Isola del Garda - San Felice del Benaco, Province of Brescia

Faysal

A wonderful place. Utterly spectacular. Isola del Garda is an unforgettable experience. The boat trip takes around twenty minutes and offers wonderful views as the island and its neo Gothic villa rise above the lake.

The tour of the villa and gardens is breathtaking. The mansion was built at the end of the 19th century for Duke Gaetano de Ferrari and still carries the elegance of that time. The gardens are beautifully kept, with plants brought from all over the world. Terraces, palms, fruit trees, and flowers combine to create a paradise that feels both cultivated and natural.

The history of the island adds to its charm. It was once a Franciscan monastery visited by saints such as Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua, later transformed into a residence for noble families, and today it remains cared for by the Cavazza family who open it to visitors.

The guide, Livia, makes the visit remarkable. Her knowledge and presence add something personal that is best experienced in person, with a sense that there is more to her than simply guiding.

Boats to the island leave from several towns on Lake Garda, including Garda, Sirmione, Gardone Riviera, and Desenzano. Tickets can be booked through local tour operators or directly on the Isola del Garda website.

The combination of the boat ride, the villa, the gardens, and the history makes this visit one of the highlights of Lake Garda.

Lance C.

This is a tourist trap. Don’t waste your money or time. Not much to see, gardens do not compare to the Borromeo gardens of lake Maggiore. You are trapped on the island, boat takes a very long time. Waste of a whole day on the lake. Better use of time is to rent a boat or a water taxi, drive around the island once, and go back. It is an old place, and has some great views, but I would not recommend to anyone and won’t return. save your time and money.

Imogen P.

I recently photographed a wedding here and it’s Honestly just the most breathtaking location for a wedding that I’ve been - even with a storm brewing!

Calum C.

The island is truly beautiful.

The house exterior is a masterpiece of different architectural styles, and the surrounding manicured gardens are stunning. The rest of the island is a nature garden, which is beautiful to walk through, especially if you make it to the tip of the island, where you'll be rewarded with some spectacular views!

You need to book a guided tour in advance (this is essential), which shows the manicured gardens, a few rooms inside, and gives a history of the island – but felt too slow and got boring quite quickly. The price includes a glass of local wine, and a boat which collects you from the mainland.

Minh L.

The island is beautiful and picturesque. The guided tour was interesting but felt a little bit hectic. The English and Italian tour are organised back to back so the guests rarely had anytime to enjoy the scenery peacefully without a lot of people roaming around. The tour provided juice, wine and olive oil tasting. Afterward the guests were allowed a few minutes to check out the park which has nothing much interesting to see, before rushing for the boat. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable.

Ádám S.

It is worth visiting this wonderful place. It already offers stunning views from the boat. Entering the island as if we were in a green oasis. The rooms inside the villa are stunning and the outside is a real masterpiece. It was a very nice surprise for the little food and drink , the fine wine and the divine olive oil. Exploring the garden would be worth just a day. Walking between special plants, palms, agave and hundreds of years old olive trees, you will feel like you are in paradise. Whoever can do discover this wonderful place.

Tobias H.

The island is breathtakingly beautiful. We took a boat ride from Desenzano to the island and had the guided tour.

The tour guide was super nice and gave a really interesting insight into both the history and the architecture of the island and the villa. It's hard to believe that the island used to be a pile of rocks and that all the soil for the plants was brought there by hand.

We could only visit two rooms inside the villa, an old office and a dining room, but those were beautiful. Also, the stairway up to the toilets alone is an experience. The gardens surrounding the villa were a treat as well.

Janet

We had a marvellous tour around the house and gardens, Livia our guide is actually one of the family that own the property so as she grew up on island it gave the tour a very personal touch. A beautiful place with a fascinating history.