Lake Como, Italy
Of all the places we have traveled to, Lake Como (or Lago di Como) could well be our favorite. So much so, that we have planned a number of our travel itineraries around spending a few days there to unwind on our way to somewhere else. It really is hard to beat the combination of its stunning natural beauty, quaint hillside vlllages, opulent villas, and Italian hospitality.
About Lake Como
Thanks to celebrities like George Clooney, the Lake area has become one of the most visited places in Italy. Perhaps because of this, the area is extremely well provisioned to cater for the many people it will host and is also very well maintained. That said, the vastness of the lake and surrounding mountains overcomes any sense of being crowded and it continues to maintain its old world charm with a labyrinth of fairytale villages, church steeples, and narrow cobbled streets.
The Italian and Swiss Alps provide a stunning backdrop for this beautiful, inverted-Y shaped glacial lake, which is situated about an hour north of Milan. Lake Como is the 5th deepest lake in Europe – with the top four all being located in Norway – and it has over 100 miles of shoreline! If you count all the towns around the shore on a map you’ll find over 60 of them, so, for first time visitors, the decision of where to stay can be somewhat overwhelming!
Where to Stay
The most accessible towns on the lake, considering ferry schedules, would be:
South end of the lake: (about 1 hour by car from Milan Malpensa (MXP) airport)
Como (the largest town)
Cernobbio
Lecco
Center of the lake (about 1 hour and 30 minutes by car from MXP)
Bellagio (our personal favorite – read Bellagio blog to find out more!)
Varenna
Menaggio
Tremezzo
Cadenabbia
Lenno
Argegno
Once you have chosen your town, you will need to decide whether you want to be in the village or on the hillside overlooking the village. There are many places with views but you will then need to be prepared to travel down into the town. We decided to stay in town and just visit the hilltops and views during our daily outings.
Airbnb has many options but my favorite accommodation site for Lake Como has been Booking.com. I especially like it when I can filter by “free cancellation” and “no prepayment” and then book 2 or 3 different options for the same dates at least 6 months in advance. Then I make my final decision at a month or two out (be sure to set yourself a reminder for when the free cancellation date ends on a property!) and cancel the others. It means I get the best prices that far out, but have time to research it a bit more before I make my final decision!
Top 10 Things to See & Do
There are so many things to see and do around Lake Como that I will not even attempt to list them all. Some of them are obvious, while others are a little more off the beaten track, but here are ten of our favorite experiences…
While there are regular taxi boats you can ride in, taking a Venetian water taxi (a.k.a. limousine boat) is high on my list of must-do’s! While it is a luxury activity, it is most certainly one that you won’t regret! There are Venetian water taxis available in various places on the lake, including Bellagio (www.barindellitaxiboats.it) and Varenna (www.varennataxiboat.com).
We chose to ride with Giacomo (www.boat-tour.it) and his beautiful Venetian water taxi “Alba”, departing from the town of Como. We did a lovely two hour private tour where Giacomo showed us many of the beautiful villas on the lake between Como and Bellagio (including George Clooney’s and Richard Branson’s). He also took us under the enchanting little bridge in the town of Nesso to see the waterfall, which was magic! Giacomo was a fantastic host and tour guide, and even provided us with a bottle of champagne to enjoy while onboard, which made it even more special.
2. Ride the Como tram (funicular) up the mountain to Brunate for dinner with a view
This was actually the recommendation of Giacomo, our water taxi tour guide, and he even called the restaurant in Brunate to book us in for a sunset dinner last minute! So we went directly to the tram, which is right on the Como waterfront near the docks, from the taxi boat. (https://www.atm.it/en/AltriServizi/Trasporto/Pages/FunicolareComoBrunate.aspx)
The tram ride is quite thrilling as it goes up the side of a very steep mountain and the views of Como and the lake grow more and more spectacular as you go. At the top you will find a very small village called Brunate, and if you walk up the hill a little you will find some boutique hotels and restaurants with the most incredible views over the mountains. If you go for dinner you can literally watch the sunset over Switzerland while you dine! We went to the Bellavista and sat on the Terrace for dinner (https://www.bellavistabrunate.com/it/giardino/). We were so glad we took Giacomo’s advice!
3. Rent a power boat and create your own adventure on the lake
Many of the towns on the lake have boat rentals available. We rented ours from Bellagio Rent a Boat (www.bellagiorentaboat.com) which is a short walk along the promenade from the village. They did not require boat licenses and the boats had plenty of power to get us around. You can take up to 6 people with you to see some of the gorgeous villas from the water and then, if you go around the other side of Bellagio towards Limonta, you will most likely find some beautifully calm water in the middle of the lake (with very few other boats) where you can “park” the boat and go swimming.
