Dolce vita by the lago di Lugano (Porlezza)
Have you ever been in Lugano or in the nearby region on the Italian side of the eponymous lake? Well if you need a real rest from any kind of stress or tiredness I can only recommend a stay there. We spent 3 nights at the Parco San Marco Hotel & Beach Resort. It is the perfect heaven for families with kids but also for couples or singles. It is a fairly large complex with several buildings for the rooms, several pools (including a quiet one for adults only, one for kids with waterslides and one indoors with jacuzzi, sauna & steam bath), a massage center, a small gym, several restaurants. It has a direct access to the lake with a beach and a bar. The landscape is beautiful, you can see the lake from everywhere and withe the sugar loaf shapes green mountains and the palm trees it feels a little as if you are in Asia.
Our room was spacious, nicely furnished and had a terrace with a stunning lake view. We stayed the whole 3 days in the resort because I could not move much with my broken leg, just starting to recover. The resort has loads of stairs which was perfect for my rehab training. I was wondering if my 16 years old daughter would get bored but it did not happen at all, she loved it! The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed staying by the lake or the adult pool, eating at the lovely restaurants, we treated ourselves with a wonderful massage and went for the hot pool, jacuzzi and steam bath in the evening. The food was delicious, breakfast is a dream with an exceptional large choice (including fresh cherries and apricots) and for lunch and dinner there is a choice of several places from very good to a gastronomic restaurant. The pasta used in all restaurants (& it can be bought at the hotel) is made of ancient grains grown in Sicily with consideration for the biodiversity of the region and it contains more healthy nutrients such as proteins and destructured gluten with up to 70% less gluten than the ordinary industrial pasta.
What is really exceptional about this place is the dedication and friendliness of the staff. I must say that I have travelled to many places in the world and stayed at many hotels but this one is very special. Everyone be it at the reception, restaurants or spa was talkative and genuinely keen to making our stay as lovely as possible. They all helped with my leg, the man welcoming us at the main restaurant knew exactly where we had reserved our table for the next meal, he grouped families and gave more quiet tables to couples or families with teenagers, I heard him wishing happy birthday to a lady who had just arrived for breakfast, etc…. There was also a lady organising some excursion, in particular there is a possibility to go to the Porlezza market with boat which must be really cool to do.
We took the bus back to Lugano station and enjoyed a nice last meal there with another stunning view on the lake!
Eventually we loved the place so much that we decided that we will make this a yearly event each May! Next time I should be able to drive and we will enjoy a bit of sightseeing and local markets visit.
