Nearest Shopping and Dining: 400 yards away in Costermano is a small mini mall with a supermarket, pharmacy, ATM, cafe bar and pizzeria. Garda, a 5 minute drive away offers a larger variety of shopping and dining options including outdoor cafes along the lake. Torri del Benaco, a charming lakeside town less than 15 minutes by car, offers more dining options.
Not To Be Missed:
Cisano di Bardolino's olive oil museum demonstrates olive oil production done in this area for more than a millennium. Visitors can taste and buy a selection of locally produced, extra-virgin olive oil and other related products: balsamic vinegar, pesto sauce and olives. There is a wine cellar offering the purchase of local wines.
Villafranca di Verona's Nicolis Museum, a 30 minute drive away, offers one of the most important collections of period automobiles and motorcycles.
The Museo del Vino at the ZENI cantina in Bardolino has exhibits on the history of winemaking in the region with the opportunity to taste the 14 wines made in the Gardesana area. Open year-round Monday-Friday and from April-September on Saturday mornings.
Driving along the scenic wine routes that pass through several lakeside towns and the into the heart of the Bardolino wine growing region. The Museo del Vino is the first stop on the Strada del Vino Bardolino, a well-marked wine road, which includes 46 farms and cantinas where wines may be tasted and purchased.
Drive to Malcesine, 40 minutes away and take a cable car (running every half hour) to the top of Monte Baldo. At the top of this ski area are walking trails in the warmer months with grazing sheep and a few restaurants that enjoy incredible views of the lake and mountains.
Public Transportation: Drive to Garda for frequent ferry service to lakeside towns. Peschiera del Garda, 20 minutes away has train service to Venice in 80 minutes. The Verona Porta Nuova train station, a 30 minute drive, has service to Venice, Milan and Florence.
For Kids:
Gardaland, a 25 minute drive, is Italy's largest theme park with Valley of the Kings - a scaled reproduction of an Egyptian temple, Merlin's Castle, African Safari, Dolphin shows and Barbie World. Located in Castelnuovo Garda and open April - October with daily hours from mid-June to mid-Sept and weekends otherwise.
Bussolengo's safari zoo, a 35 minute drive, is a unique opportunity to get to know and to watch the animals of the Savannah and there is a section dedicated to dinosaurs.
Canevaworld Resort, a 20 minute drive away is a waterworks park that has a Medieval Times dinner show with a jousting match that takes place during the meal.
Parco Grotta, Cascata Varone, a 50 minute drive offers a trail through a natural gorge eroded by a waterfall 300 feet above.
Beach: Torri del Benaco, 15 minutes away has a narrow, pebbly strip of lake front that locals use for the beach. Sirmione, a 30 minute drive away has a larger pebbly beach.
Golf: Marciaga's Golf Club Ca' degli Ulivi, a 10 minute drive, open year round.
Outdoor Activities: Lake Garda has a multitude of watersports and recreation activities available: windsurfing (with several world championships hosted here); diving; swimming; boat rides; and many more.
Open Air Markets: Mondays in Torri del Benaco; Thursdays in Bardolino; Fridays in Garda; An antiques market is held in Torri del Benaco on the fourth Sunday of each month.