Discover Limone sul Garda, the village of lemons in Italy. A charming old town set along the Garda lake awaits you!
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Where is Limone Sul Garda?
Limone Sul Garda is situated on the western shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy. The town is also called Limone del Garda at times.
The village counts as one of the last towns in the Lombardy region, and it is still part of the province of Brescia. The nearby town of Riva del Garda, for example, already belongs to the Trentino province.
Named after the humble citrus fruit, the lemon, limone is the Italian word for lemon. Sul Garda means at the Garda lake.
The village has been known for centuries for the cultivation of lemons. Therefore, Limone sul Garda, with its classical Italian style and palm trees, is one of the few lemon villages in Italy.
Besides, the rocky background and terraces are filled with olive groves and lovers of similar places, such as Menton or Monaco in France, will find themselves at home in Limone sul Garda.
Tip: Compare if you should visit lake Garda or lake Como on your trip to Northern Italy.
Why we recommend visiting!
Limone sul Garda surprised us when we discovered this town on our trip along the Garda lake. Tucked away along the steep Garda lake cliffs, it is our most notable travel gem in the region!
Here is why we strongly recommend that you add Limone Sul Garda to your travel itinerary if you are planning to visit Garda lake.
| Reasons to Visit | Explanation | |
| Beauty | Unique views of the colorful romantic old town with its winding narrow streets and old houses will have you feel like in a movie. Its location is perfect to get away from the world for a few days. Immerse yourself into the village atmosphere of Limone sul Garda and basically forget that there is a world out there. | |
| Location | The town is perched along the rocks of the western Garda lake shores. It's not all too far away from Riva del Garda, a major town situate to the north of the lake and from Verona it's just a 1 ½-hour drive to get to Limone Sul Garda | |
| Beaches | The Garda lake is one of the cleanest lakes in Italy and you can go for a swim in the crystal clear waters. There are lifeguards patrolling the beach and the water has always a pleasant steady temperature. Two major beaches (aka spiaggia in Italian) can be visited, including the bigger cola beach and the smaller Limone beach. All the beaches are gravel beaches, so you will need soft beach shoes for that, which you can purchase in one of the shops in town. | |
| Shopping | Small diverse boutiques can be found scattered around the town with what seems to be a mix of natives and other Italian sellers. A few shops are beautifully decorated, adding to the special touch and theme of Limone sul Garda. It's almost surreal! Besides, the shops don't sell useless tourist junk but surprisingly useful and delicious things. We bought special types of giant olives, lemon soaps and much more. | |
| Cleanliness | This is one of the cleanest towns we have ever seen in Italy. We watched village authorities picking up garbage from the roads, emptying countless garbage bins and cleaning public toilet blocks. You will also find a couple of easily accessible toilet blocks scattered around the small town. | |
| Wheelchair Accessibility | Limone is perched against a rocky hill, but that didn't stop them from creating an accessible town center. The main parking lot is situated just next to the entrance of the town and next to the Cola beach, and from there it's not far to the main square. Areas have been created to facilitate movement for wheelchair users. | |
| High Aesthetics | Limone sul Garda has a theme, and it aligns with the name, making it all the more charming. Locals have been growing lemons on the hills for centuries, and you will see lemon trees all over the place. Moreover, house numbers have a yellow lemon tile and signboards follow the lemon theme. It's just great aesthetics altogether, and you can see that effort has been taken to make this place stand out. | |
| Tourism Popularity | Tourism is more chill (outside peak season only!) and not overly annoying in Limone sul Garda. The place feels more authentic than other Garda towns, such as Sirmione to the South. Mass tourism is not a thing here (yet!). Many Austrians, Germans, and German-speakers from the South Tyrol province visit the area, so you will notice that tourism is a bit geared towards these visitors, which can be a downside too. Not everyone wants to be surrounded by German speakers in Italy. | |
| Day Trips and Excursions | Limone makes for a great base for other nearby towns across the lake. You can plan a hiking excursion or take a relaxing walk along the minimalist palm tree dotted beach-side promenade. | |
| Water Sports | You can learn to windsurf or kite surfing in Limone, in one of the best schools in the area! Scuba diving is also an option. |
Cool Info: Limone sul Garda is known as a healthy village. A few natives have a rare gene which have them age and cross 100 years.
Limone Sul Garda Photos and Video
I think the images speak for themselves, and they will help you decide if this quaint little village is a good fit for you.
Hotels
Being a popular family and couple's retreat, Limone sul Garda offers a wide variety of Hotel retreats and choices.
You might want to compare the rates and amenities of the following hotels to find a suitable room for your perfect trip:
- Hotel Alexander — Centrally located 4-star waterfront hotel with lake view and swimming pool.
- Hotel Splendid Palace — Upscale 4-star hotel with lake view, swimming pool and rich breakfast buffet.
- Hotel Castell — A 3-star property overlooking the roofs of the old town with a lake view.
- Hotel du Lac — A 4-star beachfront hotel near all water sports activities. They have an in-house spa.
Souvenirs & Local Products
As mentioned further on top, Limone sul garda has many cute boutiques, and they all sell different interesting things that you can take back home as a souvenir.
