Visiting the Stunning Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore, Lago Maggiore in Italian, is Italy’s second-largest lake and it’s home to a set of beautiful islands known as the Borromean Islands.

If you’ve been searching for a special place in the Italian lakes of northern Italy, I promise you’ve found it.

I’ve visited 3 of the 4 Borromean Islands numerous times (the 4th one is not open to the public). You can see and feel their glamour and allure from the moment you first see them. But spend time on each island, and you’ll see they all have their own charm, story, and sights worthy of including on your Italy itinerary.

In the guide below, I’ve shared about each Borromean Island based on my own experiences in the hopes it’ll inspire you to visit them, too!

About the Borromean Islands

If you’re not an expert on northern Italian history, you probably don’t know much about the backstory of the Borromean Islands or the family that owns them. So I’ve put together some quick info for context.

The Borromeo family were aristocratic merchants and bankers primarily starting in the 1400s who became powerful landowners around Lake Maggiore. Their power grew when Charles Borromeo became an Archbishop in the Roman Catholic Church and later a Saint.

By the 16th century, the House of Borromeo began buying the Borromean Islands and building palaces and gardens on them. When you visit, look for the Borromeo Coat of Arms, three interlocking circles. Once you realize what this symbol is, you’ll notice it in many places around the islands.

The Borromeo family still owns the islands today (except for one; see more on which one below). The Isolino di San Giovanni is the family’s private island but the others are open to visitors.

Boats to the Borromean Islands

Most visitors take a boat from the town of Stresa to the Borromean Islands. Stresa is on the Piedmont side of Lake Maggiore, the lake’s western shoreline.

There are small motor boats that take people to the islands and the ferry from Stresa’s main waterfront area near Piazza Marconi.

You can also take small motor boats from this location. This is where I usually drive to first but understand that the parking lot here is small. You may need to park along a side street and walk down to the lake where boats depart or head toward the main waterfront area if you can’t find anything.

Boats to the Borromean Islands also depart from the nearby town of Baveno and the Pallanza-Verbania area.

You can also get your boat ticket in advance. Just be sure you know where the boat departs from you go to the right part of the waterfront.

Isola Bella

Isola Bella is simply stunning and I fully admit to being absolutely in love with this gorgeous island.

The Baroque Palazzo Borromeo took almost 400 years to finish and is the island’s main attraction along with the incredible palace gardens. There’s also a small village on the island.

You arrive on Isola Bella at the palace’s doorstep so start your visit here.

Tour the palace’s opulent rooms with their magnificent 360-degree Lake Maggiore views, and along the way admire a treasure trove of paintings.

On warmer days, the French doors in some of the palace rooms are open and you can stand at the Juliet balcony railing in awe of the lake views imagining you’re the Isabella married to Carlo Borromeo III who had the island named after you and the palazzo built in your honor. (Imagination is a wonderful thing, isn’t it!)

My favorite areas of the palace come later, though. The grottoes, made of shells and stones, are among the most unique and amazing rooms you’ll ever see and the tapestries in the last room before you exit to the gardens are exquisite. I could look at the fantastical scenes with mythological animals all day if I didn’t know the gorgeous gardens were waiting just outside.

From here, exit the palace and head up the stairs to Isola Bella’s formal Italian garden with its striking Baroque elements. They’re spread out across multiple levels and between elegant statues of gods and goddesses and perfectly planted flowers, shrubs, and trees.

The centerpiece is the Teatro Massimo with recessed sculptures, a unicorn statue at the top, a fountain, and stairs on either side leading to the upper levels. It’s from this vantage point where you get the most stunning view of Lake Maggiore, the Stresa shoreline, the foothills of the Alps, and the gardens themselves.

And as if the scene isn’t romantic enough, white peacocks roam the gardens calling to one another and fanning their feathers, with this gorgeous royal garden and Italian lake as the backdrop. (I have more photos of these birds on my camera roll than I should admit. But I do think they love my camera as much as I love taking photos of them!) Overall, the beauty of it all is even more surreal than the tapestries inside.`

Within the palace grounds, you’ll find a cafe if you’d like to sit for a coffee or snack, maybe with one of the peacocks lingering nearby. Otherwise, you’ll find some bars, restaurants, and gelato stops that are open in the morning and for lunch in the small fishing village that surrounds the palazzo. Il Fornello Bottega con Cucina has delicious food and is a bit of a hidden gem given most people plan lunch on nearby Isola Pescatori.

You’ll also find some places to buy souvenirs but they’re mostly touristy items that aren’t necessarily unique to Isola Bella or the Borromean Islands.

Isola Pescatori

This Borromean Island is unique because it’s the only one never owned by the Borromean family. Historically, the island was home to fishermen which is the reason for its nickname. (The island is also known as Isola Superiore.) Today, the island is mostly for tourism but you’ll find artifacts and information about the tradition of fishing along the waterfront and in a small fishing museum on the island.

Isola Pescatori is also the only island with year-round residents. About 25 people (more or less) live here throughout the year until the summer when more people and visitors stay on the island.

The island is very small with only 2 main roads and narrow alleyways leading toward the shoreline. You can easily walk from one end of the island to the other in just a couple of minutes. But it’s more fun to browse the shops, stop at the small Church of San Vittore, look at the houses, and take photos of the views from all sides of the island.

