Isola del Garda: the neo-Gothic villa and how to visit it

Isola del Garda is the largest island on the lake and belongs to the municipality of San Felice del Benaco, on the Brescia shore of the lower lake. It holds a villa in neo-Gothic Venetian style, still lived in today by the Borghese Cavazza family, surrounded by Italian terraced gardens and a park that runs down to the water. It can only be visited on guided boat tours by reservation, from late March to the end of October, with departures from several harbours around the lake. The closest are on the lower Brescia shore, from San Felice to Salò. Travellers staying in Desenzano have a direct Sunday departure, or can reach the Valtenesi harbours in a short drive.

What Isola del Garda is

A few minutes by boat from the Valtenesi coast, between San Felice del Benaco and the Manerba headland, Isola del Garda is a strip of land about 1.1 km long, covering roughly 0.07 km². It is privately owned: the Borghese Cavazza family still lives there. It has been open to the public for guided visits since 2002, and it draws fewer visitors than Sirmione or the Vittoriale.

Administratively it is part of San Felice del Benaco, a municipality in the province of Brescia that also includes the hamlets of Portese and Cisano, a stretch of coast shaped by olive groves, vineyards and small harbours.

History: from a Franciscan hermitage to the neo-Gothic villa

Long before becoming an aristocratic residence, the island was a place of prayer for centuries. Traces of that era are still visible in the park and in parts of the villa.

The Franciscan period

Franciscan presence on the island dates back to around 1220, when a hermitage was founded here. Records note a visit from the Bishop of Trento in 1224 and one from Anthony of Padua in 1227. The formal convent was completed in 1422, followed in 1438 by the church of Santa Maria dello Scoglio. Local tradition holds that Dante Alighieri also passed through the island in 1304, a story with no historical documentation behind it, more a legend than a fact. Monastic life ended in 1795, when the Republic of Venice suppressed the monastery and the last monks left the island.

From monastery to villa: the Borghese Cavazza family and Luigi Rovelli

After the Napoleonic requisition of 1798 and a private sale in 1800, the island was bought in 1817 by Count Luigi Lechi, who converted the old monastery into a villa. Ownership later passed to the Genoese Duke Gaetano de Ferrari, and it was under his family that the architectural turning point came: between 1890 and 1903, architect Luigi Rovelli designed the current villa in neo-Gothic Venetian style, with spires, pierced stonework and a tower that echo the palazzi of the Grand Canal transplanted onto the lake. In 1927 ownership passed to Princess Livia Borghese, a de Ferrari descendant married to Count Alessandro Cavazza, the marriage that gave rise to the Borghese Cavazza branch, which still owns and lives on the island today.

The villa and gardens: what you see on the visit

The guided tour takes in the Italian terraced gardens in front of the villa, the park with vegetation that thrives in the lake's microclimate, and some rooms of the residence, described by guides who know the family's history. The walking portion on the island lasts about 2 to 2.5 hours, on top of the boat crossing, which ranges from 10 to 60 minutes depending on the departure port. Every visit includes a welcome tasting of local wine and Garda Bresciano DOP olive oil, both produced in the area.

Arriving by boat gives the best view of the villa: the neo-Gothic facade rising through the trees is not visible from the shore or from scheduled ferry routes. That is why the boat-plus-guided-tour format is the only way to see the island properly, and it also works well as a half-day combined with Salò or Gardone Riviera.

Opening season, prices and how to book for 2026

For the 2026 season, guided visits run from 29 March to the end of October, closed on Saturdays and Mondays. Booking is mandatory and is done through the official website isoladelgarda.com, where you will also find the up-to-date departure calendar port by port. Days and times vary through the season, so always check the date you have in mind directly there.

Price depends on the departure port and includes the return boat crossing, the guided tour and the welcome tasting.

• Closest ports (San Felice del Benaco, Manerba/Porto Torchio, Portese, Salò, Barbarano, Gardone Riviera, Maderno): adults €39, reduced €35, children €23.

• Mid-range ports (Gargnano, Torri del Benaco, Garda, Bardolino, Sirmione): adults €46, reduced €42, children €30.

• Farthest ports (Desenzano del Garda, Lazise): adults €49, reduced €45, children €33.

• Children 0 to 4: free from every port.

The reduced rate applies from ages 13 to 18 and above 65, while the children's rate applies from ages 5 to 12. Conditions are confirmed on the official website at the time of booking.

Where to depart from: the most convenient ports on the lower lake

Travellers based on the lower lake have two options. The first is departing directly from Desenzano del Garda, which is a boarding port with Sunday departures (and Wednesday in some periods of the season), convenient, but with the highest ticket band and the longest crossing. The second is reaching one of the Brescia-shore ports closer to the island, such as San Felice del Benaco, Portese, Manerba or Salò, where the ticket costs less and the boat ride takes only a few minutes. From Desenzano these harbours are roughly 20 to 30 minutes away by car along the Valtenesi coast.

A well-paced full day looks like this: visit the island in the morning from San Felice or Salò, spend the afternoon in Salò or Gardone Riviera, then head back along the lakefront for sunset. For a base further south, the island pairs well with a day around Sirmione, which is also a departure port for the island on certain dates.

Getting to the departure port from Desenzano

If you do not have a car, or would rather skip the search for parking at the small Valtenesi harbours in high season, a private transfer takes care of the logistics: the driver takes you to the port at the right time and picks you up again when the boat returns, with no fixed timetable to work around. It is especially useful when the departure is from San Felice, Portese or Manerba, where public transport links from Desenzano are limited.

BookTaxi Desenzano arranges transfers to any departure port and can build Isola del Garda into a tour around Lake Garda with a private driver, combined with other stops on the Brescia shore. Fixed fare agreed in advance, vehicles seating up to 8 passengers, bookings by phone +39 320 711 4543 or WhatsApp at +39 320 444 3000.