Private skippered tours from Cannero Riviera to the Castelli di Cannero: how they work, routes, prices and tips for your experience on Lake Maggiore.
Cannero Riviera on Lake Maggiore is an ideal starting point for boat tours to the Castelli di Cannero, the medieval castle ruins on two rocky islands off the Piedmont coast. Cannero Riviera lies in Italy on the western shore of Lake Maggiore. If you're looking for a boat tour Cannero Riviera, you won't find an overcrowded scheduled trip here, but private, skippered tours on the traditional gaff cutter Striga Constanze with flexible starting points in Cannero, Cannobio or Laveno.
Most guests only know the public boat service with fixed departure times and full decks. We offer something different: a quiet, individually planned boat trip for couples, families, small groups and lovers of peace and nature who want to experience Cannero Riviera and the Castelli di Cannero exclusively from the water. Instead of timetable stress and crowds on board, you can expect free routes, a choice of duration and stops as you wish.
In this overview you'll learn:
Around Cannero Riviera in particular this matters, because a private boat tour offers more flexibility, more peace and far more personal perspectives on the castle ruins and the landscape of Lake Maggiore than the public ferry.
Matching tours
Bestseller€490
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Proposal€490
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+ €20 p. p.Private tour
Cannero Riviera has two main harbours for boat connections. In addition, there are public connections between the towns that reliably complement tourist traffic on the water. Ferries from Cannero Riviera go to Cannobio and Luino, often also carry bicycles and run several times a day via Navigazione Lago Maggiore. Shipping on Lake Maggiore carries over 7.5 million passengers a year, putting it on a par with the heavily used lake shipping on Lake Como.
The ferry from Cannero to Oggebbio costs €2.50 without intermediate stops. There is no car ferry in Cannero Riviera; the nearest car ferry between Intra and Laveno runs every 20 minutes with a 30-minute crossing. So if you want to stay flexible, you face the choice between a public ferry with limitations or a private boat instead of travelling by road.
There is already a wide choice of boats in Cannero Riviera. Boats can be rented from €50/day, plus various offers from private and professional providers, some including catamarans. Guided sailing tours allow active sailing and exploring the lake. What we offer is not a simple boat transfer, but a curated excursion with stories, stops and perspectives that scheduled boats and motorboat rentals don't deliver.
In 3 steps
From the first enquiry to returning to harbour: three steps, no complicated booking process.
Message us on WhatsApp (+39 333 3802 383), by email or via our contact form. We usually reply within 24 hours. Together we discuss your preferred date and boarding point: Laveno-Mombello as home port is always possible; in suitable conditions also boarding in Cannero Riviera or Cannobio.
The 2027 season starts on 1 March. Places are limited, especially at weekends and during the holiday periods between May and September. We recommend enquiring 3 to 6 months in advance.
We design the route according to your wishes. Do you mainly want to see the Castelli di Cannero? Take a swim stop? A sunset tour with prosecco? A family pirate trip for the children?
Places such as Cannobio, Oggebbio, Cannero, Verbania and the Borromean Islands can be combined, depending on the duration. The Borromean Islands are known for magnificent palaces and terraced gardens. Cannero Riviera has been known for citrus fruits since the 16th century; the region has a mild microclimate for lemons, oranges and citrons. Boat tours offer spectacular views of the Alpine landscape and historic buildings along the coast.
We also cater for special occasions:
At the meeting point you go on board, the skipper gives a short safety briefing, and off you go. On the way to the Cannero castles you'll find photo spots that can't be reached from the scheduled boat. In a sheltered bay there's room for an aperitivo break or a dip in the water in warm weather.
Return to the agreed harbour. From Cannero you can walk to the lake promenade and also have connections towards Locarno; from Laveno you reach your car or the car ferry to Intra in a few minutes.
Traditional gaff cutter, red sails, just your group. 3, 4 or 7 hours.
from €490
for up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 on request
Boat tours around Cannero Riviera are very popular. The range of offers extends from inexpensive scheduled trips (approx. €30 per person for a 2-hour tour with audio guide) to luxury motorboat charters from Stresa (from €500 for 2 hours) to our tour on a traditional sailing boat.
