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• See
• Stay
• Eat
• Plan
Isola Superiore (Isola dei Pescatori)
Lake Maggiore's "Biggest Island" (more poetically called Isola dei Pescatori, or "The Isle of the Fishermen"), is the lived-in island, with a pair of hotels and some restaurants and souvenir shops
The Borromei pretty much left Isola Superiore—frequently referred to as "The Island of the Fishermen"—alone when they were converting its neighbors Isola Bella and Isola Madre into sumptuous garden-palace combos.
There is a large palace (generally not open to the public), but otherwise they've allowed the fishing hamlet crowded onto one tip of the island to develop its natural quaintness into a major tourist draw.
The Hotel Verbano
and one of its rooms. Best of all, you can use it as an alternative to staying in Stresa, since it now boasts two hotels: The Hotel Belvedere [€€–€€€] and, my favorite, the Hotel Verbano [€€€–€€€€], a red-stuccoed building sitting at the very tip of the island, the gravel triangle below like a ship's prow set with tables for excellent al fresco meals with views over the lake.
Even if you don't stay here, try to time your islands itinerary so you can have lunch here.
Planning your visit to Isola Superiore
- Hotels on the Borromean Islands
** Hotel Verbano [€€€–€€€€]
* Hotel Belvedere [€€–€€€]
Recommended hotels in Stresa
*** Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees [€€€€–€€€€€]
** Hotel La Palma [€€€–€€€€]
** Affittacamere Via Mazzini [€€]
* Hotel Primavera [€€]
Hotel Meeting [€€]
» More hotels in Stresa (Venere, Booking)Isola Superiore tourist info: For info on the Borromeo Islands, contact them directly at tel. +39-0323-30-556, www.borromeoturismo.it. You can also get info in the tourist offices of Stresa (ferry docks, Piazza Marconi 16, tel. +39-0323-31-308, www.stresaturismo.it and www.comune.stresa.vb.it). - Take a tour: If you'd prefer to take a day trip of Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands from Milan with an expert guide, consider booking one through our partners at Viator.com:
• Lake Maggiore Day Trip from Milan - How to get to Isola Superiore dei Pescatori: First get yourself to Stresa.
By the Stresa waterfront in the center of town is a dock where you can grab a ferry the leaves frequently, roughly every half hour in summer (tel. +39-800-551-801, www.navigazionelaghi.it).
Isola Superiore is a 5-min ride from Isola Bella (itself a 5-minute ride from Stresa). It is 20 more minutes from here to get to Isola Madre (with an intermediate stop in Baveno).
One-way ferry tickets from Stresa to Isola Superiore cost €3.50 (from Isola Bella, it's €2, from Isola Madre its €3.50). If you were only visiting Isola Bella and Isola Madre, individual tickets would be the cheapest way to go, running you €11.80 total.
Since, however, you apparently are also keen on hopping out here at Isola Superiore dei Pescatori (say, for lunch), it will be cheaper to buy an unlimited ride biglietto di libera circolazione—you want it for "tratta cinque" ("zone 5"), which costs €12.20.
Related pages
- The Borromean Islands: Isola Madre, Isola Bella, Isola Superiore (dei Pescatori)
- Nearby Stresa
- Other Lake Maggiore sights
- Major Italian lakes: Como, Garda, Maggiore
- Middlin' Italian lakes: Iseo, Orta
- Minor Italian lakes: Lugano, Idro, Varese
- The Lazio lake district (just north of Rome)
- Other destinations in Lombardy
- Other destinations in Piemonte
Isole Borromeo, Stresa, Lago Maggiore
One-day lake tour (from Viator.com)
Lake Maggiore Day Trip from Milan
Hotels on the Borromean Islands
** Hotel Verbano [€€€–€€€€]
* Hotel Belvedere [€€–€€€]
Hotels in Stresa (Venere, Booking)
*** Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees [€€€€–€€€€€]
** Hotel La Palma [€€€–€€€€]
** Affittacamere Via Mazzini [€€]
* Hotel Primavera [€€]
Hotel Meeting [€€]
TOURS FROM TRUSTED PARTNERS
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This material was last updated February 2012. All information was accurate at the time.
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Hotels on Lake Maggiore
• Verbano - At the prow-like tip of Isola Superiore dei Pescatori perches a red building bearing the lake's ancient name, Verbano. This is a fine little hotel with fabulous views, but even if you do not stay here it makes a great place to have lunch during your day exploring the islands. Arrive early enough to snag one of the tables right along the wall of the gravel terrace so you can enjoy an uniterrupted view of Isola Bella and Stresa and can hear the small lake waves slap against the low stone wall beside you while you dine on lake trout and other excellent dishes. The cooking is quite good and moderately-priced—surprsing, considering the prime touristy location. (Isola dei Pescatori; tel. +39-0323-32-534; www.hotelverbano.it; Closed Jan)
