Spent a week here with a group of friends, not only was the lake stunning but the people were friendly and the food was cheap and high quality. Completely out of the tourist loop, it's a gorgeous place if you are wanting a quieter time than Orta San Guilio
San Giulio gets crowded with bus trips. They don't go to Pella and its setting is equally - possibly more picturesque than San Giulio. Buy a day rover ticket on the larger boat and stop off at the island and Pella
Short boat ride across the lake from Orta. Nice promenade, with a lovely gelateria/ cafe on the front.Pella is a sleepy little place, almost untouched by tourists.
Small town right in front of Orta. From there you can also view the Island of San Guilio but doen's look as good vs. Orta. The town itself has nothing special but had an excellent pizza at the small port. Just a nice sightseeing tour if you want to get out of Orta for a few hours. Apparenly during July-August there islive music playing at the port
Quite a built up town at the end of the lake. Pouring with rain on our visit so did not see it at its best. Took the boat there from Orta.
Quite a quick visit so we only had time for a coffee and wandered around. Its all such a very beautiful area, quiet and unspoilt and so charming - even the boat trip was just gorgeous.Would have loved to stay a little longer to soak up the calm and tranquil atmosphere.
At the opposite side of the lake from Orta, with regular ferries to/from. Had a short stroll around this sleepy village and an expresso in the cafe beside the church. Nice that not commercialised.
Peaceful, car-free for most of the day, plenty of parking nearby.Best pizza I have ever had at La Piazatta (near where the ferry docks with a lovely 'esplanade' and views of Isola San Guilio).
Pella is a small village with an attractive waterfront lined with trees overlooking Lake Orta and Isola San Guilio. There are few tourists and it is very pleasant to have a coffee and watch the locals go about their day. There are pleasant walks from Pella to other villages in the area.
We took the public ferry boat from Orta San Giullo to Pella. It stops at the little islands for the return trip. Return fare is a bargain 4.40 euro per adult. As you approach the piers in Orta San Giullo you will likely be approached by a smartly dressed water taxi man offering you their little cruise boat. He quoted 30 euro for the three of us to Pella and back compared to 13.20 euro on the big boat, so we politely declined his offer.But, if you have a bigger party and do a little negotiation, don't dismiss the water taxi out of hand. The boats are lovely, they're more frequent and it could be about the same cost for a bigger group. He was a nice man but the deal wasn't right for us.Pella is small and very, very quiet. A million miles from the tourist pathway. Take a book and prepare to while away some time either at the restaurant or on a seat on the promenade looking across the lake to Orta.There seem to be only three places to eat. The first is immediately on your right as you get off the ferry. It's a smart little place in a modern style. The menu is fine but no pizza, that's available from a more rustic place along the shoreline. But there were pasta dishes and other nice choices on their menu. So we ate at the Ristorante Imbarcadero, at the first place and it was great. The service was efficient, very polite and one waiter spoke English. The price was what we expected - not cheap but good value for the overall package. Some professional locals choose to eat there too at lunchtime and there was a good buzz and superb views.We stayed there for a couple of hours as the 11:55am ferry means that the next return isn't until after 15:00hrs. There was no rush and the staff never indicated that anyone should move on, that's Pella! We went for a little walk. Everywhere else is closed as is Italy on a sunny afternoon. Then we took a seat under a little tree shade on the waterfront and enjoyed the views, peace and read books.The return boat was lovely and we enjoyed a sleepy, lazy day all round.If you like action and adventure then Pella is not for you. If you like decent food, good service, superb views, a boat ride on the lake and value for money then try it.Arianne