Last year saw me take trips to Tuscany, Verona, Sardinia, Venice (including the islands of Burano, Murano, Torcello) and Puglia. Just when I thought I couldn’t love Italy any more, it turns out I can! I’ve recently returned from a press trip with Bookings For You and some of my favourite family travel bloggers to discover what Lake Maggiore has to offer. Situated in Northern Italy, to the west of Lake Garda and Lake Como, and bordering Switzerland, Lake Maggiore is one of those destinations you know you’re just going to love even before you’ve explored it. What’s more, there’s heaps for families with kids of all ages to do. Read about some of the reasons to visit Lake Maggiore and in this post, where you can stay and what’s available locally.
This press trip was organised by UK based Bookings For You who offer villas and apartments in the Italian Lakes, Tuscany, Umbria, Central Florence and Lazio with villas in Puglia, Le Marche and the Amalfi Coast. We’re huge fans of Bookings For You and the personalised services they offer – at no extra charge, I might add. You may remember the awesome Trullo we stayed at during our family holiday off the back of my trip to Tuscany. On this occasion, myself and 7 family travel bloggers, stayed in shared apartments at the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort – ideally positioned on the shores of beautiful Lake Maggiore.
Travelling to Lake Maggiore, Italy
How to get to Maccagno
Lake Maggiore is easily accessible from the UK with direct flights to Milan Malpensa, the nearest airport to Lake Maggiore, from London Gatwick (where I flew from), Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Cardiff. We had pre-booked hire cars at Milan Malpensa airport and the drive from there to the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort in Maccagno was just over an hour. I’d definitely recommend hiring a car as it gives you the freedom to explore during your stay and there’s secure covered parking at Golfo Gabella. There’s a train station in Maccagno (5-10 minutes from Golfo Gabella) and the resort has 32 boat moorings but having a car would certainly be our choice as a family – we like flexible travel.
The Golfo Gabella Lake Resort
Scenery
Before we even reached our apartments, we were blown away by the scenery surrounding the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort. And just look at the pool area, isn’t it beautiful? I always relish somewhere that makes you feel relaxed the moment you arrive. You could quite easily stay by the pool all day, go for a swim, chill in the jacuzzi or watch the younger members of the family in the nearby splash pool. Or just sit and relax, after a day’s exploring, to watch the sun go down behind the mountains.
Accommodation
There are 79 contemporary apartments at the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort, with over 40 self-catering with one to four bedrooms. I stayed in apartment E201 with the lovely Claire from Tin Box Traveller and Lisa Jane from Travel Loving Family (links to their reviews are included so do have a read). Our air-conditioned apartment is spacious with one double room and two twin rooms which are all light and airy with plenty of hanging and drawer space, towels for the shower and an extra duvet. There are two bathrooms in this apartment. The one I used had a hairdryer, miniature shower gel and enough toilet roll to last until we got to the local supermarket.
The kitchen has a table and six chairs and being self-catering is well equipped with a fridge, oven, microwave and a dishwasher. There’s also a kettle, coffee machine, pots, pans, cutlery, crockery and glasses. I would have loved to have had coffee, milk and snacks on arrival but it was by no means a deal breaker and the supermarket is less than ten minutes walk away. We travelled with hand luggage only as it was a short trip but if you’re heading here for longer, it’s definitely worthwhile bringing a few foodie essentials with you. The kitchen and living space is all open plan – the latter including two super comfy, and very colourful, sofas and a footstool. We’re typically television free on holiday but there is satellite TV if you need some downtime at any point.
Accessible from the living area and double bedroom is a south facing balcony with a table and four chairs. Our apartment has partial views of that beautiful pool, Lake Maggiore and the scenery that surrounds it. The gardens below our second-floor apartment are beautifully kept with lush green grass and neatly trimmed hedges either side of wooden walkways.
Food and drink
Although the apartments at the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort are self-catering, there is the option to have breakfast at the Acquadulza restaurant during your stay. This includes ham, cheese, pastries, fruit, yoghurt and even cake along with hot drinks and juices. You can also have eggs made to order if you wish – this is a welcome start to the day let me tell you. There’s an outdoor terrace too so you can grab a meal or drinks while taking in those spectacular views. Acquadulza is open Monday to Sunday from 7am to midnight.
