Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca. A very impressive name for a town as small as Maccagno, Italy. Standing proud at just over 2,500 inhabitants, the comune in Italy’s lake district was formed in 2014 after three neighbouring comunes merged by referendum. Today, Maccagno is a popular travel destination for Italian families and international travellers alike. Discover the best things to do in and around Maccagno.
About Lake Maggiore
Maccagno is situated on the eastern lakefront of Lake Maggiore — or Lago Maggiore, as the locals call it.
Lago Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy, boasting a shore length of 170 km (about 106 miles).
What to do in and around Maccagno
Hiking and nature around Maccagno
Northern Italy is an area rich in natural beauty, so it should come as no surprise that we spent a lot of time wandering off through nearby forests, mystical plains and along untamed rivers.
Komoot is an app we used a lot when trying to find the best hikes around Maccagno. In this app, you can see routes that other hikers have taken before you. These routes often have a complete route description and pictures to guide you.
That being said, these are our favourite escapes into nature:
- Lago Delio: An intermediate hike of just under 3 hours (7 km / 4.5 miles), with a great little spot for lunch on the road;
- Lavertezzo (Switzerland): An easy hike of an hour and a half (6.1 km / 3.8 miles), easy to combine with a visit to a famous bridge in Switzerland (Ponte dei Salti);
- Borromean Islands: A group of three islands in the westernmost arm of the lake. Rent a boat and spend a day exploring these islands;
- Magliosina Oase: A small waterfall in the middle of the Swiss forest, well worth a morning or afternoon hike.
Cities you should visit around Maccagno
Northern Italy and southern Switzerland have at least one thing in common: a wide range of cities and towns worth your time. Thanks to a little something called the Schengen Area, you won’t need a passport to cross the border. You can simply cross two European countries off your bucket list in one trip.
- Ascona & Locarno (Switzerland): Two neighbouring cities at the base of the Alps, in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Be sure to have a walk along the lakefront and take the funicular up to the Madonna del Sasso sanctuary.
- Lugano (Switzerland): The main city in Switzerland’s southern, Italian-speaking canton Ticino — located at a 35 km drive from Maccagno. Lugano boasts several heritage sites worth a visit, such as the Palazzo Civico and the city’s three churches (Cathedral of San Lorenzo, Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli and the Church of San Rocco).
- Varese: A city 80,000 Italians proudly call theirs, and home to the Sacro Monte di Varese — one of the nine sacri monti in northern Italy.
Things to do on Lago Maggiore
- Stand up paddling: Let the clear, turquoise water of Lago Maggiore transport you into higher spheres. Stand up paddling (or supping, for short) is all the rage among travellers of all ages. As the name suggests, you simply stand up on a surfboard and paddle. You don’t need wind to go forward — just a bit of courage.
- Rent a boat: What’s a lake holiday without renting a boat for the day and drifting off with the waves? Boat rental services are sprawled along the shore and have services ranging from luxury yachts with a captain to simple boats you can use without a license.
Other things to do in and around Maccagno
- Have breakfast in a pasticceria: Among the Italians’ favourite breakfast options are pasticcerias — elegant pastry shops frequented by locals, where a simple cup of espresso and an eloquently baked croissant form the perfect marriage. Wake up early, find a pasticceria near you, and spend the morning people-watching.
- Go to the market in Cannobio: Just a short ferry ride away, you’ll find Cannobio. This is a charming village, home to one of the region’s most typical markets. Freshly made pasta in all shapes, cold cuts and meats, fresh fish from the lake, … You won’t leave this market hungry.
- Have dinner by the lakeside: If you’re travelling to one of the largest lakes in Italy and you don’t have dinner by the lakeside, were you really even there? Take one night (or several nights) to elevate your dinner experience by booking a table right along the lake.
Where to eat in Maccagno
One of my favourite things to do in Maccagno — and any other city in southern Europe, for that matter — is eat. Letting local chefs prepare their favourite dishes with fresh ingredients is one of my main love languages.
Here is my list of tried-and-tested restaurants in Maccagno, based on recommendations from locals.
- Ristorante Italia: Don’t let the cliché name of the restaurant fool you — this is a great place to sample local Italian cuisine.
- I recommend: A Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Fiorentina steak). Call the restaurant or drop by the restaurant beforehand to reserve your steak.
- Ristorante Pizzeria Lido di Maccagno: This restaurant is what I was talking about earlier. On our last night, we had dinner by the lakeside in this restaurant and everything about that meal was amazing. (Well, except the migraine attack I had about an hour before coming here).