To be blunt, useless breakable and ugly touristy garbage things are not a thing in Limone sul Garda. The souvenirs that you can buy in Limone are actually useful and often handmade or from the region itself!
We got a couple of things from the list below and if we had more time, we are eagerly awaiting to return to Limone sul Garda soon to go on a little shopping spree.
Due to the village theme and history surrounding lemons, you will see a lot of lemon products here.
Here are some ideas of what you can buy from a boutique or from the weekly market in Limone sul Garda:
- Lemon soaps — They come in all shapes, but most are yellow lemon shaped. This reminded my wife of Menton in France, a town known for lemon soap handcraft ship.
- Whole pickled lemon
- Limoncello — A yellow Italian lemon liqueur.
- Fresh Lemons from the village's lemon groves.
- Olives — Different varieties, shapes, colors, and types. It's a treasure trove.
- Olive Oil — Look out for cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil from the region. Avoid mixed olive oils.
- Regional pasta making tools
- Lemon themed Kitchen stuff such as aprons and bowles.
Day Trips
Limone makes for a good base, and you can take part in a few day trips to make the most of your trip to Lake Garda.
Some popular towns on Lake Garda include:
- Riva del Garda
- Sirmione
- Peschiera del Garda
- Desenzano del Garda
- Toscolano Maderno
We cruised around in our car from town to town because the roads are challenging and fun to drive on. In fact, bikers will love cruising along the tight, tunnel-rich, roads.
The most obvious mode of transfer/transport on Italy's largest lake is to take the ferry to get across the lake to other villages and towns.
Ferry
From Limone Sul Garda, head to the ferry ticketing point (marked as Biglietteria) to buy your ferry tickets.
The ferry stop, called Porto di Limone, is at the northern end of the Cola beach, right next to the multi-story parking house. The second ferry stops is at the Porto vecchio in the old town. Check your ticket where your boat is starting from or ask the ticketing people.
Ferry ticket prices vary greatly and depend on the destination. You can get a regular ticket or a fast ferry ticket to get across the lake sooner.
The adult day passes valid for the whole lake including the fast service is a whooping €34.30 in 2025.
The lake is pretty large, so it might make sense to pick an area, such as the south or the north, and to visit the town in each location on a specific day all bundled.
You can also take your cycle or e-bike ok the ferry, but a separate ticket has to be bought for your vehicle.
Hire a Boat
Another option is to hire a boat at the Porto vecchio rent a boat port.
You can hire a private boat to ride without a license. Prices vary, but most start at around €55 for ½ and €80 for 1 hour. These boats can be hired for up to 4 hours, which costs €250. Fuel and insurance are always included.
Another option is to hire a boat with a conductor to take you to a specific location, and here it depends on the location. To give you an idea, you can get a two-way ticket at €9 per adult for a roundtrip between Lemon Sul Garda and Malcesine.
Organized Tours
At last, you have the option to join an organized tour with a starting point in Limone sul Garda.
Here, it makes sense to book a day trip ticket in advance online because availability is always limited, especially during peak season.
Tours are offered on specific days and last the whole day. They take you to other popular towns such as Riva del Garda and Sirmione. At the same time, the tour guide tells the story of the region, and you can ask them questions.
The cost is currently set at about $60 per adult in 2024, and you can take part in an English or German tour.
How to get to Limone Sul Garda
We traveled to Limone sul Garda as part of our Garda lake road trip tour. The roads are wonderful and challenging at the same time, so this might not be the right fit for everyone.
That said, you can hire a car or motorbike with a valid international license to make this the trip of a lifetime!
Your arrival and take off airport is the Verona international airport. Verona is a stunning, history rich, city situated near the Garda lake.
From the international Verona airport, it's just a 1 ½-hour drive to Limone Sul Garda.
If you are getting a rental, take the much prettier, but also slower, western coastal route. If you prefer the highway, take the A22 highway via Riva del Garda to get to Limone.
The public train and bus connection is much more complicated and perhaps not the best option because you will have to change vehicles a few times and the whole ordeal will take you more than 3 hours in total.
Instead, I recommend getting to one of the lake towns nearest to the Verona airport, such as Castello Scaligero di Lazise, and from there you can take a relaxed ferry ride across the lake to Limone sul Garda. You will be at least enjoying the lake landscapes.
If, in the rare event, that you are traveling from Austria, South Tyrol, Trento downwards to Italy, I recommend getting on a public bus or even better hire a car or a taxi to get you to Limone sul Garda. Public bus transport can be tedious and long in the alps.
When to visit?
We visited Limone in October, and it wasn't that busy at all, plus the temperatures were warm for the time of the year.
The peak season is July and August, when all the German and Austrian schools go into the summer break, and therefore you will have plenty of families with small kids coming over to Limone sul Garda in these months.
Winter can be cool but equally charming, and most probably you will have the small alleys and streets of the center to yourself as a tourist.
The weather is really lovely in spring from April to June and in autumn from September to November, and this is the best time for couples or solo trippers to visit Limone to avoid the high number of tourists.
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