Lake Garda is a pebble lake, not a sand one, so pack water shoes and lower your expectations of building sandcastles. The trade-off is water you can see your feet through in three metres. The south shore around Sirmione and Desenzano is shallowest and warmest, the east shore has the longest run of easy, free beaches with a cycle path behind them, and the north around Riva and Torbole gives you mountains rising straight out of the water and an afternoon wind that windsurfers travel across Europe for. The west shore is steeper, with smaller lidos squeezed between the cliffs and the Gardesana road.
We have swum at every beach on this list, most of them several times, and we have paid for sunbeds where sunbeds exist. The ranking weighs water quality, shade, how easy it is to reach without a car, and what happens when you get hungry. Number one is the beach we would send a family to without a second thought; the rest follow in the order we would pick them for a spare afternoon.
Some booking links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through one we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend or the order of the list. How we choose
1Our top pick
Best for families
#1 Spiaggia Sabbioni
96/100
Riva del Garda · Riva del Garda, east of the harbour towards Punta Lido
The big free beach on the eastern side of Riva del Garda, a ten-minute walk from the harbour past the Rocca. It is a wide strip of fine pebbles and gravel that shelves gently, with a shaded lawn behind it, a kiosk, showers and a long stretch where small children can paddle without you worrying. Monte Brione rises directly behind, so the light in the late afternoon is lovely. If you are staying in town, this is your beach; our full guide to Riva del Garda has more on where to eat afterwards.
A pebble cove under cypresses and olive trees on the headland between Garda and Torri del Benaco, run as a paid park (Parco Baia delle Sirene) with sunbeds, a bar and a lot of lawn. Entry in high season is roughly €8–15 per adult depending on the day, which keeps numbers down and the grass in good shape. The water is clear and the view across to the west shore is the one on the postcards. It is a 30-minute lakeside walk from the centre of Garda, and our guide to Garda covers the rest of the headland.
Sirmione · Sirmione, northern tip of the peninsula below the Grotte di Catullo
Not a beach in the usual sense but flat slabs of pale limestone at the very tip of the Sirmione peninsula, directly below the Grotte di Catullo. The rock shelves into shallow, warm, turquoise water, and when the lake level is low in late summer you can wade out a surprising distance. There is no sand, no shade and no facilities beyond a seasonal bar, so bring water shoes and a hat. It is a 20-minute walk through the old town from the castle; see our guide to Sirmione for the tourist train alternative.
Malcesine · Malcesine, 2 km south of the harbour on the Val di Sogno bay
A narrow pebble beach in the bay south of Malcesine, facing the tiny wooded Isola del Sogno a few strokes offshore. Monte Baldo fills the sky behind you and the water is deep and clean close to the shore, so it suits confident swimmers more than toddlers. There is a small kiosk in season and a few sunbeds to hire, but mostly it is towels on stones and people reading. It is about 2 km from the harbour along the lakeside path, and our guide to Malcesine has the cable car and the castle for the rest of the day.
Torbole sul Garda · Torbole sul Garda, north of the harbour towards the Sarca mouth
Torbole’s beaches run in one long pebbly curve from the harbour north towards the Sarca river mouth, and the Lido Azzurro and Conca d’Oro sections are the best of it: free, wide, with grass behind, and a stream of windsurfers and kite foilers launching from midday. The morning is calm enough for a swim; by 2pm the Ora wind has arrived and the beach becomes a grandstand. Surf schools and a couple of bars line the road behind. Our guide to Torbole explains how to book a first windsurf lesson.
Manerba del Garda · Manerba del Garda, below the Rocca di Manerba reserve
The coves below the Rocca di Manerba nature reserve are the closest the lake gets to wild swimming. Pisenze is a pebble strip reached by a rough path down from the reserve car park, with olive terraces above and the cliffs of the Rocca to one side, and neighbouring coves such as Spiaggia Romantica and Sasso are a short scramble along the shore. The water is shallow and warm close in, with the little Isola di San Biagio reachable on foot when the level is low. Read our guide to Manerba del Garda for the walk over the headland.
Desenzano del Garda · Desenzano del Garda, Lungolago Cesare Battisti towards Rivoltella
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Desenzano’s main beach sits on the lakefront road heading east out of the centre towards Rivoltella, a long, free stretch of gravel and coarse sand with lawns, a pier and a run of lido bars where a sunbed and umbrella cost around €10–15 for the day. The water is shallow and warm, being the far south of the lake, and the beach fills with local families at weekends. It is 15 minutes on foot from the railway station, which makes it the easiest beach on the lake to reach by public transport. Our guide to Desenzano del Garda has the evening plan.