- I recommend: Any pasta dish.
- La Gabella: An serene restaurant with an exceptional porch, right on the waterfront. Perfect for easing your way into the wide range of fantastic places to eat Italian food around Lago Maggiore.
- Ristorante Maccagno: A few streets removed from the lakefront, Ristorante Maccagno is a quiet place that gets all its charm from simple dishes and friendly staff that knows more English than the general population of restaurant staff in Italy.
- I recommend: Any dish with a Milanese-style cutlet (schnitzel).
- Pasticceria Gelateria Cerinotti: An unassuming bakery across from Maggacno’s town hall with a wide range of delicious breakfast foods.
- I recommend: A simple breakfast of coffee and a croissant.
- Home cooking: Maybe not something you expected, let alone hoped, to see on a list of restaurants to try in a picturesque Italian lake town, but trust me. Go to the market in Cannobio, buy some fresh pasta and sauce at one of the stalls and fire up your culinary skills.
Lago Maggiore 7-day itinerary
Now that you know about the best things to do in Maccagno and I’ve told you about my favourite restaurants in the neighbourhood, it’s time to put everything together. Here’s my suggested 7-day itinerary around Lago Maggiore, if you’re based in Maccagno.
Day 1: Hike to Lago Delio
I mentioned earlier that one of my favourite things to do in and around Maccagno is going for hikes. That’s why your first full day in Maccagno will be based around a hike to Lago Delio.
It’s completely up to you to decide the length and intensity of your hike. By taking a quick look around Komoot, you can find several hikes in the area of different levels.
Day 2: Visit Ponte dei Salti, Ascona & Locarno
Start the day with a scenic drive along the lakeside, up to Ponte dei Salti (Switzerland).
Don’t forget to bring change with you if you’re coming by car — you can usually only pay for parking with Swiss coins.
When you get there, take some time to take pictures, then cross the double-arched medieval bridge and follow the path into nature on the other side of the river. After about 15 – 20 minutes, you should reach a lovely spot to admire the flowing water of the river and the serenity of the forest around you.
When you’ve done enough admiring, turn back and have a drink or lunch at one of the restaurants around the bridge.
Next, continue your way to the neighbouring cities of Ascona & Locarno. Walk along the lakefront in Ascona and get lost in the streets of Locarno. Walk around without having a real plan.
Day 3: Explore Varese & Sacro Monte di Varese
After a one-hour drive in the morning, you’ll arrive in Varese. To avoid the blistering heat of the afternoon Italian sun, start your day by climbing the Sacro Monte di Varese in the morning.
The Holy Road on this sacred mount will take you along 14 chapels, depicting the life of Jesus Christ. When you reach the top, you will find the 15th chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Depending on how adventurous you are, you can either walk back down or take the funicular down.
Next, find a place to have lunch downtown and, again, spend the afternoon strolling along the city’s medieval streets and having coffee with the locals in a dusty cafe.
Day 4: Cross Lake Maggiore to visit Cannobio
Wake up early and take the ferry from Maccagno to Cannobio. Keep in mind: this ferry only crosses the lake a few times a day, so look up the schedule ahead of time and plan your day accordingly.
Upon arriving in Cannobio, you’ll be right in the middle of the market when you leave the docks. Walk around, try some food, buy some food, and have a drink in one of the cafes overlooking the market.
When you’re ready to have lunch, head away from the tourist-focused lakeside and head into the smaller streets up the mountain. Here, you’ll find a wide range of Italian restaurants happy to welcome you and treat you to their expertly-prepared food.
After taking the ferry back to Maccagno, spend the afternoon by your hotel pool, at the beach, or curled up on the couch reading a good book.
Day 5: Hike in Switzerland & visit Lugano
On our fifth day, we went for another hike in Switzerland. The highlight of this hike was Magliasina Oase. The hike we did was not on Komoot, but you can easily make your own hike around here.
In the afternoon, visit Lugano’s many cultural heritage sites.
Day 6: Go supping on the lake
After five days of exploring nature and cities around Maccagno, it’s time to relax. Sleep in late, rent a sup and spend the afternoon trying not to fall down into the lake.
There are plenty of places in and around Maccagno that rent equipment for water sports, so take some time to find the one that is closest to where you are staying.
Day 7: Rent a boat
More chilling! To finish your seven-day getaway at Lago Maggiore, I suggest renting a boat and getting a tan before going back home. Again, you can head to one of the many places around the city that rent equipment.
Be sure to ask for a boat that doesn’t require a license to be used.
Read more: How to pack light — The ultimate guide
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