The Borromean Islands

Three islands sit in the western arm of Lake Maggiore off Stresa and each does something different. Isola Bella was a bare rock until the Borromeo family began in the 1630s to build it into a baroque palace and a ten-terrace garden shaped like a stepped pyramid, planted with citrus and camellias and patrolled by white peacocks. Isola Madre is quieter and larger, an English-style garden with the oldest Kashmir cypress in Europe. Isola dei Pescatori is a working fishing village of narrow lanes that has not been landscaped at all, which is why many visitors prefer it.

What you actually see

• Isola Bella - the palace and the ten-terrace baroque garden.
• The white peacocks - on the terraces at Isola Bella.
• Isola Madre - the botanical garden and the great Kashmir cypress.
• Isola dei Pescatori - the fishing village, unlandscaped.

When to go

The palaces and gardens open from late March to late October and close for the winter. April and May for camellias and azaleas; September for quiet. Boats run continuously from Stresa. Summer weekends are very crowded.

Honest expectations

The gardens close entirely from November to March. Boat operators at Stresa are numerous and pushy, and the public service is cheaper than the private launches touting on the quay. The islands are small and fill quickly. Isola Bella's palace interiors are gloomy compared with the garden.

Nearby

Stresa is on the shore; the Simplon route into Switzerland runs north.