Team Building on Lake Maggiore: Canoeing Around the Borromean Islands

Team Building on Lake Maggiore: An October Day Among the Borromean Islands

In early October, we returned to Lake Maggiore for one of our Canadian canoe team-building experiences. Our destination was the Borromean Islands, with a programme built around paddling, group challenges and discovering the area from a different perspective.

The weather wasn't exactly what you would order for a day on the lake, but Lake Maggiore had a surprise in store for us. Despite being in one of its best-known and most popular areas, we found very little boat traffic and an unusual sense of peace. No crowds, very little noise, just the water, the islands and plenty of space to enjoy the day at our own pace.

You don't always need perfect sunshine to enjoy a place. When conditions are suitable and it's safe to go out on the water, an October day can offer something special. This time, the lake gave us a different view of a destination many people associate mainly with summer visits and ferry trips.

Canadian Canoeing Around the Borromean Islands: A Different Way to Explore

There are many ways to visit the Borromean Islands. We chose the one we enjoy most: paddling there ourselves. A Canadian canoe lets us move between the islands, admire the landscape from the water and enjoy the journey without relying on ferry timetables.

We paddled around Isola Bella, Fishermen’s Island and the rocky outcrop of Scoglio Malghera, surrounded by a landscape that changes with every turn. That's the freedom of canoeing: the journey itself becomes part of the experience. You're not simply heading towards a destination; you're moving through the landscape and sharing it with your crew.

This is also one of the reasons we love organising team building on Lake Maggiore. The beauty of the location isn't just a backdrop for the activity. It becomes part of the experience itself.

Pollo, the Canoe Crews and Nagisa: Keeping the Flock Together

When several canoes are out on the water, Pollo has his work cut out. Every crew has its own rhythm, its own way of communicating and its own idea of which direction to take. Some set off confidently, some prefer to observe first, and others are still working out how to get their canoe going in a straight line.

And then there's Nagisa, our dog, who joins our experiences and helps Pollo manage his flock: the different crews taking part in the team-building activities. She's part of the team too, and a familiar presence on our outings.

The flock comparison comes naturally. Putting several people in the same canoe doesn't automatically make them a team. With multiple canoes, things become even more interesting. Everyone needs to find a shared rhythm, listen to one another and work out how to coordinate with the other crews.

Pollo's role is to guide the group throughout the experience. Nagisa, our four-legged assistant, completes the team. Meanwhile, the lake provides the perfect setting for behaviours, initiatives and group dynamics to emerge in ways that might go unnoticed during an ordinary working day.

Catch the Chicken: When Team Games Become a Strategic Challenge

Of course, a Pollo team-building day isn't just about paddling and admiring the scenery. This time, we also played Catch the Chicken, alongside other activities designed to get the team thinking strategically and working towards shared goals.

Catch the Chicken isn't a one-size-fits-all game. We have several variations and adapt them to the group, the setting and the objectives of the day. Pollo moves around on a stand-up paddleboard, while the canoe crews have to work out how to catch him. Success isn't necessarily about paddling faster than everyone else. It takes observation, planning and the ability to decide together what to do next.

The other activities follow the same principle. We start with individual crews learning to coordinate, then move towards challenges in which success depends on working with the wider group. The aim isn't simply to perform well individually, but to contribute to a shared result.

That's where communication, strategy, leadership and adaptability come into play. Sometimes a solution seems obvious but doesn't work. Sometimes the team needs to change its plan, listen to a different idea or set aside an individual preference to help achieve the collective goal. Games make these dynamics tangible because the group has to deal with them as the activity unfolds.

Corporate Team Building: More Than Just Doing Something Together

A company day out on the lake can simply be an opportunity to spend time together outside the office, get to know colleagues better and share a different experience. Team building has an additional purpose: using an activity to explore how people communicate, make decisions, distribute roles and respond to unexpected situations.

We choose and adapt activities according to the goals of each session. A background in psychology helps us pay attention to the dynamics that emerge and, when appropriate, guide the group in reflecting on what happened. The idea isn't to turn team building into therapy, but to use a real experience as an opportunity to observe how a group works.

In a canoe, these dynamics aren't abstract concepts. When a crew doesn't communicate, coordination becomes harder. When everyone follows their own strategy without considering the others, reaching a shared goal can become more difficult. When people listen, adapt and work together, they may discover solutions that nobody would have found alone.

Fishermen’s Island: From Paddling to Exploring on Foot

One of the stops during our day was Fishermen’s Island, known locally as Isola dei Pescatori. We stepped out of the canoes and continued on foot, changing pace and perspective. After spending time on the water, exploring the island offered another way to experience the Borromean Islands.

Fishermen’s Island is small, lively and full of character. Its narrow lanes, lakeside views, closely packed houses and little corners invite you to wander without rushing. Depending on the group's preferences and the day's programme, a guided walk can be arranged, or there can be time to explore independently.

Food can be part of the experience too. We can plan a restaurant lunch or keep things more informal with a pizza or an ice cream. Not every minute needs to be filled with organised activities. Time to talk, look around and enjoy being together has value in its own right.

Autumn Team Building on Lake Maggiore: Every Season Has Its Own Character

This early-October outing reminded us that Lake Maggiore isn't just a summer destination. When the weather and lake conditions allow, the quieter months can offer excellent opportunities to paddle and discover familiar places at a different pace.

Every season has its own character. That's why, when a group contacts us, we consider the time of year, where participants are travelling from, their wider plans and what they want from the day. We recommend the most suitable option for that particular moment, taking conditions and the group's needs into account.

From the Borromean Islands to Other Lakes: Tailor-Made Team Building

The Borromean Islands are a wonderful setting for team building, but they're not the only place where we organise these experiences. We work on lakes across Lombardy and Piedmont and, for specific projects, can travel further afield.

We don't simply offer the same activity to every group. The structure of the day, the variations of the games, the level of collaboration involved and the stops on land can all be adapted to the participants and the company's objectives.

Ultimately, it's not just about choosing a beautiful destination. It's about creating the conditions for people to step outside their usual routines, experience a different way of working together and discover how to reach a goal as a team. And when the lake is quiet, the Borromean Islands surround us and Nagisa helps Pollo keep the flock together, that's already a pretty good start.