La Baia Rosa pool and Beach Club; Piazzale Lido; Carciano: labaiarosastresa.it

The temperature is in the upper 20s every day and the sun shining. Luckily there are many beaches and pools along the Lago Maggiore coastline. Don't think wide, mile-long expanses of beach.. think more small, semiprivate sections where one can sunbathe or cool down in the lake. All are close to some sort of refreshment stand or small restaurant, or bring your own with you.

La Baia Rosa, pictured above, is Stresa's public pool and beach club. There is a small free beach area where you can bring your own towel or chair, and another with an entrance fee for a chaise lounge and umbrella. Likewise, the pool has entrance fees. A snack bar and two restaurants in the piazza make it a lovely spot to wile away a hot summer day.

This small rocky public beach (above) is in Stresa, across from the Astoria Hotel on the Lungolago, and next to Caffe Bar Verbanella and the children's playground.

This (above) is the Lido Blu beach, really almost hidden behind the Lido Blu bar. The newly refurbished, clean and sandy beach is public and yet quiet. You can find it in Stresa across the street from the Regina Palace Hotel. Chairs and umbrellas are available for rent and the swimming area is roped off.



On the western side of Stresa, just before leaving the town for Belgirate, you'll find tiny Lov Beach (above), with its island vibe and tiny mini golf course.




The name, Villa Fedora, doesn't give any hint that inside the gate (above), after a short stroll through the green lawns, and down a stone staircase, there is a wide sandy beach and a snack bar. The beach is long, curving around the little bay where the water is usually gentle. A few trees offer shade if you want. The beach is public; you can bring any chairs or equipment that you want and sit where you like. (But you can't bring your dog; pets are forbidden.) Their Facebook page has more information and lists events. https://www.facebook.com/chioscovillafedora/


The Lido Beach Club, in Baveno, one of my favorite spots for an aperitivo or to watch the sun set. And it's a great beach during the day where chairs, umbrellas, even entire gazebos can be rented. (above)

In Feriolo, two villages to the east of Stresa along Lago Maggiore, there is a large sandy and tranquil beach (above). The tiny town has several charming restaurants along the lake and closes to cars each evening in the summer. It can be reached by bus or ferry.

Further afield, in Cannobio near the Swiss border, the winds are perfect for windsurfing and sailing, thanks to the convergence of two valleys and a different facing direction on the lake. Cannobio is a beautiful town worth visiting, about 40 minutes from Stresa by car, bus, or ferry.




Further still, when you’ve had enough of winter, when you’re chilled right through to your bones, or on any rainy day, there is a remedy. Take a day trip to PremiaTerme, a full-service spa located about one hour north of Stresa in Cadarese, in the beautiful Valle Antigorio. The pools are fed from hyperthermal natural hot springs, which can enter the pool at 42 degrees Centigrade (107 degrees Farenheit). Premia offers some interesting services; for example, in the ‘dry’ area there is the familiar ‘Finlandish’ sauna, but there is also a biosauna, and then there is the Bagno di Fieno, Bath of Hay, in which one rests on bales of hay, so that with the intense heat the body absorbs the many beneficial natural byproducts the hay gives off in the humidity.
http://www.premiaterme.com/it/home