Live the Italian dream

Altomincio Family Park is the perfect base for an unforgettable family holiday.

When the chance of a caravan holiday to Italy’s Lake Garda came up, it took me back to the Highland gem Boat of Garten. More than 30 years on I still vividly remember a trip with my grandparents to a caravan there.

The excitement of seeing for the first time “a wee house with everything in it”, long lazy days of friends and kite flying and fun, pretend-fishing in the loch, the beauty of the surrounding area and adventure of the great outdoors, Pop combing my fresh-air tangled hair before tucking me up in a bed transformed from the kitchen table. And so began my search for the perfect caravan experience to make memories for my own family.

Without knowing there’d be a record-breaking British summer, I chose the guaranteed sunshine and dramatic countryside of Italy’s Lake Garda. Self-catering experts Al Fresco have a huge range of caravan parks across Europe. We opted for a large park to keep our lively kids happy but in a rural setting so we could experience the real Italy. And, after a long, hard year of full-time taxiing, feeding and supporting my kids we thought she needed a rest, so Granny came too.

Flying with easyJet from Edinburgh into Milan Malpensa airport was a hassle-free two hours in the air, and we touched down to the heat and gorgeous smell of lemon myrtle and spices in the air. We hired a car to drive the 90 miles to Altomincio Family Park at the south of the Lake just outside the pretty lakeside town of Peschiera.

Driving in Italy certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted but the motorways, many of which have tolls, are fantastic. And even navigating your way around the picture-postcard villages and towns along the 34 miles of Lake Garda isn’t too difficult once you get the hang of it.

If you don’t fancy negotiating the busy roads around the lake then there are dozens of water taxis, boat hire and a decent public transport system. The area is a tourist’s dream the bluest skies, sparkling waters and soaring mountains a stunning backdrop for the perfect holiday.

Each charming little village with its maze of cobbled lanes leads to another equally beautiful one along the bay, and the beaches are so unspoilt you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re on a glamorous filmset.

There are family-friendly activities, from hiking and cycling to windsurfing, pedaloes and jetskis. But most people, natives included, just sit back, relax with a cheeky wee vino and enjoy the fabulous cafe culture.

Altominicio Family Park provided us with a fantastic base to see the area. But there was just so much to do on site, and we liked its tree-lined walks and chilled-out atmosphere so much, we chose our outings carefully.

It’s a huge site housing hundreds of mobile homes built around a massive lagoon pool and mini-waterpark. The pool area is, ingeniously made of safe spongy material so excited water babies can’t cut themselves. And there’s another large pool for those who just want to swim or join in aqua-aerobics.

The site has so many amenities mini-golf, table tennis, bar, restaurant, takeaway, gelataria (yum!), laundrette, kids’ club, playground, cinema, supermarket and gift shop that you could happily stay on site on your sunlounger and watch the world go by for a fortnight.

Our kids lived for the pools, the exciting days on the lake and their new friends from all around Europe. Our air conditioned, three-bedroom mobile home was great. (There are dozens of tour operators on site but Al Fresco’s homes were definitely the best. And, incidentally, the days of tables turning in to beds appear to be long gone!).

The site is spotlessly clean and the staff work incredibly hard to run the full activities programme sports tournaments, live music, mini disco and kids show. Our favourite was the evening foam party!

The teenagers enjoyed the freedom of Altomincio and being able to pop back and forward from centre to home, as they pleased. The little one played in the glorious sunshine at pavement drawing, bowls and make-believe with the girl next door. All the children collapsed, exhausted and happy, into bed every night.

Meanwhile the grown-ups enjoyed peaceful evenings pottering, cooking barbecues, playing cards, reading, listening to music and people-watching from the caravan’s deck. Lake Garda is crying out to be explored and we tried to mix kids’ stuff with a little culture and sightseeing. It really worked.

Gardaland is Italy’s biggest theme park and just six miles from Altomincio. Much like Alton Towers, there’s lots of walking involved but it’s worth it. It’s a kind of scaled down Disneyland and has something for all ages.

We braved the white-knuckle coasters, got soaked on the flumes, enjoyed the more gentle rides and saw the musical Madagascar Live (we loved it even though it was in Italian!). The day cost around £120 for our group but it was worth every penny.

Our adventures around the lake also took us to the ancient fortified town of Sirmione, as well as Bardolino, Desenzano and Garda, where we paid £10 each to gain access to a private beach just heavenly!

We day-tripped to Verona, another must-see destination. There’s the scale and drama of the arena, an ancient Roman amphitheatre now used as an opera and concert venue, as well as the fascinating architecture, designer shops and beautiful eateries (we paid around £60 for a delicious lunch for five). This beautiful city really ticks all the boxes.

We were, however, very aware of how much of the lake and surrounding area we have yet to see. I have a very strong feeling we’ll be back exploring soon.

It may have taken 30 odd years to find the place to equal the caravan adventures and beauty of the village they call Boat, but Lake Garda was definitely worth the wait. Pop would certainly have approved.