We visited the Isola Madre with a professional guide on a hot hot summer day.
Unlike Isola Bella, this one is no longer used as a residence although there is a nice renaissance palace with some interesting marionettes and other historical artifact and a nice English style garden with plants and trees from around the world from Australia to North American to Japan and the Himalayas.
One of the highlights is the large assortment of birds strolling the grounds from peacocks to pheasants. There are also several aviaries with parakeets and other birds and they are all quite indifferent to visitors and don't mind being photographed.
This was our last stop so we didn't spend as much time here as the other islands but for anyone with an interest in plants and flowers, this should be a part of your itinerary. It was also the least crowded of the three islands and while we enjoyed a private boat, this is a regular ferry stop on the lake as well.
Beyond the palace and gardens, there's not much else-a couple of snack bars and that's it.
Worth a visit. read more