Grotte di Catullo and the thermal baths

The peppery scent of olive trees trails you along the path as turquoise water laps the ancient slabs. At the Grotte di Catullo, a vast 1st‑century Roman villa at Sirmione’s tip, you can still read the layout of cryptoporticoes and cisterns. From the terraces the view reaches Rocca di Manerba and, on clear days, Monte Baldo. Travertine blocks show medieval reuse; a small antiquarium displays stuccoes and oil lamps unearthed during the 1939–49 excavations.

Then the spa. Aquaria sits 1.1 km from the ruins, a five‑minute drive. Collected from your hotel in Sirmione or Desenzano, you travel in a Mercedes with the vehicle at your disposal; while the driver handles the road, you tour, grab an espresso on Piazza Carducci, and soak without clock‑watching. In Sirmione, your private chauffeur times lower‑crowd entries, secures a reserved slot, waits at pickup, and, if the lakeside backs up, returns via the scenic SP572.