Limone holidays

With its endless romantic charm, holidays to Limone are about discovering the many delights of an enchanting cliffside town.

Limone's lemons

Clinging to the rocks on Lake Garda’s north-western shore, the picturesque town of Limone is renowned for its dramatic setting, and even more so for its fragrant lemon (limone in Italian) groves. Approaching the harbour by boat, you spot the terraced lines of lemons, olives and other fruit trees stretch across the hills above the town. For a glimpse into the long history of Limone’s citrus industry, it’s well worth the short climb up to the hilltop Limonaia del Castèl museum – the entry’s cheap, and the sweet scent of orange blossom hangs in the air all around you.

From the Old Town to the beaches

A simple highlight of Limone is to wander round the attractive Borgo Antico – or Old Town. Flower-lined cobbled lanes wind up and around its shops, restaurants and traditional shuttered houses. Make your way to the bustling waterfront promenade for spectacular views across the lake – the imposing peaks of the Monte Baldo mountains are a treat for the eyes at any time of day. And if time in the sun is your idea of fun, you’ll want to make your way down to one of the fantastic free beaches. There are lots to choose from, just note that most are pebbly – so taking river shoes or similar footwear is recommended if you’re tempted in for a dip.

Trips, tours and activities

There's a bunch of great things you can do from Limone. If seeing the sights on two wheels is up your street, you can hire a bike or join an e-bike tour to ride along the Ciclopedonale – a cycle and walking path that wraps around the hillside hanging over the lake. There are guided nature trails which take you further up into the hills, where photo-ops come in thick and fast. And of course nothing beats getting out onto the water itself. Hop on a ferry to visit other lakeside towns like Riva and Malcesine, or you can even try your hand at windsurfing or kitesurfing from here – the conditions are usually spot on.

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

Popular hotels in Limone

Top things to see and do in Limone

Beaches

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.

Shopping

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.

Nightlife

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.

Food & drink

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.

Getting about

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.

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 Malcesine in 20 minutes, Riva in 45 minutes, or Bardolino 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.

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.

Walking

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.

Facts about Limone

Currency
Euro
(EUR)
Language
Italian
Time zone
GMT +1
Flight duration
2 to 3 hours from Gatwick

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