Limone Holidays

Limone holidays promise a fragrant getaway, nestled in lemon groves between imposing Monte Baldo and Lake Garda.

Silver-screen-worthy scenery

Pretty as a picture, Limone hugs northern Italy's rugged mountains on the north-west shore of Lake Garda. Its narrow cobbled streets are filled with brightly coloured houses, and you'll whiff the scent of citrus everywhere you stroll. The clue's in the town's name – Limone is famed for its lemon trees.

Laidback lake cruises

Cafés and souvenir shops delight the tourists who flock here in the summer, but the road into Limone is a fairly recent build. Up until 1932, visitors had to come by boat. While that's no longer needed, cruising the water's one of the best ways to spend an afternoon here.

Citrus traditions

Life gives you lemons on Lake Garda. Limonaia del Castel, a centuries-old lemon orchard turned museum, has the lowdown on all things lemony – plus some of the best views across the lake. It's also a welcome retreat from the crowds along the waterfront.

Out and about

Here are some ideas of things to do when staying in Limone:

• Boat trips
• Waterfalls
• Guided walking tours
• Lemon museum
• Local history museum
• Markets

At a glance

Make an entrance by boat
Sample tasty mountain cheeses
Snap photos of the traditional houses

Spacious pebble beaches

Limone is a town known for its excellent spacious pebble beaches. With several to choose from right in the town, you’ll have no problem finding somewhere to relax by the water. What’s great is that all beaches are free, and dogs are not permitted, so they’re kept clean and safe – great for families. Because they’re pebbly beaches, we recommend packing some lake shoes for walking in and out of the water.
Spoilt for choice

At the end of the promenade, you’ll find two of the main Limone beaches. These beaches are pebbled with a range of facilities including showers and toilets. For refreshments and food throughout the day, there’s several bars, cafés and restaurants, too. Tifù Beach and Grostol Beach are located about 1km either side of the town centre, and offer similar facilities.
Cooler waters

The water in the north of the lake is, on average, around 6°C cooler than the south. This is partly due to the depth of the lake in this area being the deepest at over 200+m. In the north, there’s a pattern of winds that regularly travel up the lake, which can be a nice cooling relief from the hot summer sunshine when on the beach.

Bargain Buys

A great weekly event in Limone, and one that many visitors don’t miss is the weekly market. It takes place every Tuesday morning from 8am, and offers everything from traditional Italian pottery, high quality leather goods and clothing, to gifts and souvenirs. The market travels to a different town around the lake each day, so if you’re busy on a Tuesday, travel to Riva on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month or Malcesine on a Saturday.
Mid-Range Buys

Limone town has many souvenir shops to pick up some reasonably priced pottery, jewellery, and gifts. Due to Limone’s rich lemon history, you’ll see many gifts relating to this bright yellow fruit in nearly every shop, from lemon-shaped dishes and lemon-covered kitchen aprons, to lemon pendent jewellery. You can’t visit Limone and leave without a lemon related memory.
Designer Buys

While Limone is not known for its high-end shops, if you’re looking to splash the cash, Limone has a few boutiques with some designer brands available. If you’re hoping to make a day of it, it’s best to head to the nearby cities like Verona, or, the fashion capital of Europe – Milan.

Laid-back evenings

Limone is a great resort for gentle strolls along the promenade and beach, especially with an ice cream in hand. Sit back and watch the world go by over an Aperol or an Hugo spritz in a lakefront café, or, as shops generally stay open a little later, it’s ideal for an evening wander after dinner along the pretty streets.
Lively evenings

Limone can be a lively town, bustling with visitors and locals alike to enjoy. Often, there’s firework displays in the north of the lake that can be seen from the Limone promenade, as well as weekly live music by local town bands and even operatic performances. If you’re looking for something a little livelier, you may need to travel to another nearby resort.

Eating out

The restaurants and ice cream parlours of Limone are dotted around the resort with some on the main harbourfront and some on the cobbled roads further inland. Similar to Spanish tapas bars, Italian bars often serve antipasti with the aperitivi. So don't be surprised if your cool Huge Spritz is served alongside a crisp bruschetta on the house.
Food with a view at Le Palme Ristorante

Next to the main ferry point is Le Palme Ristorante, part of one of the oldest hotels in Limone. The restaurant is famous for its stunning infinity views across the lake. It’s great for lunch or dinner, but they also have a lounge area if you just want a drink.
Charming and traditional at Al Vecchio Fontec

On a little backstreet off the main road you’ll find Al Vecchio Fontec, a charming restaurant offering delicious meals for extremely reasonable prices. You’ll find both Italian and international dishes on the menu – but it gets extremely busy so it’s wise to book beforehand.
Ice cream rainbow at the Pink Panther Gelateria

Famous for its ice cream is the Pink Panther Gelateria, and it's not hard to spot – a bright pink archway frames the entrance. There are endless flavours and every colour of the rainbow to choose from. They also sell sweets and snacks as well as iced drinks to cool you down.

On foot

Like many resorts on Lake Garda, you can stroll along the lakeside promenade in Limone for relaxing views of the lake. Pretty cobbled lanes and steps wind their way up around all the shops and restaurants, allowing you to explore to your heart’s content.
Ferries

From Limone you can catch either a steamer or a hydrofoil ferry. The main ferry point is between Hotel All’Azzurro and Hotel Le Palme. You can reach Riva on the steamer in 45 minutes, or Bardolino on the hydrofoil in 2 hours.
Trains

The nearest stations to Limone are Roverto or Desenzano. From Roverto, trains to Bolzano depart multiple times an hour or to Verona twice an hour. From Desenzano you can reach Verona in 20 minutes.
Buses

The bus service from Limone allows you to reach other resorts like Desenzano in one and a half hours, or Riva in just 15 minutes. Buses depart throughout the day from outside the tourist information office on Via IV Novembre, but are much less frequent than the ferries.

Walking

The rolling cobbled streets of Limone are surrounded by picturesque walks. If you like to take it easy, you can stroll along the bustling lakeside promenade - or wander through the olive groves for a little more peace and quiet. You can also walk north to the Sopino Waterfall or head past the harbour to the WWI outpost of Canu. The trails winding through the hilly countryside are more demanding, but the views are worth the effort. If you’d like a wider choice of walking routes, catch the ferry over to Gardone, Riva or Malcesine.