Lake Garda: wind in the north, olive groves and castles in the south.

North or south?

Garda is two lakes in one. The north, in Trentino, is narrow and wedged between mountains: Riva del Garda, Torbole and Arco live off wind, climbing and cycling. The south, between Lombardy and Veneto, is wide and open, with pebble beaches, castles and vineyards: Sirmione, Desenzano, Peschiera, Lazise and Bardolino. Between the two, the west shore, from Salò to Limone, has the lemon-grower villages and the tunnels of the Gardesana road; the east shore, from Garda to Malcesine, has Monte Baldo rising above it.

If you're going to be on the move and play sport, sleep in Riva or Torbole. If you want villages, wine and calm swimming, choose Sirmione, Lazise or Bardolino. With four nights you can split them: two up north and two down south.

What can you see in four days?

• Sirmione, at the tip of a narrow peninsula in the south. You enter on foot over the bridge of the Scaligero castle and walk to the Grotte di Catullo, the remains of a large Roman villa above the lake, with an archaeological museum. Entry to the Grotte costs €10 (€2 for ages 18 to 25) and there's a joint ticket with the castle and the Roman Villa of Desenzano. Opening hours change with the season: check them beforehand.
• Monte Baldo from Malcesine. The cable car climbs in about 20 minutes, in rotating cabins, and at the top there are ridge trails with the whole lake below. In 2026 it opens from 4 April to 1 November; the return trip costs €30 at the ticket office and €28 online.
• The Limone cycle path, a walkway hanging from the rock above the water, opened in 2018. It runs from the village to the Trentino border, about 2 km, and can be done on foot or by bike. The stretch to Riva is still under construction.
• The Varone waterfall, 3 km from Riva: a waterfall inside a gorge that you visit along walkways. Entry costs €7 and can only be bought there. In summer there's a free shuttle from the Baltera car park.
• The Vittoriale degli Italiani, in Gardone Riviera, the house and park that Gabriele D'Annunzio filled with objects, with a warship set into the garden. In August there are evening openings.
• Bardolino and its vineyards. The Zeni 1870 wine museum can be visited free and without a reservation, and in its wine shop you can taste Bardolino and Chiaretto.

How do you get there from Spain?

Fly to Verona, Bergamo or Milan, the most convenient airports. From Verona airport, the towns on the south of the lake, such as Peschiera, are about 20 km away. A bus runs from the airport to Verona Porta Nuova station, and from there direct trains leave for Peschiera and Desenzano, on the Milan–Venice line. For the north, the nearest station is Rovereto, with buses to Riva.

How do you get around the lake?

By car you can go round in one long day, but in summer the shore road jams and parking in Sirmione or Limone is difficult. The Navigazione Laghi boats link the villages on both shores from March to early November, and the car ferry between Maderno and Torri del Benaco saves you going round via the south. The most useful crossing is Malcesine to Limone, about €7.50 one way. In winter, from 2 November 2026 to 12 March 2027, only that ferry runs.

Why is there so much wind in the north?

Because of the shape of the lake. In the morning the Pelèr blows from the north, starting in the early hours and dropping around midday. Then the Ora comes in from the south, lasting until sunset and strongest in high summer. That's why in Torbole beginner windsurfing courses are first thing, with a light wind and flat water, and experts go out in the afternoon. At Vasco Renna, in Torbole, a two-hour group windsurfing lesson costs €85 with equipment, every day at 9:00, from April to November.

Where to eat?

In the north, Al Volt, in the centre of Riva, serves Trentino cooking and lake fish under vaulted ceilings, with menus from €60; at lunchtime it's open only at weekends. In Malcesine, Vecchia Malcesine, with one MICHELIN star, is the east shore's special-occasion table, from April to October. In the south, the Trattoria Antica Contrada, at the entrance to Sirmione, serves grilled Garda fish and homemade pasta. Order lake fish, Garda olive oil and, in the south, Lugana or Chiaretto.

Where to sleep?

In the south, the Hotel Catullo is inside Sirmione's historic centre, with its own jetty for swimming and parking 500 m away. In the countryside between Sirmione and Desenzano, the Agriturismo Armea has rooms and apartments among Lugana vineyards, a pool and a trattoria. In the north, the Camping al Porto, in the centre of Torbole, has pitches, apartments and mobile homes a few metres from the water.