Lake Bolsena is sometimes called Italy’s belly button from its shape and location in the middle of the peninsula. It is located about 100 km north of Rome and is surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of Northern Lazio, sometimes called Tuscia, and has borders close to Umbria and Tuscany as well.
Nearby there are many towns you can visit on a day tour: Viterbo (Lazio) , Montesiascone (Lazio), Bolsena (Lazio), Orvieto (Umbria), Todi (Umbria), Siena (Tuscany), Montepulciano (Tuscany), Pienza (Tuscany), Monte Amiata (Tuscany), Arezzo (Tuscany), Pitigliano (Tuscany), Sorano e Sovana, and Etruscan cities like Tuscania, the nearby town of Civita di Bagnoregio or the seaside and Orbetello.
Lake Bolsena – Things to do
Lake Bolsena is the largest lake in the region of northern Lazio, but it is the largest volcanic lake in all of Europe. It was formed about 370,000 years ago when the multiple volcanoes of the region spewed forth so much that the underlying rock in the area of the lake, the caldera, collapsed into a deep bowl.
This bowl was gradually filled with rainwater and underwater sources. The volcanoes continued underwater, forming the two islands in the middle of the lake, L’Isola Bisentina, and L’Isola Martana. The lake covers an area of 115 sq km (44 sq miles) and has a circumference of 43km or 28 miles. It is a deep lake as well, reaching a maximum depth of 151 meters or 500 feet. Unlike most lakes, Lake Bolsena displays tidelike movements, called “sessa” with the difference between low and high tides being as much as 50cm or 20 inches.
There is a small ferry at the small lake harbor that will take passengers around the islands
Also you can rent a power boat still at the small harbor
Can you swim in Lake Bolsena?
The lake has many sandy beaches around for seashore activities and it is particularly suited for families with small children because, particularly in the mornings, the lake tends to be very calm. The beaches are dark sand volcanic beaches however with some pebbles.
Lake Bolsena things to do
There are many water-related activities available at the lake like motor boating, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, and fishing (a license is required for fishing). According to a fishing champion friend of mine, Bolsena is one of the best places for sport fishing. Fishing boats are available for rental. Strict boating regulations prohibit boats of more than a certain length and also restrict the number of boats on the lake and allow motorized boats only for certain purposes (such as fishing and summer tourism). The result is an uncrowded and peaceful lake, even during the most popular summer months of July and August.
Boating and Swimming in Lake Bolsena
To see Lake Bolsena best is to see it by boat. The lake has two scenic ports at nearly opposite ends: Bolsena and Capodimonte. You can rent boats at each port or take a lake excursion on Navigazione Alto Lazio boats which run excursions from both Capodimonte and Bolsena on a motorboat around the lake.
Perhaps the nicest excursion, however, is by sailboat from Capodimonte to the two volcanic islands: Isola Bisentina and l’Isola Martana. Bisentina is privately owned, so, unless you have the owner’s permission, you should not go on land, but circumnavigating the island delivers spectacular views of the island’s seven chapels/churches as well as soaring volcanic cliffs. Better yet, you can also anchor the boat and swim in turquoise clear waters. Martana does not offer the charming architectural views of Bisentina but is also very attractive in a wilder way.
Lake Bolsena : when the lake is calm you can enjoy the crystal clear waters.
Although it is a small lake, winds on Bolsena do rapidly change. Mornings are often so calm that the lake gleams mirror-like, which is no conducive to sailing. In the afternoon, however, the wind usually picks up and sailors can have more fun. Like all bodies of water, the lake can be dangerous, and novices should take caution after white caps appear and storms loom on the horizon. The more dangerous wind is called the “Tramontana.” In 2007, a German tourist took his two small children out on a kayak with no life jackets in bad weather: they found the childrens’ bodies but not their father’s.
Beginning sailors can take sailing lessons at Scuola Vela Capodimonte which is situated at one end of Capodimonte on the flat plain, near the Campground. The school also offers sailing lessons in the mornings for kids and you can see them skippering their one-kid miniature sailboats when you go by the school.
Fishing on the lake
Since the lake is deep the fish from the lake does not taste as muddy as freshwater fish frequently do. The most common dish is foregone but you can find Eel, Crucian Carp, Carp, Chub, White Fish (Coregone), Lattarino, Luce, Real Perchis, Black Bass, Sunfish, Cat Fish, Rudd, Tench, and some others. The eels of Bolsena are mentioned in Dante’s Inferno. The town of Capodimonte has a Sagra (festival) del Corgone every year. For more information about Fishing on Bolsena Lake: https://www.bolsenafishingadventure.it/blog/
Kiteboarding / Kitesurfing
Horse Riding
HIKING/BIKING
The Via Francigena https://lifeinitaly.com/via-francigena-i/ — the pilgrim’s path which goes from Canterbury to Rome – goes right through the middle of Bolsena. The nuns next to our house have a big building where some of the pilgrims stay. It’s great for mountain biking and of course walking. A bike store in town rents both bikes and ebikes (the Francigena has some serious hills). And there are many other paths including a recent one that we haven’t tried yet that goes east to west across the country (coast to coast) which we haven’t tried yet.
Accommodation – Lake Bolsena hotels
See also
It’s a lovely clear description of this beautiful lake but is it at all dog-friendly?