Borromean Islands Hop-On Hop-Off Boat Tour from Stresa

Stresa and Lake Maggiore

Stresa is the most elegant town on the western shore of Lake Maggiore, the second largest lake in Italy, which stretches from Piedmont and Lombardy into Switzerland. Its lakefront promenade is lined with grand hotels from the Belle Époque, flower beds and palm trees, with the Borromean Islands floating just offshore and the Alps on the horizon. The town is easy to reach by train from Milan in about an hour.

The boats leave from the pier at Piazza Marconi in the centre of the lakefront. A Stresa day trip built around the islands is the classic way to discover the lake, and this hop-on hop-off ticket lets you plan the day freely: the crossing to the first island takes only a few minutes, and the boats come back regularly.

Isola Bella and the Borromeo Palace

Isola Bella is the most famous of the three islands. In the seventeenth century the Borromeo family transformed a rocky island with a fishing village into a palace and garden designed to look like a great ship floating on the lake. The baroque Borromeo Palace has richly decorated rooms, a collection of paintings and tapestries, and unusual grottoes on the lower floor covered with shells and pebbles.

Behind the palace, the Italian garden rises in ten terraces decorated with statues, fountains and clipped hedges, and white peacocks walk freely among the flowers. Tickets for the palace and gardens are not included and are bought on the island. To see them well, allow about two hours; Isola Bella opening hours usually run from late March to early November.

Isola dei Pescatori, the fishermen's island

Isola dei Pescatori, also called Isola Superiore, is the only one of the Borromean Islands still lived in all year round. Its single main lane and narrow alleys are lined with tall, colourful houses with long balconies once used to dry fish, and the boats of the few remaining fishermen are pulled up on the shore. At its centre stands the small church of San Vittore, with a slender bell tower.

It is the best island for lunch, as many restaurants along the water serve lake fish such as perch and whitefish. There is no entry fee apart from the small landing fee, so you can wander for an hour or more. Isola dei Pescatori is worth visiting for its relaxed atmosphere and for the sunset views back towards Stresa and the mountains.

Isola Madre and its botanical gardens

Isola Madre is the largest of the three islands and the quietest. Almost the whole island is covered by a botanical garden in the English landscape style, created over several centuries, with exotic trees, camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and a giant Kashmir cypress that is among the largest in Europe. Peacocks, pheasants and parrots roam the lawns.

In the middle stands a sixteenth-century palace furnished as a noble country residence, with a famous collection of puppet theatres and dolls. Like Isola Bella, the palace and gardens of Isola Madre require a separate ticket, often sold together with Isola Bella. Plan at least an hour and a half here; spring, when the azaleas and camellias bloom, is the best time to visit Isola Madre.

Planning your day on the islands

With a one-day ticket, the easiest way to see all three islands is to start in the morning with Isola Madre, the furthest from Stresa, then visit Isola dei Pescatori for lunch, and finish at Isola Bella in the afternoon before the last boat back. If you prefer a shorter day, the option with two islands of your choice is a good alternative, for example Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori.

Before boarding, keep some cash for the small landing fee charged on each island. The Borromean Islands season runs from about late March to early November, when the palaces and gardens are open; in winter the boat service runs but the gardens are closed. Comfortable shoes are useful, as the islands have steps and cobbled lanes.