Just a five-minute stroll inland from the golden pebbled stretch of Il Bocc beach in the town of Feriolo, Lago Maggiore lies a little local secret: Il Cantiere del Verbano, a small, family-run boatyard that smells faintly of lake mist and engine oil in the best way. Here, time slows down and choices expand — you can rent a boat on Lake Maggiore for half a day or go all-in for a full-day adventure, with or without a boating license. Prices start at around €90 and can go up to €200 depending on the boat’s size, how many of you are coming aboard, and whether or not you’re planning to take the wheel yourself.
Il Cantiere del Verbano offers two types of boats: the first are simple, easy-to-handle vessels that don’t require a boating license — perfect for beginners or anyone craving a carefree day on the water. The second are more advanced, higher-powered boats reserved for those with a valid boating license and a bit of experience behind the wheel. Not quite ready to captain your own lake escape? No problem — you can always hire a skipper to do the navigating while you sit back and sip your aperitivo. Once the paperwork’s done, the keys are in hand, and you’re armed with a map marked up with a few “insider” scribbles, you push off the dock — and suddenly, Lake Maggiore unfolds in a way that only locals usually get to see.
There’s something magical about skimming across the water, breeze in your hair, bell towers chiming in the distance, and the Alps hazy and brooding beyond the lake’s edge. We set course first for the Isole Borromee — the Borromean Islands — a trio of fairy-tale isles rising from the water like something out of an old Italian painting. Isola Bella is the showstopper, with its dramatic Baroque palace and tiered gardens, but we dropped anchor instead just in front of Isola Madre, the wild, whispery one, where you can take a dip in the still aquamarine waters.
Pro Tip:
There are public moorings here — free and first-come-first-serve — perfect for a mid-lake swim.
We dried off in the sun, shared a boat picnic of prosciutto crudo, local formaggi, and juicy figs from the local supermarket. The lake somehow makes everything taste better.
From there, we motored over to Santa Caterina del Sasso, a monastery built dramatically into the cliffs — the kind of place that makes you question how on earth humans ever managed to construct such things. The view from below, boat bobbing gently in the water, is even more impressive than from land.
The rest of the ride was a slow cruise past Intra and Pallanza, where time seems to have paused in the 19th century. Grand villas with flaking pastel shutters line the waterfront, their gardens spilling down to the edge of the lake like the final scene of an old movie. We posed for a photo in front of our wedding venue, Grand Hotel Majestic, one of the most sought-after hotels on the lake, and with good reason. We waved at fishermen, watched swans paddle past like they owned the place (honestly, they might), and soaked in that golden-hour light that only Italian lakes seem to do just right.
Renting a boat on Lake Maggiore wasn’t just fun — it was freeing. It gave us the keys to a secret world you just can’t experience from shore. A few hours of sun, speed, and slow moments made this one of my favorite days on the lake — and one I’ll absolutely do again and recommend you do as well.
