Como is the famous one (Clooney). Maggiore is the garden one (Borromean Islands).
Plan your trip →Dramatic: steep mountains plunging into water. Varenna, Bellagio, Tremezzo. More compact, more photogenic, more expensive. Hotels: €120–300/night.
Wider, gentler shores. Borromean Islands (Isola Bella + Isola Madre boat tours, €18) are unique in Europe. Stresa is the base. Slightly cheaper: €90–200/night. More gardens, fewer celebrities.
Como: postcard drama, ferry-hopping between villages, Villa visits. Maggiore: Borromean Islands, wider vistas, quieter.
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