Discover Sirmione and its natural hot springs on Lake Garda

With its peninsula shape, Sirmione seems the perfect place to keep the secrets of Lake Garda.

• Thermal baths.
• Medieval castles.
• And breathtaking views of the surroundings.

Undoubtedly, this is the most peculiar village on the banks of the Garda.

Why?

You just have to pay a little attention as you approach it:

A village perched at the end of a narrow spit of land that juts out into the Garda.

100% surrounded by water, 2 bridges as the only access point and a medieval castle, the Rocca Scaligera, dominating the entrance.

What to see in Sirmione

With one day you have enough to visit the city with tranquility and without haste. Strolling through its streets and walking the perimeter of the island admiring the panorama and the peace that you breathe by the lake is a delight. Enjoy it.

One of the must-see places in Sirmione is the grotto of Catullo, olive groves that house the largest Roman ruins in northern Italy.

We knew that the views of the Dolomites towering over the Garda from inside the enclosure were spectacular. However, we arrived too late and they were already closing. Make sure you don't have the same thing happen to you as we did. Ouch!

On the other hand, one of the main attractions of this area are its thermal waters.

In Sirmione itself you will find a well-known spa with both indoor and outdoor pools, the Catullo Thermal Baths or Aquaria Thermal Spa. They have the usual rates for this type of luxury establishments, that is to say, high. And on weekends they are open until 12 midnight.

We did not try them because an Italian friend (who knew very well what she was talking about) recommended others. I'm so glad we listened to her....

I'll tell you about it in the next section 😉.

Surroundings of Sirmione

Thermal waters

The surroundings of Sirmione are full of thermal areas. And among them hides a real treasure:

Villa dei Cedri: an enclosure encompassed in a large spa hotel, with thermal lakes in the open air and surrounded by nature.

Among all the options offered by this landscaped village, the huge lake at a temperature of 33-34ºC is what will catch your attention first. But then you will discover small isolated pools inside that reach up to 37ºC or 39ºC, waterfalls, caves... If you are looking for lower temperatures you will also find options for you. And all this, immersed in the forest.

Afternoon admission (from 15.00) costs 20€ per person and closes at 23.00 every day except Saturdays, which remain open until 01.00 in the morning.

Floating face up in these sulfurous waters in the middle of the night surrounded by steam, trees and the starry sky as a backdrop is one of those movie images you never forget. Believe me, I'm telling you from experience 😉.

Desenzano del Garda

This city is known as the gateway to the lakeIt has a train station with a direct connection to Milan and Venice, and dozens of boats leave from its port for the main towns along the Garda.

We stopped there on the way back to enjoy the sunset on a Sunday afternoon... The worst decision we made that weekend. The queues at the exit to get to the highway were terrible. But that was a miscalculation.

The place is pleasant and is an ideal base of operations if you want to visit different parts of the lake without using the car.

When to go

In high season (July and August) I can't even imagine how crowded the area gets with tourists. Of course, the weather is wonderful at that time, although you will have to deal with the overcrowding and forget about driving around the lake.

We visited Sirmione in low season, at the end of February 2014 and found it an ideal time. It is true that at that time it is cold and rains a little more than in summer. However, it is a pleasure to walk along the edge of the Garda without overcrowding.

My recommendation? If you can, avoid:

• National holidays (Easter, April 25th...).
• Weekends.
• The months of July and August.

Where to stay

As we were moving by car, we opted to book a cheap hotel with free private cheap hotel with free private parking in Colombarethe neighboring town to Sirmione.

We opted for the Hotel Mauro, which at that time cost us 69€/night per couple.

It is located in a very quiet residential area. The rooms are simple, without much luxury, although correct. The breakfast is very complete and varied and the possibility to park and forget about the car was the best of all.

How to get to Sirmione

By car and where to park

Traffic in Sirmione is restricted to residents or tourists with a parking permit at their hotel. Therefore, if you bring your own vehicle but are not staying in town, you will have to park outside in some of the paid parking lots located before the entrance. I have marked many of the options on the map at the bottom of this page.

Be aware that the access road is very narrow and busy, even in the off-season. So be prepared for the possibility of traffic jams.

We left the car at our hotel and walked from Colombare to Sirmione (about 3 km), taking advantage of the fact that the route has a well-defined and pleasant sidewalk for pedestrians.

But you can also take the shuttle bus that connects Campiello square with the Rocca Scaligera in Sirmione for 1€. I leave you a link to the schedules below.

Note: Even in low season, it is typical that there are queues to exit or enter the A4 freeway at Sirmione and Desenzano, especially on Fridays (arrival) and Sundays (exit operation) in the afternoon. Keep this in mind when planning your route.

By boat

You can reach Sirmione using the ferry lines that connect the main towns of Lake Garda.

This medium has 2 clear advantages:

• You avoid the uncomfortable traffic in high (and even low) season.
• It allows you to admire the villages and the lake from a different perspective.

By train

Although the train does not go as far as Sirmione, the line from Milan to Venice stops at Desenzano and Peschiera del Garda. Once there, you can take a ferry or bus to your destination.

Useful Links

• Open-air thermal water park: Villa dei Cedri.
• Hotel that includes the Villa dei Cedri thermal park.
• Timetables of the bus that connects Colombare to Sirmione.
• Rates and schedules of the boats plying Lake Garda.
• Hotel Mauro, on the outskirts of Sirmione.
• Flights to Italy:Trabber,eDreams,Momondo, andVueling.
• Get 5% off when you purchase travel insurance with IATI.

Are you visiting Northern Italy? Then you might be interested in taking a look at these blog posts:

• Discover Venice in low season.
• Driving along Lake Como.
• Trekking to the hermitage of San Martino with spectacular views of Lake Como.
• Bologna, the city of arcades.

And remember, if you have any questions about Sirmione and Lake Garda, leave me a comment below. I will try to help you in any way I can 🙂 🙂

Map