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Isola Bella, Isola Madre, the fishermen's island and Isolino di San Giovanni: island portraits, procedure, prices and guest stories for your private island day.
The Borromean Islands are a group of islands in Lake Maggiore and one of the most beautiful destinations in Italy. The small archipelago lies in the Borromean Gulf between Stresa, Baveno and Verbania and comprises four islands: the magnificent Isola Bella, the botanically rich Isola Madre, the lively Isola dei Pescatori and the private Isolino di San Giovanni off Pallanza. The islands were named after the Borromeo family, who have shaped the history of this place since the 16th century.
How do I get to the Borromean Islands? Most visitors use the scheduled boats of Navigazione Laghi, which depart roughly every 30 minutes from Stresa, Baveno and Verbania. A boat trip to the islands costs about 10 euros for the ferry ticket – admission to palaces and gardens is extra. The alternative: a private boat tour with your own skipper, where you decide the route, pace and length of stay yourself.
This is exactly where Striga Constanze comes in. Instead of squeezing onto full ferries with the timetable breathing down your neck, you experience the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore aboard a traditional gaff cutter – privately, in a small group, with time for the gardens, the baroque palace and a swim stop in a quiet bay. Fixed price from €490 for the whole group, skipper included.
The Borromean Islands have a rich history that begins in the 12th century. In the 16th century the Borromeo family began transforming the islands into baroque palaces and lush gardens. Each island has its own character – together they form a panorama of art, nature and Italian life.
The main attraction of the archipelago. Isola Bella is 320 metres long and 180 metres wide. On Isola Bella there is a baroque palace with a garden, built in the 17th century. The Palazzo Borromeo contains valuable tapestries and historic salons as well as six underground halls with grottoes. The garden on Isola Bella is an Italian terraced garden with around ten flower terraces, rare plants and flowers. The garden is home to majestic white peacocks strolling between citrus trees and flowers. The dramatic sightline of the "Teatro Massimo" rises about 37 metres above the lake.
The largest island of the archipelago at around 7.8 hectares. Isola Madre is 330 metres long and 220 metres wide. Isola Madre has a famous botanical garden in the style of an English landscape park. The "mother island" is home to exotic plants and centuries-old trees. Peacocks and pheasants roam freely between the paths – a place of peace, far from the bustle of Isola Bella.
The fishermen's island is the only inhabited island in the group. Isola dei Pescatori has about fifty inhabitants and is 350 metres long and 100 metres wide. Isola dei Pescatori preserves its original character as a fishing village: narrow alleys and lanes, houses with balconies where fishing nets once dried, restaurants with the fresh catch and small souvenir shops. No baroque garden, no museum – but real life.
The small private island lies just about 30 metres off the shore of Pallanza near Verbania. Historically significant as the summer residence of the conductor Arturo Toscanini between 1927 and 1952. Today the island is not open to the public – but from the boat you can wonderfully experience the villa and its history.
The Borromean Islands are a popular tourist destination in Italy, and the Borromeo name is inseparably linked with this place. Anyone who knows the background sees the palaces, gardens and parks with different eyes.
Matching tours
Bestseller€490
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Proposal€490
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+ €20 p. p.Private tour
Most tourists experience the islands of Lake Maggiore as a fast-forward programme item: scheduled boat, waiting at the jetty, fixed timetable, crowds in the palace, a chase for the last ferry back. The beauty of the archipelago is often lost along the way.
The difference between a traditional gaff cutter and a typical motorboat is not just aesthetic. It's the difference between a journey you take and one you feel.
Procedure
You don't need any boating experience, special equipment or a complicated booking process. The procedure is deliberately kept simple.
Write to us via the contact form or WhatsApp at +39 333 3802 383 – no shopping-cart booking, but personal arrangement. We usually reply within 24 hours.
Helpful information for your first message: preferred date (season start 1 March 2027), preferred duration (3, 4 or 7 hours), number of people (up to 8 guests, up to 12 on request) and special wishes – for example a restaurant visit on Isola dei Pescatori, a swim stop or a marriage proposal with a view of Isola Bella.
And if the weather doesn't play along: free rebooking. So you can cross "bad-weather luck" off your list of worries straight away.
We'll make you a tour proposal that suits your wishes. For example: a compact 3-hour highlights tour with Isola Bella and island views from the water, a 4-hour tour with a swim stop and aperitivo, or a whole 7-hour day visiting Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori with a restaurant break.
Departure is from the home port of Laveno-Mombello – particularly convenient for guests on the Lombard side of the lake. On request we also start from Brebbia, Feriolo, Cannero or Cannobio.
Individual themes are also possible: a romance tour for couples, a family outing with pirate stories, meditation on the water, the exit game "The Treasure of the Mazzarditi" or a company event – each linked to the islands and the Borromean Gulf.
In the morning you board in Laveno-Mombello. After a short safety briefing we cast off – heading for the Borromean Gulf. Already on the water the first photo motifs open up: the view of Stresa, the shores of Pallanza, the mountain range with Monte Rosa in the background.
The skipper takes care of navigation and mooring at the selected islands. On Isola Bella you explore the palace with its paintings, tapestries and grottoes before strolling through the terraced garden with its flowers and peacocks. On Isola Madre you wander through the botanical garden among exotic plants and pheasants. On Isola dei Pescatori, shops, restaurants and authentic fishing-village flair await.
