Lake Garda is probably one of the most recognizable water reservoirs in all of Europe, tempting with its unusual beauty, lush Mediterranean vegetation and an exceptionally picturesque location. There is no shortage of well-developed accommodation infrastructure, including campsites and hotels, picturesque landscapes, beautiful beaches and interesting places to see.
It is also the largest and cleanest lake in all of Italy.
Sights, countless attractions for children and adults, the beaches, hiking trails, the possibility of practicing various water sports, and of course the world-famous Italian cuisine. Climatic towns scattered around the lake, full accommodation facilities and plenty of attractions are reason enough to visit Lake Garda at least once.
Location and map of Lake Garda
Lake Garda is located in northern Italy, on the border of three provinces: Trento, Brescia and Verona. About halfway between Milano and Venice.
Lake Garda is surrounded by the mountain range of the Southern Alps and, interestingly, the second most common language, after to Italian, is German. It is a remnant of not so distant history, when a part of the penisula belonged to Austria-Hungary.
See the current map of Lake Garda:
Live Garda is more like a sea, with an area of 370 square kilometers. The northern part is narrower and surrounded by the peaks of the Prealpi Gardesane mountains. The south, on the other hand, is wider (12 km), with warmer water and a wealth of attractive accommodation facilities.
On Lake Garda there are five large islands and a dozen smaller ones. Isola del Garda is the largest of them.
Weather on Lake Garda
The climate at Lake Garda is quite mild and favorable. In winter, the temperature drops below zero only at night, while during the day it reaches 5-7 degrees.
The coldest months are January, February and December. The hottest, in turn, are June, July and August, when the temperature can exceed 30 degrees and days are the longest.
As for precipitation, the highest probability of their occurrence between May and October. Good weather on Garda with pleasant temperatures begins in April and lasts until October.
For people who hate high temperatures, spring or early fall will definitely be a better time to come to the Garda. Then only the water temperature in the lake may be inappropriate to take a bath.
Aesthetic, tourist and recreational values of Lake Garda can be seen in the video below:
Water temperature in Lake Garda
Garda is so large that you can feel a clear difference in water temperature between its northern and southern part. In the south there are hot springs, making the water in these areas much warmer and more friendly when it comes to bathing.
Generally speaking, tourists describe the water temperature in Garda as refreshing.
From June you can swim here confidently, because the lake heats up to over 20 degrees. In the full season (July, August) the temperature of the water in the Garda reaches at least 25 degrees, then you can swim as much as you want. This warmth sometimes lasts even until the beginning of October. Then the water temperature cools down, and starts warming in the sun again from April.
Accommodations on Lake Garda: Camps, hotels, apartments
As we mentioned earlier, the tourist base around Lake Garda is well developed. There is a whole range of accommodation to choose from, from luxury hotels to guesthouses, apartments for rent, camping sites to the most economical version, i.e. hostels.
For this reason, there will be no problem finding a suitable accommodation, tailored to your pocket.
It won’t be cheap ?
Around Garda, camping is very popular (as is throughout Italy). Of course, campsites are closer to large, organized holiday resorts, than a normal, green parking space for a caravan.
In addition to traditional camping lots, you can also rent summer houses.
Below we present two videos showing how campsites near Garda actually look:
There are restaurants, shops and swimming pools adapted for children. There can also be additional activities in the evenings, for which Italy is famous. The most popular campsites are those located in the south-eastern part of the lake.
Another alternative to hotels and camping are agritouristic farms scattered around Garda. It is in such a place that you have the opportunity to meet the locals and observe their daily lives. Not to mention the cuisine ?
Beautiful beaches and bathing places
The biggest advantage of the beaches on Garda is the fact that they are completely free and quite clean. Which is not so obvious if you compare it with the Italian coast, where there are hundreds of colorful deckchairs and umbrellas for rent on the beaches. Some parts are paid, but they are in minority.
The shores of Garda are rather rocky, so on the beaches there are either small pebbles or gravel. Beach chairs or a beach mat will definitely be useful.
In the south of Lake Garda, the entrance to the water is very gentle. In the north, however, it gets deep quickly.
The beaches around Lake Garda are rather narrow, so in these more popular places it can get crowded in the summer. Virtually every place has beach facilities, whether in the form of catering facilities (bars), water equipment rental or deckchairs.
There are piers built off the coast to make it easier to get on the boat, and inflatable playgrounds set up on the water have been prepared for kids.
Lake Garda guide: Attractions, places of interest and sightseeing
Lake Garda is a great place to relax among nature and spend time actively. Above the reservoir there are many rentals of various water sports – bicycles, kayaks, sailboats and motorboats.
The lake is quite deep, so you can try diving under the guidance of an instructor. Whereas in the northern part of the reservoir strong wind blows that it is a favorite place of all wind and kite surfers.
Also, both the depth and the wind at Lake Garda are allies of water sports.
Thanks to the surrounding mountains, there are also many hiking trails that can be covered on foot or by bike. There are also picturesque routes around the lake for hikers not too fond of mountain climbing.
Garda is heavily stocked, which creates ideal conditions for fishing (carp, pike, perch and eel). In turn, for golfers, well-managed fields await here, and for climbers, rocks and climbing walls.
One of the best tourist attractions on Lake Garda are simply small charming towns scattered throughout the area. They charm not only with the typical Italian atmosphere and narrow streets, but also monuments from the distant past, or even hot springs.
