Isole Borromee: by boat from Stresa

The Borromean Islands (It. Isole Borromee) are a group of three small islands and two islets in the Italian part of Lago Maggiore, located in the western arm of the lake, between Verbania to the north and Stresa to the south.
Their name derives from the Borromeo family, which started acquiring them in the early 16th century (Isola Madre) and still owns the majority of them (Isola Madre, Bella, San Giovanni) today.
1. Isola Bella, named for Isabella, countess Borromeo, was originally a largely barren rock.
2. Isola Madre, the largest of the three, is also noted for its gardens, which are maintained from about 1823 in an English style.
3. Isola dei Pescatori or Isola Superiore is now the only inhabited island in the archipelago. It has a fishing village, which in 1971 had a population of 208.
4. Isolino di San Giovanni is located just off Pallanza (today part of Verbania) to the north.
5. The tiny uninhabited rock of Malghera, with an area of only 200 square meters, lies between Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori and offers bushy vegetation and a small beach.