically, does anyone know of an Ideal home base in the Lake Garda region that is near interesting towns that have fantastic places to swim? Essentially, I am looking for any recommendations about which areas to see and others to skip.
Thanks!
I have not toured the entire lake, however, I really enjoyed our two nights at Sirmione, an unique little town on the peninsula on the south end of the lake.
Don't know about swimming, but if you are looking for world-class windsurfing, the north end of the lake. Riva del Garda, Torbole, Malcesine. Nice cable car to the top of the mountain in Malcesine.
Personally, I would recommend Malcesine over Sirmione. They are both inundated with tourists in July and August, but Sirmione is absolutely overrun, and it's crammed full of international chain shops, shoulder-to-shoulder tourists, and mediocre (or worse) restaurants. I couldn't get out of there fast enough--but, the view over the lake is stunning, and the castle is cool and worth checking out. I liked Malcesine better because it is less swamped with people, it has lifts that can take you up Monte Baldo for hiking or just to enjoy the view, and the waterfront is really pleasant, especially in the evenings. If you are a hiker, it is really easy to get away from the crowds--just take the gondola up the mountain and you can get stunning views and plenty of quiet. Limone and Riva del Garda are also beautiful, but I have only passed through them and haven't stayed in them yet. In general, it seems like the further north you drive, away from Sirmione, the less crowded it seems to be, and the east side of the lake seems more heavily touristed than the west side.
Good luck--have a great trip! It is such a beautiful area--the only thing I didn't like about it was how crowded it got. Everything else was lovely and memorable. :)
I like the landscape of the north lake the best.
On the north lake I like Limone Sul Garda, Malcesine, Riva del Garda, Torbole, Gargnano, Torri, etc. They are all very small, except for Riva which is a bit bigger town, although the historic center is also very quaint.
On the south side you have two large resort towns: Peschiera and Desenzano. Peschiera has a famous fortress and it has historic significance because of events taking place during the Italian Risorgimento (1800s), when Italians fought to gain independence from their oppressors of the time (in that area it was the Austrian Empire). Italy was continually invaded by someone throughout its history, nowadays it is the tourists.
Between Desenzano and Peschiera there is the pretty medieval town of Sirmione. Sirmione is quaint and worth a visit, however I'd like to warn you that when you go (in July) it will be crowded with hordes of tourists worse than Disneyland. I think you should visit the place, however I just wanted to alert you that everybody else around the lake will visit that town during their stay, and many will actually stay in the town itself, therefore hotels in that town are probably the most expensive. It's like the Cinque Terre. They are famous and pretty, so everybody wants to go there.
As far as beaches are concerned there are many in any area. The ones near Sirmione are probably prettier (there is one I remember is called Jamaica Beach), but you can find near any town you choose. The website below lists them all according to town. I think it's in Italian only but beach in Italian is SPIAGGIA (pl. "spiagge").
Thank you all for the insightful comments!
jw,
Staying at the south end of the lake will be easier for transportation, as there are no rail links to the communities on the north end. The towns that Roberto mentioned, Peschiera del Garda and Desenzano, both have good rail access. I would not suggest Sirmione as access is only by Bus or Taxi, and I suspect that it's going to be dreadfully crowded in July. My last visit there was most unpleasant, and I won't be returning.
We were in Sirmione in late June. It was touristy and pretty crowded. It seems to be one of those places where the quality of the food and service are compromised because the tourist traffic is so high that they can get away with it. However we were mostly there for the sights, we enjoyed the maritime castle there and the Grottoes of Catullus (impressive ruin). We hopped on one of the ferries and cross-crossed the lake, just joy-riding and enjoying being on the water. I don't think there are good places to swim at Sirmione, although there is a water park nearby(!) It was a good short visit but I wouldn't want to linger there. In hindsight I would have stayed somewhere else on Garda, probably Malcesine.
