Isola del Garda, a microcosm rich in nature, art and history.

We take you to the discovery of Isola del Garda, the largest island on Lake Garda, which over the centuries has hosted illustrious characters from the Roman era to the present day. Located on the Brescia side, it is part of the San Felice del Benaco area.

What to visit in Isola del Garda.

The visit certainly begins with sighting the island and Villa Borghese Cavazza by lake. They will appear elegant and majestic, surrounded by the opulent nature of the vegetation with attention to every detail.

Inside the island there are many things to see, all accompanied by history and curious anecdotes that characterize them. You will arrive at the delightful marina, built in 1830, and you will begin to visit the beautiful park that includes the Italian garden with ancient boxwood bushes and lush palm groves, and the English garden with plants from all over the world that thanks to the mild climate here they found an ideal habitat. The most curious is certainly the Bald Cypress, a water conifer with root tubercles that emerge from the ground creating suggestive shapes.

You will visit the olive grove and the old cemetery of the Franciscans (first inhabitants of the island), a colony of Gray Herons, the greenhouse immersed in the rose garden, the House of the Fairies (seen from the outside it will seem like a chapel while in reality it is a small nest for children), the Pelagra (the tavern where the Villa’s staff gathered in their free time), the collection of wooden sculptures scattered in every corner of the park, a couple of internal rooms of the Villa from the early 1900s and the spectacular terrace in Venetian neo-Gothic style with breathtaking views of the Italian garden and the blue of Lake Garda towards the Rocca di Manerba.

How to book a view in Isola del Garda.

All visits are compulsorily bookable, from April to October, through the island’s official website. Click here.

They include: round trip by boat (departing from various ports), guided tour in Italian / English / German, welcome drink and tasting of DOP extra virgin olive oil. The duration is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. Children under 4 are free.

The dimensions of Isola del Garda.

The island is 1100 meters long, a maximum of 160 meters wide and is 220 meters from the mainland. It is mainly made up of limestone. After 1870 the Duke Gaetano de Ferrari ordered the construction of retaining walls within which a vast amount of fertile soil was brought back from San Felice del Benaco (BS), thanks to which the extraordinary planting that characterizes the whole park of the island.

This enchanted place is really worth a visit. You will be greeted with a smile and informality. A recommendation: every now and then take a look at the private boats that approach the island to enjoy the view, you will see extremely beautiful ones, such as the renowned Riva motorboats.

See you next time dear Outdoors!

Silvia Turazza – Garda Outdoors editorial staff