The most popular towns on Lake Garda are: Riva del Garda, Sirmione, Malcesine and Salo.
Let’s take a closer look at these interesting places:
Riva del Garda – is an elegant resort located in the northern part of the lake. It is famous for its well-kept old town, rather alpine buildings and the city beach, which is partly a lawn.
See where Riva del Garda is on the map:
There is even a small museum here, where you can admire the old photos of this city from years ago. From the port of Riva del Garda you can take a boat trip through the lake.
Sirmione – another exclusive resort, very popular with tourists. Which unfortunately makes it heavily commercialized.
It is here that you find the most luxurious hotels that are distinguished by private thermal pools. In Sirmione you can admire the historic old town with a castle on the water and the nicely developed waterfront and the Grotto of Catullus (overgrown ruins of a Roman estate, and now an archaeological site).
What distinguishes this town is certainly hot springs, which you can use for free, because in one place they break into the lake. This spa has been known since the time of the Romans, who eagerly used water with a temperature of 70 degrees with the addition of sulfur. To this day, its properties help with respiratory diseases and rheumatism.
Malcesine – a town on the eastern part of Garda. One of the largest in this area. Its old town reaches almost to the shores of the lake, and in charming tenements restaurants and small hotels are hidden.
It is worth visiting the local castle of Scaligieri from the 6th century, where you can admire the nature exhibition about the lake and Monte Baldo as well as drawings by Goethe.
However, the biggest attraction here is the cable car, which you can go to the summit of Monte Baldo (1750 m asl). The lower station is in Malcesine. This railway is distinguished by wagons that rotate 360 degrees while traveling.
Salo – is a small town located on the west bank of the Garda. Despite its popularity, it is not as crowded as it seems, even in the season. It is distinguished by one of the longest promenades in the entire region. Perfect for walking together or morning jogging.
It is worth visiting the local cathedral (Duomo) from the mid-15th century and the Historical Museum (Palace of the Magnificent Homeland) or the city’s Archaeological Museum.
Holidays with children at the lake
Due to the warmer water in its southern part of Garda, Bardolino, Garda and Lazise areas are ideal for holidays with children.
In addition, in this part of Garda, the entrance to the lake from the beach is gentle, which is important when traveling with kids. There are many camping fields in the area, which offer not only playgrounds and swimming pools for children, but also all-day extracurricular activities.
The area also offers a lot of tourist attractions and interesting places that can be visited by entire families, such as the Caneva World aquapark with various slides and located next to Movieland Park with carousels and rollercoasters.
See where they are located:
You can also visit Parco Natura Viva, which is a zoo divided into a section for walking tours and one for driving cars, like on a safari. A nice idea of spending time will also be a visit to the Park Jungle Adventure (rope park). However, the biggest attraction for children in the area is Gardaland, which is a huge amusement park, divided into three zones: Adventure, Adrenaline and Fantasy. Countless roller coasters and other carousels, as well as an oceanarium, are waiting for children and adults to admire the underwater world (extra paid). This trip will be at least a full day.
Prices on Lake Garda
Lake Garda is not cheap. This must be said right away. Even hostel accommodation can oscillate around at least 30 euro per person per day. The hotel costs at least 60 euro and we are talking about an one-star facility. It will be definitely cheaper if you look for accommodation further from the lake.
When it comes to restaurants, 50 euro for a meal for two in a decent pub is what you should expect. You can buy a pizza for 6 euro, pasta for 7 euro, and a salad from 8 euro up. As for typical Italian delicacies, bruschetta costs 5 euro, lasagne 7 euro, panini 3.50 euro, coffee 1-2 euro, a scoop of ice cream from 1.60 to 2 euro. When it comes to alcohol, it’s not rosy, beer in a pub costs from 3 to 5 euro for a local drink (0.5 liters), and for the famous aperol -spritz you will pay 3-4 euro.
You will eat a little cheaper on your own.
Bread costs about 2 euro, 12 eggs 3 euro, a kilo of sausage costs from 9 euro up, and milk about 1 euro per liter. Potatoes and cucumbers cost 1 euro per kilo, tomatoes and oranges average 2 euro per kilo. Meat is not cheap, because you have to pay on average 7 euro per kilo of chicken breasts, and beef from 10 euro per kilo. 1.5 liters of water should not cost more than 0.70 euro, a pack of decent cigarettes 5 euro, and local beer 1-1.70 euro for half a liter.
Access to Lake Garda
Definitely a faster and more convenient a way to get to Garda will be a flight to one of the three nearby cities: Milano, Verona or Bergamo. Of these, the most economical version will be the airport in Bergamo, where low cost airlines fly (Wizzar, Ryanair), despite the closest to the lake is the airport in Verona.
Then it’s best to rent a car and reach Garda yourself. By the way, you will be able to explore the entire area and go sightseeing.
Below you will see Lake Garda thanks to an online camera that constantly transmits live image:
Finally, one more important thing: tourist opinions on Garda.
As usual, we also refer to the official lake site, where you will find other important information.
Tourists and their opinions on Garda
Tourists’ comments are priceless. Therefore, if you had the opportunity to spend your vacation on Garda, we are waiting for your opinions about this place. Both when it comes to cities and towns, attractions, access, current prices and quality of accommodation. Each feedback will be helpful for future tourists who have decided to spend their holidays and vacation right on Garda.