As you walk, you’ll also see just how many restaurants are on this tiny island! It’s the most popular place to have lunch if you’re day-tripping to the Borromean Islands and a beautiful spot to have dinner after the crowds of the day have left. (Restaurants have private boat shuttles to bring people to and from the island after the public boats stop running.)

Most people want a table along the water. I can’t blame them. The views are beautiful! I’ve eaten at several restaurants on the island. My favorite so far is Ristorante Italia Isola dei Pescatori Stresa. But I’ve eaten well everywhere I’ve gone. More than anything, if you want a table with the best views, try to make a reservation to guarantee a spot.

On the other hand, you might save a little money by eating at a restaurant along the interior of the island if you’re willing to forgo the views while you eat.

Isola Madre

Isola Madre is the largest of the Borromean Islands and was the first one owned by the Borromean family. It sits a bit closer to the Pallanza-Verbania shoreline than Isola Pescatori and Isola Bella.

The 16th-century palace is beautiful but not as grand as the Palazzo on Isola Bella. It was used as a family home and feels warmer and more relaxed with furniture and portraits of the family.

Mostly, though, I love to see the extensive botanical gardens that have plants and flowers from all over the world. From wisteria, rhododendrons, roses, and magnolias to cacti, citrus trees, cypress trees, and tropical ferns, the combination of it all laid out in an English style with Lake Maggiore in the background is spectacular.

And of course, the garden’s elegant effect wouldn’t be complete without its own resident peacocks wandering freely through the nearly 20 acres of landscaping.

Isolino di San Giovanni

This small island is not open to the public but you can see it from the Lake Maggiore shoreline if you’re in Pallanaza. In fact, it feels close enough to touch if you’re walking along the water here! The island is less than 100 feet from shore.

The Borromeo family purchased it in the 17th century and still owns it today. The island has a palazzo in a similar style to the one on Isola Madre, a natural wooded area for privacy, and gardens.

The island was also home to Arturo Toscanini, the famous Italian orchestra conductor for 25 years, mostly during the 1930s and 1940s.

How to Spend an Ideal Day on the Borromean Islands

When you have just one day to see the Borromean Islands, every minute counts if you want to visit all three islands.

To see all three Borromean Islands in a day, here’s what I suggest:

• Start the day at Isola Bella. Spend the morning before lunch touring the palazzo and enjoying the amazing gardens.
• Take a boat to Isola Pescatori to spend a little time exploring the island and having lunch.
• After lunch, visit Isola Madre to finish the day in the beautiful botanical gardens.

With this itinerary, you’ll need to start when Isola Bella opens and plan a full day on the islands. By starting with Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori, you’ll see the two most popular islands first in case you’re running short on time.

If you only want to visit Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori, here’s what I suggest:

• Begin on Isola Pescatori. Give yourself some time to browse the shops, stroll, visit the church and fishing museum, and take photos.
• Have lunch on Isola Pescatori. (Or choose a restaurant on Isola Bella if you prefer.)
• Spend the afternoon on Isola Bella touring the palace and relishing every moment you can spend in Isola Bella’s gardens.

Keep in mind, lunch in Italy begins around 12:30 p.m. Restaurants that primarily serve lunch and dinner won’t be open before then so arriving too early on Isola Pescatori could come with some wait time. But not needing to start first thing in the morning might be a better plan depending on where you’re starting your day.

How to Get to the Borromean Islands

Lake Maggiore, Lago Maggiore in Italian, is just west of Lake Como. It’s split between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy, as well as Switzerland to the north.

Stresa is the most popular town on Lake Maggiore and the gateway to the Borromean Islands. If you’re not staying in Stresa or another Lake Maggiore town with boat access to the islands, Stresa is easy to reach by train.

Stresa is an easy day trip from Milan by train. Direct trains arrive within 60-90 minutes. If you’re picking up a rental car to begin an Italy road trip, it’s just over an hour to drive from Milan to Stresa.

From Turin, there aren’t any direct trains to Stresa. The fastest train takes just under 2 hours with a transfer in Rho Fiera. If you’re driving from Turin, the ride is about 90 minutes depending on traffic.

If you’re coming from nearby Lake Orta, you can drive in about 30 minutes from Orta San Giulio to Stresa or take bus #32 to arrive in less than an hour.

Best Time to Visit the Borromean Islands

The Borromean palaces and their gardens on Isola Bella and Isola Madre are typically open from mid-March to the beginning of November. You can check the official opening and closing dates on their website as it changes slightly depending on the year.

Within this timeframe, I really love the spring months of April, May, and early June. The gardens are full of fresh blooms and the temperatures get milder as you get into the heart of spring. These months are also less crowded than during the summer season.

I mention this not just for the palaces and sights but also for the ease of parking in Stresa which can be difficult on busy summer weekends. Generally speaking, regardless of the month you visit, try to arrive in the morning when parking is overall less stressful.

Inspired to Visit Lake Maggiore’s Borromean Islands?

Well, let me share one last thing. The photos don’t do them justice! The Borromean Islands and Lake Maggiore are even more stunning in person. So add them to your Italy travel bucket list and go as soon as you can.

I hope you’ll love them as much as I do! And if you’re looking for more, this list of can’t-miss things to do at Lake Maggiore will help you experience more of the lake!

Anything else you’d like to know about the Borromean Islands? Let me know!

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