Lake Garda
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The largest of northern Italy's great lakes is in a world of its own. With a balmy microclimate - there are cypresses and vines, olive trees and citrus groves - it's like a little sea, with little ports, little vessels and little storms that blow up from nowhere.
The southern end of Lake Garda broadens into two bays sheltered by the Sirmione peninsula in between; the north narrows fjord-like into a rocky cleft between cliffs on the west and Monte Baldo on the east.
In high season, the tourists in the pretty lakeside towns can be wearisome. You could take to the water (the sailing is excellent), circumnavigating the lake in a passenger boat, or to the road, the Gardesana, which hugs the shore, with wonderful views. Or you could venture farther afield. Lake Garda makes a great base for day trips, close to both Verona and the mountains and within reach of Vicenza, Mantua, Padua and Venice.
The pick of places to stay on Garda's shores represent every genre of Italian hotel, from farm accommodation (agriturismo) and pensions to one of the most luxurious hotels in Europe. In between, there are excellent examples of B&Bs, restaurants with rooms, resort hotels and Italy's stock-in-trade: privately owned villas that have been lovingly handed on through the generations.
The Hotel Guru selects her favourite places to stay around Garda, from modest pensions to upmarket villas.
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