Villas in Stresa
Stresa suits families and groups of up to eight who want the Borromean Islands a short boat ride away, plus easy rail links to Milan. Many homes have a fireplace and most have a garden. Homes are spread around the town rather than on the front, so check how far each one is from the ferry docks.
- Villas
- 7
- From, per week
- £656
About Stresa
Stresa is a lakeside town of about 4,600 people on the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore, about 90 km north-west of Milan. It is known for grand hotels and villas: Hemingway set part of A Farewell to Arms at the Grand Hotel des Îles Borromées, and Palazzo Bolongaro, also called Villa Ducale, is another landmark. Ferries leave from the town's two docks for the nearby Borromean Islands. Its outlying hamlets include Vedasco, Magognino, Levo and Brisino, and Mottarone rises above the town and the lake. Our homes are spread around Stresa rather than concentrated on the waterfront, and many have room for six or more.
Is Stresa right for you?
- Best for
- Families wanting the islands and Milan within easy reach
- Not for you if
- You want a low-key lake village rather than a town known for its grand hotels and villas.
Near Stresa
Isola Bella
Island with a summer palace and a garden laid out on ten terraces, built with vast amounts of imported soil from 1629 onwards.
Isola dei Pescatori
Also called Isola Superiore, the only inhabited Borromean island, with a fishing village reached by ferry from Stresa.
Villa Pallavicino
Villa and park between Stresa and Belgirate, now a zoological park with more than 50 animal species and room for long walks.
Mottarone
The peak above Stresa, climbed on foot, with views on clear days over Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta and sometimes Lake Varese.
Getting to Stresa
Fly to Milan Malpensa, about 43 km away: the drive takes around 40 minutes. A bus runs from Malpensa Terminal 2 to Stresa in a little over an hour, about every four hours. EuroCity trains run to Milan, Bern and Basel. A car helps for the hillside homes.
Villas in Stresa
2-star property
3-star property
2-star property
"Casa Bella Vista"
Stresa, Lake Maggiore, Italy
4
3
0
ParkingDishwasherFireplace+9 more
from£136
per night
3-star property
Ca' delle Isole
Stresa, Lake Maggiore, Italy
8
3
0
FireplaceParkingWashing Machine+8 more
from£204
per night
3-star property
Alba (SEA115)
Stresa, Lake Maggiore, Italy
6
2
0
FireplaceParkingWashing Machine+6 more
from£103
per night
4-star property
Tramonto (SEA116)
Stresa, Lake Maggiore, Italy
4
1
0
ParkingWashing MachineFridge+6 more
from£94
per nightStresa villa holidays: questions answered
How do you get from Stresa to the Borromean Islands?
By ferry. Boats leave regularly from Stresa's two docks for Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori, the archipelago that lies between Stresa and Verbania.
Which Borromean island should you visit from Stresa?
Isola Bella for the palace and its terraced gardens, Isola Madre for the English-style gardens kept since about 1823, and Isola dei Pescatori to see the only inhabited island and its fishing village.
Can you reach Stresa by train?
Yes, and easily. Stresa is on the road and rail route to the Simplon Pass, and EuroCity trains run south to Milan and north to Bern and Basel, which suits a stay without much driving.
Is Stresa good for families?
It works well for them. Villa Pallavicino, between Stresa and Belgirate, has a park with more than 50 animal species, the island ferries leave from the town itself, and many homes here sleep six or more.
Nearby towns to Stresa
Written by the TrustedVillas team. Last reviewed October 2026.
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