Each place has its stories and many of them could be told about Sirmione Castle’s port, an important crossroads: this is where your Sirmione boat tour starts and where you can enjoy watching the shimmer of Lake Garda’s crystalline waters. Our mooring is next to the bridge of the Medieval Castle, at the umbrella with the words "Consorzio Motoscafisti Sirmione”.

Your Sirmione boat cruise has just begun and so, with a little imagination, you can see Maria Callas looking out of the terrace of her ‘20s villa. Memories of the "Casta Diva", who loved Sirmione peninsula so much that she decided to live here, still warm the hearts of the locals and she is a tribute to the elegance of Lake Garda.

As you start to feel the breeze on your face, you will immediately notice, on your right, a place for health and relaxation: the Aquaria thermal spa. It is famous in the area for its hot, sulphurous spring water and is situated between the peninsula’s vegetation and the lake it attracts numerous visitors every day, who visit it for health purposes or just to see the view.

Close your eyes, imagine yourself diving into the warm thermal water, and then opening them again to see the breathtaking views of the Grotte di Catullo.  After thousands of years you can still see the remains of this impressive roman villa that dominates the tip of Sirmione peninsula and that has been praised by many poets.  During your speedboat trip, try repeating to yourself:   “Salve, o deliziosa Sirmione, e godi del (tuo) padrone   godete anche voi, onde del lago Lidio!” which means:  "Hail, delightful Sirmione, and enjoy (your) patronage Lydian waves of the lake enjoy also!”

The Baia delle Sirene, or “Mermaid Bay”, is considered one of the best beaches on Lake Garda, and the residents also go there because the water is so clean and the park can be reached by a pleasant walk in the countryside. It’s an ideal place to spend a day, immersed in nature, with the whole family, including your dog.

It is now time to continue our trip to Punta San Vigilio, crossing Lake Garda by speedboat to reach this peninsula, not far from Garda.  It is a place much loved by the rich and famous.   A tiny village, a hill dotted with cypress trees, a Renaissance villa, a marina and an old lemon grove make San Vigilio both charming and romantic.

Among the secret stories of Lake Garda is that of Villa Canossa: a beautiful, sixteenth century villa, surrounded by a garden that can only be seen from a boat. Villa Canossa used to be the house of a rebellious woman called Alessandra di Rudinì, Gabriele d'Annunzio’s mistress, an uncommonly independent lady of the late nineteenth century.

  San Vigilio peninsula is at the foot of Mount Luppia and, together with the Rocca, they form a gulf in the lake, creating the Gulf of Garda, including the town with the same name.  Garda has a weekly market and used to have a castle that was so important and impressive that the lake’s name was changed from "Benacus" to Lake “Garda”.

And now, keep your eyes fixed on the surface of the lake in search of bubbles: it is said that right here, in 1889, a Venetian diver called Procopio discovered the Boiola sulphur spring.  Science confirms that Sirmione’s Boiola spring is where these healthy waters appear from their source on Mount Baldo and that they bring health benefits to the most famous spa on Lake Garda, we can admire them from the motorboat.

After discovering the secrets of this part of Lake Garda, we can take a closer look at what you will have noticed at the start of your trip: the majestic Sirmione Castle, or Rocca Scaligera, one of the few castles left on the lake, and definitely one of the best preserved.It is a fortification with a moat still full of water it has an internal harbour to shelter a fleet of boats, three more towers and walls with swallowtail battlements, a typical Scaligero medieval building of its time.

We sail around the castle to return to where we started our trip.  Our boat tour of Sirmione peninsula is almost over.Enjoy the view of the castle from the lake, but don’t get too distracted, because we are about to go under its drawbridge.  Be careful not to bump your head under the bridge!We return to the port to say goodbye and a sincere thank you for joining us on our boat tour.