On board there is time to relax. On 4- or 7-hour tours a swim stop in a quiet bay and an aperitivo break are included. No prior knowledge required – everything is organised. You can conveniently buy tickets for the island palaces and gardens on site (admission to Isola Madre approx. €23 for adults, combined ticket Isola Bella + Isola Madre approx. €40).
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
Many visitors experience the Borromean Islands as a compulsory programme item – quickly there, quickly through, quickly back. Yet this archipelago deserves more than a tick on the excursion list.
What counts are not our promises – but our guests' experiences.
"As a family from Munich we had booked a 4-hour trip in September. In the morning we were almost alone in the Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella – the rooms with the frescoes and paintings, the baroque garden, the white peacocks. The children were thrilled. On the ferry that would have been unthinkable with two small children and time pressure."
— Family with two children, September, 4-hour tour
"We sailed between Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori at sunset as the lights came on along the shore of Stresa. My husband proposed to me on the foredeck. That view, that silence – no scheduled boat in the world can offer that."
— Couple from Zurich, July, 3-hour tour
"Our team of eight combined a day with an exit game and an island visit. Puzzles on board in the morning, sightseeing on Isola Madre and lunch on the fishermen's island in the afternoon. The perfect mix of team building and culture – the feedback in the team was enthusiastic throughout."
— Small company from Milan, October, 7-hour tour
Average time spent on the islands with a private tour: around 3–4 hours of pure island time on a 7-hour tour. With a standard ferry there are often only 60–90 minutes per island before the next boat is waiting.
Most viewed
Bestseller€490
Private tourBestseller€490
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Photoshoot€490
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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
The Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore are a dream for many travellers – but not everyone experiences them the same way. Here are the groups for whom a private tour is particularly worthwhile:
Quiet bays, sunsets over the gulf, the opportunity for a marriage proposal or a honeymoon highlight with a view of Isola Bella. Romance needs privacy – and you'll find it on a gaff cutter, not on a ferry with 200 people.
Lots of space on board, pirate and treasure stories about the islands, the exit game on the water, island walks and gelato on Isola dei Pescatori. Children love the peacocks and pheasants in the gardens, and half the adventure is the trip on the sailing boat. More on our family outings.
Extensive time in the parks and gardens of Isola Bella and Isola Madre, without having to look at the clock. The Italian terraced garden, the botanical garden, rare plants and flowers – anyone passionate about them needs more than 60 minutes. Best time to visit: spring and early summer for full bloom.
Flexible approach to photo spots: the sightline of Isola Bella with Monte Rosa in the background, morning light on the lake, the surroundings of the islands from positions no scheduled boat reaches. Quiet moments on the water, in a world of their own.
Combined sightseeing and team-building experiences. A workshop on the boat in the morning, an island visit and aperitivo in the afternoon. Up to 12 guests on request.
All tours are private tours. Fixed price per boat tour for the entire group, including skipper – not per person.
Suitable for guests with little time or as a half-day trip alongside a visit to Stresa or the surrounding area. Typical procedure: departure from Laveno-Mombello, trip into the Borromean Gulf, landing on Isola Bella for the palace and baroque garden or an island panorama from the water.
Fixed price: €490 per tour (up to 8 guests, up to 12 on request).
Our most popular option. Typical procedure: Isola Bella with palace and garden, optionally a short stop on Isola dei Pescatori to eat or an extended swim stop in a quiet bay with an aperitivo on board.
Fixed price: €690 per tour, including skipper and time buffer for a relaxed island experience.
For everyone who wants to experience the islands without time pressure – ideal for wedding parties, family celebrations or retreats. Possible contents: Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori, longer swim stops, a restaurant visit ashore, passing the Isolino di San Giovanni and Santa Caterina del Sasso.
Fixed price: €990 per tour – for the whole group, not per person.
Add-on options: exit game +€20/person, meditation +€20/person, wedding celebration on board from €690 (e.g. a wedding ceremony with a view of Isola Bella).
No-obligation enquiry, reply within 24 hours. Weekends in the 2027 season go fast.
Here we answer the most important practical questions – from getting there and tickets to which languages are spoken on board.
There are two ways: the public scheduled boats run regularly from Stresa, Baveno and Verbania (Pallanza and Intra). They are suitable for spontaneous day trips with a fixed timetable. A boat trip to the islands costs about 10 euros for the ferry ticket. Anyone wanting more flexibility, privacy and personal guidance chooses a private boat tour. Striga Constanze starts from the home port of Laveno-Mombello and heads for the islands as part of a private round trip – on request also from Brebbia, Feriolo, Cannero or Cannobio.
Season 2027
The Borromean Islands deserve more than half of a hectic day trip. They deserve peace, attention and the freedom to decide for yourself where to stop and how long to stay.
With Striga Constanze you experience Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori on a traditional gaff cutter – in a small, private group, with a skipper, a flexible route and free rebooking in bad weather. 3, 4 or 7 hours, from €490 for the whole group.
Send us your no-obligation enquiry via the contact form or WhatsApp at +39 333 3802 383. Secure your preferred date for the 2027 season and tell us right away which islands interest you most. We usually reply within 24 hours – and look forward to your journey into the Borromean Gulf.
Skipper of the Striga Constanze
Ciao! Questions about the route, departure harbour or date? Just message me – I reply personally.