Cannero Riviera offers a rich choice of eco-friendly excursions. Here are concrete tour variants we sail regularly. Every tour is customised; the following descriptions are inspirations, not rigid products.
Start in Cannero or Laveno, a trip to the castle ruins, the coastline with villas and citrus trees. The castles are not accessible and may not be entered, but we get close enough for good photos and detailed stories. The duration allows for photo stops and a short break on board.
A coastal cruise towards Cannobio, the option of a shore visit to one of the most beautiful villages on the lake, a swim stop in a quiet bay, the return in the evening light past Cannero Riviera. Public shipping allows convenient transfers to neighbouring towns and islands; our tour adds the freedom to decide for yourself where and how long you stay.
Departure in the late afternoon, golden hour at the castles. Return amid the sea of lights of the lakeside towns. Ideal for couples and small groups, with an aperitivo or prosecco on deck. The view of the illuminated riviera from the water is a highlight that's impossible from land. To the sunset tour
Child-friendly stories about the Mazzarditi pirates, a binocular treasure hunt on the lake, a snack break off Cannero Riviera. The kind of excursion children still remember years later. To the pirate tour
Most viewed
Bestseller€490
Private tourBestseller€490
Private tour
For kids 4–10€490
Private tour
Other providers
Striga Constanze
Mass experience
just your group
Engine noise
sound of wind and water
To-do-list holiday
holiday at your own pace
We take up to 8 guests at a fixed price (up to 12 on request) on board and offer tours lasting 3 to 7 hours. The number of places is deliberately limited.
Transparent fixed prices per tour, up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 guests on request. Every price includes skipper, boat and all the highlights of the chosen route.
The compact option for a Castelli di Cannero cruise with coastal views. Enough time for photo stops and the skipper's stories about the castles.
A Cannero–Cannobio combination or an additional stop in a swimming bay. An extended aperitivo break in an idyllic bay included. Alternatively bookable as an exit game tour.
Time for the Cannero castles, the Borromean Islands or Verbania plus extended breaks. A restaurant visit ashore is possible. A whole day on the water, from the villages of the Piedmont coast to the gardens of the islands.
Results and experiences speak louder than any description.
"We only wanted to take a short trip to the castles. In the end we were on the water for four hours, swam in a bay and watched the sunset off Cannero from the boat. The children are still talking about the pirate stories." – Family T., Munich, June 2026
"The proposal in front of the Castelli at sunset was exactly as I had imagined it. Quiet, private, without other tourists. The skipper discreetly withdrew. The perfect moment." – Marco P., Milan, September 2026
"Morning mist on the lake, then the castle ruins slowly appear. The light was unreal. For me, the highlight of the whole trip to Lake Maggiore." – Sandra K., Vienna, May 2026
No-obligation enquiry, reply within 24 hours. Weekends in the 2027 season go fast.
Our home port is Laveno-Mombello. Boarding in Cannero Riviera is possible by arrangement, depending on water level, harbour occupancy and weather. Alternative boarding points: Cannobio, Brebbia or Feriolo. There is no regular car ferry in Cannero Riviera; if you arrive by car, you can park in Laveno and board there, or use the Intra–Laveno car ferry (every 20 minutes, 30-minute crossing).
Season 2027
If you're looking for a quiet, private boat tour around Cannero Riviera and the Castelli di Cannero, without crowds and rigid timetables: message us on WhatsApp at +39 333 3802 383 or ask about availability for 2027 via our contact form.
A private tour on a traditional gaff cutter. Up to 8 guests at a fixed price (up to 12 on request). 3 to 7 hours. From €490 for the whole group. Boarding possible in Cannero Riviera and Cannobio, among others. Free rebooking in bad weather.
Our tours are growing in popularity; places for the 2027 high season are already being reserved. If you want to combine a visit to the castles, a swim stop off the coast and the view of the lake under sail, you'll find the right way onto the water on the Striga Constanze.
Skipper of the Striga Constanze
Ciao! Questions about the route, departure harbour or date? Just message me – I reply personally.