Below is a tour of the apartment I stayed in with Claire from Tin Box Traveller, who shot the video, and Lisa Jane from Travel Loving Family to give you a taste of what it’s like. If you’d like to read more, do have a read of the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort reviews from Extraordinary Chaos, Like Love Do and TraveLynn Family. Flying With A Baby has also written about the best places to stay in Lake Maggiore with kids and Travel Loving Family has updated her review of a luxury villa she previously stayed in with Bookings For You.
Local activities
Find a beach
There a number of beautiful beaches in Maccagno that are just a few minutes walk from the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort. The closest is Parco Giona which also has a children’s play area. On the other side of the lake, accessible by ferry, there are wonderful beaches in Cannobio and Cannero.
Borrow a bike or take to the water
If you fancy staying local, you can hire bikes or kayaks free of charge from the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort. Or if you’re looking for something more adventurous, why not hire a motorboat (€70 for one hour).
Make pizza…
One of the activities you can do at the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort is a family pizza making session with an Italian chef. This is done at the Acquadulza restaurant and it’s so much fun. We got to knead the dough and add our toppings before eating our delicious wood-fired pizza creations.
…or cocktails!
We also got to join Acquadulza’s mixologist for cocktail making. It was a lot of fun watching him make a series of drinks, letting us sample them and also inviting a few of the group to make their own. If making your own doesn’t appeal, you can enjoy drinks at the Acquadulza bar. There’s another bar situated around 5 minutes walk further along the lake which we stumbled upon one evening while watching the sun set.
Around Maccagno
Being in self-catering accommodation, it’s really handy to have amenities close-by. There are several shops in Maccagno, which is less than ten minutes walk from the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort, where you can purchase essentials. The Unes supermarket is enormous and sells pretty much everything you’d ever need on your holiday.
Maccagno is a beautiful village to wander around with interesting sights including the medieval Torre Imperiale, the Sanctuary of Madonna della Punta, the church of San Antonio, the Casa Branca in Maccagno Superiore and the Parisi Valle museum which is in Giona Park. I rather enjoyed wandering the cobbled streets with Like Love Do, do have a read of her post to get a feel for what it’s like.
Exploring the Lake Maggiore region
Although we were only in Lake Maggiore for a few days, we kept ourselves busy and got a great feel for the region. It really does offer something for everyone whether you’re an adventurer, an explorer, a beachgoer or even a thrillseeker! From hiking to the mountains on the hunt for cheese to visiting the Borromeo Islands or taking the train to the Luino market.
Mini Travellers has shared some of the best things to do in the region including the Funivie del Lago Maggiore. TraveLynn Family has written about outdoor activities and Flying With A Baby has shared what you can do in the region with children of all ages. Travel Loving Family has updated her post with things to do having visited the Lake Maggiore region twice.
You can also read about Cannobio by Extraordinary Chaos, the Santa Caterina del Sasso by Tin Box Traveller and the village of Musignano by Like Love Do. Our post that lists a number of things to do in the Lake Maggiore region is here. You can find out more about our time in Lake Maggiore, including our stay at the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort and what we got up to, in the video below.
What makes Bookings For You different?
Personalised service
Bookings For You has extensive experience of the Lake Maggiore region. It’s where the company began all those years ago and the family returns regularly – I totally get why now having been there! Managing Director Jo always makes superb recommendations based on family needs and it’s what sets them apart. It’s all part of the service and doesn’t cost any more, it just enhances your time away. We have first-hand experience of this having taken a family holiday with Bookings For You to Puglia.
Unforgettable Experiences
In addition, Bookings For You is able to organise experiences you might not have considered that make holidays even more memorable. Like being cooked for one evening by a private chef! When we were in Lake Maggiore, we had dinner cooked for us by Marco Perocco Personal Chef in one of the penthouse apartments at the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort. It was an incredible evening with superb company, spectacular food and wine that complemented each of our courses. I’d love to do something like this on a family holiday, it would be so worth it.
I loved our time in the Lake Maggiore region with Bookings For You. The Golfo Gabella Lake Resort is ideally situated, amenities are within walking distance and there’s certainly no shortage of things to do. We’re already trying to see if we can do a road trip in the summer and build in a few days in Lake Maggiore.
Disclaimer: This trip was hosted by Bookings For You. Opinions are as always my own.
