Our Trip to Lake Trasimeno and Isola Maggiore, Italy

Hello my friends. I want to share more about our holiday in Italy's Umbria region specifically at Lake Trasimeno. After Cortona our next stop was Isola Maggiore, one of the islands on Lake Trasimeno. This island is clearly visible from the shore and features houses, streets, a few churches, the ruins of an ancient Roman tower, a statue of Saint Francis and a lovely coastline.

We started our visit to the island from the town of Tuoro sul Trasimeno. From there we took a ferry to reach the island. Since Lake Trasimeno is shallow, swimming is not ideal. The lake's limited depth makes swimming challenging and the shoreline isn’t sandy but muddy, with an unpleasant smell. You might even see dead mussels and fish in the mud. So it’s not the most enjoyable place for swimming. After swimming in clean seas, the idea of swimming here didn’t appeal to me much. Still some people do swim here.

Isola Maggiore is one of the three islands in Lake Trasimeno, alongside Isola Polvese and Isola Minore. Maggiore is a small settlement with only 18 permanent residents, making it an ideal getaway for those seeking peace and quiet. The island’s narrow streets, colorful stone houses and the atmosphere of a 10th-century fishing village create a unique charm.

During our walks on the island, we wandered among olive trees and explored the history of this tranquil village, once home to fishermen. If you are interested in nature and greenery, you can also explore natural areas like Isola Polvese.

Despite its name Maggiore (meaning major), the island is quite small. In fact it’s smaller than Isola Polvese, which is uninhabited and more of an ecological reserve, ideal for nature and plant lovers. The streets of Isola Maggiore still preserve the 10th century fishing village vibe. The warm brown tuff stone houses, geometrically patterned cobblestone streets and rare green spaces shine brightly under the sunlight. However, during the hot weather, we hardly saw anyone on the streets, probably resting indoors or working at the harbor.

The island cultivates olives and other agricultural products. Local artisans produce small amounts of Irish lace. However, the island mainly relies on tourism and trade with visitors for its livelihood. Restaurants, tourist-oriented bars, apartment rentals and souvenir sales are now the primary sources of income.

Upon arriving at Isola Maggiore, we visited a church. It was a very old church and we had to pay €3 per person to enter. It’s a small space with ancient frescoes on the walls. We walked so much that day. There are no proper staircases here, just a rocky path.

The church San Michele Arcangelo, is dedicated to the Archangel Michael. There’s also a museum you can visit, but you need to buy a ticket. Interestingly the ticket counter is down below, so you need to climb back up after purchasing your tickets. Unfortunately, they didn’t build a ticket booth at the top.

The view from the island is amazing. Life is thriving among the shaded trees of the harbor. Tourists and locals who come here usually spend time in this area.

Foreigners buy souvenirs, snack at the bars or wait for the ferry. Since it was too early for lunch, we also had ice cream to cool off. Walking around the cobbled streets under the sun was a bit tiring. So if you plan to visit, I recommend coming during cooler months. Afterward we continued our journey around the lake to find a nice restaurant.

After spending a holiday at Lake Trasimeno, I realized that not just Isola Maggiore, but the entire lake area is perfect for a peaceful vacation surrounded by nature. There are no big cities or luxury hotels along the lake. Instead there are more vacation villages, campgrounds and small towns. It’s possible to rent accommodation for a quiet family holiday.

These are my impressions of the island and the lake. I’ll end my post here. After the island we visited a small, charming town that I really liked. I’d love to talk about it in my future posts when I get the chance. For now wishing you a wonderful mood. See you again very soon.