First things first: the Italian Lakes are beautiful. Balmy weather in what should be a region of Alpine chill nurtures palms, olives, lemons and a profusion of sublime villa gardens. Old fishing villages cling to the shores, the views are some of Italy’s loveliest, and gentle hills and rugged mountains tumble to the water to provide the most perfect of backdrops.

And yet. The lakes’ beautiful medley has seduced visitors for centuries. Today, the problem, as so often, is the sheer number of those visitors. From late March to September, many of the villages, roads, resorts and ferries on the big three lakes – Como, Maggiore and Garda – are thronged.