Enlarge This Image

Samuele Pellecchia for The New York Times

Exterior view of Villa Crespi, now ahotel and restaurant. More Photos »

Multimedia

A Glittering, but Not Flashy, ItalianLake

OVERNIGHTER

The Secret Little Sister of the Italian LakesPublished: September 20, 2012

(Page 2 of 2)

In keeping with this theme, we’d been content to gaze out at Isola

San Giulio from our apartment window, three floors above Piazza

Motta and with a direct sight line to the island. For such a

fantastically clear, calm lake in the heat of summer, Orta was

remarkably free of boats (we probably saw one water-skier a day, at

most). A handful of ferries plied the waters between the town, the

island and the tiny villages on the lake’s opposite shore. But this

being Italy, things didn’t get started until about 8:30 each morning

— including the ferries.

But, as it will in a place like this, the

conversation — fueled by wine and

friends — took a turn for the

imaginative. One evening, Matt made a bet that he could

run downstairs, swim to and from the island, and end up

back on the couch, all in under 21 minutes. A longtime

swimmer, I was appointed his companion and scout. A

couple of mornings later, we went for it.

Signora Irene, as she insisted that we call her, the

shopkeeper at Orta Market, told us to be careful. “É

pericoloso!” she cried as we dashed past. “Attenzione per

le barche!” (You have to appreciate the neighborly

concern — that’s pure Orta.)

And so we swam, with me paying particular “attenzione”

to those boats and popping my head up every once in a

while to make sure we wouldn’t be run over by an errant

ferry. But the water was glassy and cool, a perfect mirror

to the bluebird-sky above; it turned out there wasn’t a

boat to be spotted, save for one slow-moving launch that

gave us a wide berth.

After a while, I relaxed and began to enjoy the fish-eye

view. After all, how often does one get such a unique

perspective on such an utterly enchanting spot? As we

neared the island, we could spy tantalizing evidence of

everyday life in the homes that, from land, seemed so

cloistered: toys on a garden patio, an inflatable water trampoline floating near one of

the private docks. As a small boat putt-putted away from one of those docks, the man

driving it swiveled his head to greet us.

“Buon giorno!” he called, and he and his young daughter waved heartily. I returned the

greeting with a grin, before Matt and I turned and busted our tails back to the line of

bobbing boats by the town jetty. We emerged from the water to find an elderly

paparazza in red pants clicking away with her camera. As I toweled off, Matt sprinted

upstairs to our apartment and was back on the couch, less than 18 minutes after he left

it.

Later, when we stopped downstairs to get dinner fixings with our 2-year-old son, Felix,

Signora Irene greeted us with claps and a hearty “Bravissimo!” Not only did the dreamy

vision of Orta move us to jump in and do the unexpected — swim to the monastery and

back as fast as we could! — but we were cheered on by the locals. She handed us our

reward: lollipops for Felix.

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE

Orta San Giulio is 28 miles from Milan Malpensa International Airport, and most major

rental car agencies operate from there.

WHERE TO STAY

There are a handful of small hotels in the central town of Orta San Giulio, where you’ll

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

GOOGLE+

E-MAIL

SHARE

PRINT

SINGLE PAGE

REPRINTS

The Secret Little Sister of the Italian Lakes - NYTimes.com http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/travel/the-secret-little-sister-of-the...

1 di 2 21/09/2012 17.29

A version of this article appeared in print on September 23, 2012, on page TR8 of the New York edition with the headline:The Secret Little Sister of the Italian Lakes.

There are a handful of small hotels in the central town of Orta San Giulio, where you’ll

want to base yourself.

The most elegant of these is Villa Crespi (Via G. Fava 18; 39-0322-911-902;

hotelvillacrespi.it; from 284 euros a night, or about $360, at $1.25 to the euro), a

14-room Moorish confection built in the 19th century by an Italian trader upon his

return from the Middle East. Don’t miss a meal at its two-Michelin-starred restaurant —

the chef, Antonino Cannavacciuolo, sends out a whimsical parade of modern

Mediterranean creations, including a salpicon of fish with zucchini, all served under a

cloud of sea foam.

For direct lake access and a lovely waterside patio, check out Hotel San Rocco (Via

Gippini 11; 39-0322-911-977; hotelsanrocco.it; from 230 euros), housed in a former

convent.

Some short-term apartment rentals are available, though you’ll have to do a little

digging; we rented our lovely two-bedroom apartment from Holiday Homes at Orta

(lakeorta.com).

WHERE TO EAT

A recent opening near the train station, Agriturismo Il Cucchiaio di Legno (Via

Prisciola 10; 39-322-905-280) is a terrific place to sample the region’s dishes.

Oenophiles will want to duck into tiny Al Boeuc (Via Bersani 28; 39-3395-840-039)

for pre-dinner wines by the glass and platters of bruschette.

WHAT TO DO

Tanned ferry captains wait by the jetty to run you across to Isola San Giulio, where a

pedestrian path loops around the Benedictine monastery. For a more strenuous climb,

head up to the Sacro Monte di San Francesco (sacrimonti.net) and enjoy the spectacular

view.

And spend a leisurely afternoon at the Orta Beach Club (ortabeachclub.com), where

you can swim, rent kayaks or just pass out on a lounge chair.

« PREVIOUS PAGE 1 2

The Secret Little Sister of the Italian Lakes - NYTimes.com http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/travel/the-secret-little-sister-of-the...

2 di 2 21/09/2012 17.29