15:00
San Felice del Benaco
- On the lake
- Nearest train: Desenzano del Garda, 14 km
- Ferry stop
- 3,461 residents
Good for Peace and quietIsland tripsSailingWineFamilies
San Felice del Benaco covers the headland at the northern end of the Valtenesi, where the Gulf of Salò opens up, and is made of three villages: San Felice itself on the hill, Portese down on the water, and Cisano with its cobbled lanes and old courtyards.
Offshore lies the Isola del Garda, the island owned by the Borghese Cavazza family, whose neo-Gothic Venetian-style villa and gardens can only be seen on guided tours by boat from April to October.
In the village, the Baroque parish church of Santi Felice e Adauto holds an altarpiece by Romanino, and the Santuario della Madonna del Carmine, begun in 1460, is a fine piece of late-Gothic Lombard architecture.
The shore has small harbours and beaches such as Porto San Felice and Gardiola, and the promontory catches the wind, so sailors use it too. It suits people who want a quiet base between Salò and the Valtenesi wineries, with an island trip on the doorstep.
Events in San Felice del Benaco6
Filter →Today · Sunday 27 September1
Wednesday 30 September1
08:00
Wednesday 7 October1
08:00
Saturday 10 October1
09:30
Saturday 17 October1
09:00
Wednesday 21 October1
20:30
What to see
Isola del Garda
The lake's privately owned island with a neo-Gothic Venetian-style villa and gardens, visited only on guided tours (about 2¼–2½ hours) with boat transfer, April to October.
Santuario della Madonna del Carmine
Late-Gothic Lombard sanctuary begun in 1460 and consecrated in 1482.
Chiesa dei Santi Felice e Adauto
Baroque parish church built 1740–1781, with a 16th-century altarpiece by Romanino and frescoes by Carlo Innocenzo Carloni.
Portese
Lakeside hamlet with its own parish church, castle and harbour, and San Felice's ferry landing.
Cisano
Hamlet of cobbled lanes and traditional courtyards.
Beaches
Spiaggia Porto San Felice
Beach by the San Felice harbour.
Spiaggia Gardiola
One of the two main beaches listed for San Felice.
Getting there and around
- Train and bus
- The nearest railway stations are Desenzano del Garda and Brescia. Arriva bus LN009 runs Portese – Padenghe – Bedizzole – Brescia, and the R-Link RL204 connects Desenzano with Salò next door. In summer, Navigazione Laghi boats call at Portese on the Desenzano–Riva line.
- By boat
- Portese is the municipality's ferry stop, with several boats a day in summer towards Salò and Gardone or towards Sirmione and Desenzano; Isola del Garda tours also leave from Portese and San Felice.
Things to do in San Felice del Benaco4
Baia del Vento beach
Beaches & lidos, Stand-up paddle, Kayak & canoe
Equipped lakeside beach with sunbeds, SUP, canoe and pedalo rental and a pizzeria facing Isola del Garda.
Benaco Paddling Academy
Kayak & canoe, Stand-up paddle
Paddle centre renting sit-on-top and sit-in kayaks and running SUP and eFoil courses and guided excursions.
Single kayak €15/h, double €25/h · Season: Year-round
Circolo Nautico Portese
Sailing
Sailing club at Portese (founded 1984) that organises the Transbenaco Cruise Race and runs sailing courses on Laser, Optimist and Este 24.
Isola del Garda guided tours
Boat tours
Official booked visits to the private Isola del Garda, combining a boat transfer from west-shore ports with a guided tour of the villa and gardens and a wine and oil tasting.
€39–49 adults incl. boat transfer and tour · Season: late Mar–Oct (closed Mon)
San Felice del Benaco climate by month
| Month | Day | Night | Rain days (≥1 mm) | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9° | 2° | 6 | 54 mm |
| February | 11° | 4° | 8 | 75 mm |
| March | 14° | 6° | 9 | 76 mm |
| April | 18° | 9° | 10 | 102 mm |
| May | 21° | 13° | 17 | 150 mm |
| June | 27° | 18° | 13 | 111 mm |
| July | 29° | 20° | 12 | 119 mm |
| August | 29° | 21° | 11 | 123 mm |
| September | 24° | 16° | 11 | 131 mm |
| October | 19° | 12° | 11 | 120 mm |
| November | 13° | 7° | 10 | 120 mm |
| December | 10° | 3° | 8 | 75 mm |
Averages 2016–2025 from reanalysis data (Open-Meteo); a single year can differ a lot.
Questions visitors ask
Can you visit Isola del Garda on your own?
No. The island is private and open only on guided tours that include the boat transfer, running from April to late October from ports including Portese, San Felice, Salò, Gardone Riviera and Sirmione; tours are held in Italian, English and German.
Where do the ferries stop in San Felice del Benaco?
At Portese, the lakeside hamlet; that is the only Navigazione Laghi stop in the municipality. (The Cisano stop in the timetable is Cisano di Bardolino on the opposite shore.)
When is the market in San Felice del Benaco?
Every Wednesday morning, 8:00–13:00, in Piazza Municipio.
Nearby
Researched from: gardalombardia.com, isoladelgarda.com, it.wikipedia.org, comune.sanfelicedelbenaco.bs.it, brescia.arriva.it, navigazionelaghi.it · checked 2026-09-26.