Bardolino · Cisano di Bardolino, 2 km south of Bardolino centre
Cisano is the southern hamlet of Bardolino and its beach is typical of the whole eastern shore: a broad grass lawn under plane trees, then a band of pebbles, then water that stays waist-deep for a long way out. It is free, there are showers and a bar, and the lakeside cycle path runs directly behind it so you can pedal into Bardolino for dinner in ten minutes. Parking is a few hundred metres inland. Our guide to Bardolino covers the wine and the olive oil museum a short walk uphill.
Lonato del Garda · Lido di Lonato, on the lake road between Desenzano and Padenghe
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Lonato del Garda has only a short frontage on the lake, between Desenzano and Padenghe, but it uses it well. The Lido di Lonato is a long, deep beach of gravel and sand backed by lawn and a campsite, with a big car park behind, a bar, pedalos and lifeguards in July and August. It suits families who want to arrive by car at midday and still find a patch of shade. The water is calm and shallow, and there is a small marina at one end. See our guide to Lonato del Garda for the Rocca and the old town up the hill.
Toscolano Maderno · Toscolano Maderno, between the Maderno ferry pier and the river mouth
The west shore is short of proper beaches, which is why the long shingle strand at Toscolano Maderno, on the delta where the Toscolano stream enters the lake, matters. It runs for over a kilometre from the Maderno ferry pier round to the campsite at Toscolano, with a promenade, lawns, a couple of bars and free parking near the river. The water is a little cooler than the south of the lake and deepens quickly, and the view is straight across to Monte Baldo. Our guide to Toscolano Maderno pairs it with the Valle delle Cartiere walk.
Mostly no. Almost every beach on the lake is pebble, gravel or coarse grit, with a few patches of imported sand at lidos in the south around Desenzano and Lonato. Bring water shoes, especially for children, and expect towels on stones or on the lawns that back most eastern-shore beaches. The reward is clear water and none of the sand you would otherwise carry back to your room.
Is the water warm enough to swim?
From mid-June to mid-September, yes. The shallow south around Sirmione and Desenzano reaches 24–26°C in August, while the deep north around Riva and Torbole is a few degrees cooler and colder still near river mouths. May and early October are fine for a quick dip if the sun is out. Outside those months most people stick to walking the shore rather than swimming.
Are the beaches free?
The large majority are free public beaches, including our top pick at Riva and most of the eastern shore. You pay only for extras: a sunbed and umbrella at a lido costs around €10–20 a day, and a handful of private parks charge entry, most notably Parco Baia delle Sirene at Punta San Vigilio. Parking near popular beaches is usually paid in summer, so budget a few euros for that.
Which beaches are best for families with small children?
Spiaggia Sabbioni in Riva, Cisano near Bardolino and Lido di Lonato all shelve gently with lawns and toilets close by. The eastern shore around Lazise and Bardolino is generally the easiest for families because the beaches are wide, shaded and linked by a flat cycle path. Avoid Jamaica Beach with toddlers: it is rock, not beach, and slippery at the edge.
Which shore has the best beaches?
The east shore between Peschiera and Malcesine has the most beaches and the easiest access, with a near-continuous run of free pebble strips and lawns. The south is warmest and shallowest. The north has the most dramatic setting but a strong afternoon wind. The west shore has the fewest beaches, with the lido at Toscolano Maderno and the coves below the Rocca di Manerba the ones worth a detour.
Can I reach the beaches without a car?
Yes for most of this list. Desenzano and Peschiera have railway stations within walking distance of their beaches, ferries call at Riva, Malcesine, Garda, Bardolino and Maderno, and the ATV bus runs the length of the eastern shore. Renting a bike is the best trick: the lakeside path links Peschiera to Garda, and our pick of the best Lake Garda bike rides covers it.
When are the beaches busiest?
Late July and the first three weeks of August, especially at weekends and around Ferragosto on 15 August, when Italian families arrive in numbers. Even then, beaches empty out by 6pm and the evening swim is a local habit worth copying. June and September give you the same water with half the people, and paid parks like Baia delle Sirene are much easier to get into.
Can I hire a sunbed or umbrella?
At lidos, yes, usually for €10–20 a day for a bed and umbrella, cheaper after 2pm. Riva, Desenzano, Bardolino, Lazise and Malcesine all have at least one lido on or beside the free beach. Many visitors combine a lido with a boat: our guide to Lake Garda boat rentals explains how to reach coves you cannot walk to.
Is there anything to do near the beaches besides swimming?
Plenty. Most beaches sit at the foot of a walk or a cycle path: the Rocca di Manerba loop starts above Pisenze, Monte Brione rises behind Sabbioni in Riva, and the Punta San Vigilio headland is a short stroll from Baia delle Sirene. Our pick of the best Lake Garda walks lists the routes, and Torbole adds windsurfing and sailing schools.
Our top pick
