Limone holidays, Italy

Until its roads - which James Bond famously drove down in Quantum of Solace – were built in 1932, this north western town in the Riviera dei Limoni was only accessible by boat. No longer secluded, it’s now a popular destination for day trips and holidays. The charming town includes a square, two harbours and a lovely wide promenade that contrasts the narrow back streets. There’s a really lively atmosphere here after sunset where you’ll find people enjoying the late night shopping around the maze of cobbled streets. After al fresco dining on the promenade, the drink to have is the bright orange aperitivo Aperol Spitz - enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. See our pages on Restaurants and Bars in Limone.

Ferries and hydrofoils are the best way to get around the lake to visit other towns and you’ll also find a bus serving places like Milan, Brescia and Desanzano.

There’s nearly always something on in Limone including late shopping nights, music concerts, village fairs, exhibitions, free guided walks, firework displays on the lakeside and various sports tournaments. For more details about what’s on and when, see our Events page.

With brilliant wind conditions and challenging mountain terrain, the area is great for active holidays. Windsurfing is a popular lake activity and there are also good walking, hiking, cycling and mountain biking trails around the area - go north to the National Park of Brescia and see the Sopino waterfalls. Some of our holiday options can include pre-bookable windsurfing, dinghy, kayaking and bike options, including equipment hire and lessons. To the south side of town there’s a large beach, perfect for hot sunny days by the lake. Visit our Activities page to find all there is to see and do in the area.

The area has some fantastic old architecture as well as a deep sense of culture. There are some lovely religious buildings around Limone - find a path through the cobbled streets to San Rocco Church which was built on the hillside in the 16th century and has a very distinctive onion dome - the frescoes inside are well worth a look.

The locally grown olives and lemons have been an important part of life here for centuries, making them well worth sampling in local eateries for a taste of the area. The olive oil co-operative can be accessed by walking through the olive groves and you’ll find fragrant lemon groves and houses scattered in the surrounding hills, well worth visiting for the lemons the size of melons and great views over the town. You can find out more about days gone by on our History page.