4. Take the cable car from Argegno up to Pigra
Argegno is a lovely town that lies about half way down the southwestern branch of the lake. 650 meters above it, perched atop the mountain, is the commune of Pigra and, if you are not afraid of heights, you should definitely ride the cable car from Argegno to Pigra for the spectacular views as well as the thrill of the ride! (www.aapigra.it/aap/funivia) There are a few restaurants at the top and several hikes of varying distances that you can do (from 20 minutes to several hours). We took a short hike and picnicked before taking in the views again on the return journey down the mountain… and loved every second of it!
5. Visit Villa del Balbianello (the most famous Villa on the lake!)
Villa del Balbianello sits on the edge of a wooded peninsula in Tremezzina near Lenno. The Villa was built in 1787 for a powerful cardinal and has had some notable and interesting owners, with the most recent being a famous Italian explorer, Guido Monzino, who led an expedition to Mt Everest in the 70s. The villa is now more famous for appearing in a few movies, including Casino Royale and Star Wars Episode II, but it’s really the enchanting terraced gardens with splendid views across the lake that make it worth the visit.
You can get there by taxi boat from Lenno or you can make the 1km walk from the parking area located at Via degli Artigiani 9, Lenno. If you are driving I recommend getting there early as there is very little parking available. (Also note that they are closed on Mondays & Wednesdays – www.fondoambiente.it/villa-del-balbianello-eng.) Once you arrive at the Villa there is a fee to enter, with an additional fee to go inside the villa on a guided tour. We spent a couple of hours just wandering around the elaborate gardens, admiring the beautifully pruned trees, majestic oaks, grassy terraces and ornate buildings… and we savored every second! It was definitely worth the visit!
6. Rent a Vespa and ride up into the hills
For those who are feeling a little more adventurous, Bellagio has a Vespa/scooter rental agency (www.barindellitaxi.it/services/rent-car-scooter). You can rent one by the hour, half day or full day. We chose to both ride on the one scooter and rode up the SP41 road into the mountains just behind Bellagio where we found some spectacular views at Bellavista Park in Civenna! We also rode along the SP583 on the waterfront towards Onno and found some lovely quiet beaches to picnic on.
7. Hike from Varenna up to Castello di Vezio (or take a taxi up there if you’re not into hiking!)
Vezio Castle (www.castellodivezio.it) sits high on the ridge above the town of Varenna. It has been there for some 1000 years and was built as a strategic military settlement by the medieval Queen Teodolinda of Lombardy. The location was clearly chosen because of its strategic location in the center of the lake with a panoramic view. Given that we love good views and places with a lot of history, we decided we needed to visit! We chose the “peasants” way to get there (in 98 degree heat!), which was a hike directly uphill from the ferry dock (the path starts just behind the restaurants at the dock). Be prepared for some serious leg work if you take this route, although it only took about 25 mins. Alternatively you can go to the cemetery behind Villa Monastero and take a 30 minute walk up the Sentiero del Viandante. Or if you’re not into hiking, I found out later that you can actually take a taxi from the ferry dock!
The castle itself had a watchtower, drawbridge and walls around it, which we were able to walk around. In the grounds around the castle, besides the usual refreshment cafe and souvenir shop, there were a few interesting and unusual things… 1) a number of birds of prey that were part of the falconry show, 2) a Lariosaurus (prehistoric marine reptile) exhibition and, 3) “Ghost” statues in the garden! For us, the hike was definitely worth it… but I have to admit that we called a taxi to get back down the hill!
8. Take a day trip to Lugano, Switzerland
If you have a car, or you rent one for the day from a local rental agency (e.g. Barindelli’s in Bellagio), you can easily take a day trip over to Switzerland. Lugano is only just over an hour away from Bellagio (via Menaggio) and Lake Lugano is another masterpiece of nature. (In truth, while it is Switzerland, it didn’t feel all that Swiss because they speak Italian!) We chose to take the Cassarate/tram (www.montebre.ch/eng) from downtown Lugano, up the side of Mount Bre and then ate at the restaurant at the top with some glorious views before visiting the town which has some iconic locations such as the historic Grand Cafe al Porto (a secret meeting place in WWII).
We took a different route home, crossing over the south end of the lake at Melide and stopped at a fantastic outlet mall (with lots of designer brands!) in Mendrisio called FoxTown Factory Stores. Definitely worth the stop!
9. Ride the hydrofoil ferry
The hydrofoil is an experience just because of the way it comes up out of the water once it is planing. But the ferry also provides a quick means of transport around the lake, and it goes to most towns between Como and Colico, except for those on the southeastern branch. You can find the ferry schedule at https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/ and if you don’t want to stop at every single town on the way to your destination, I definitely recommend clicking the “Include Quick Service” checkbox before searching!
10. Dine at La Terrazza restaurant in Hotel Belvedere, Bellagio
Hotel Belvedere is in a prime location on the top of the hill just outside of the village of Bellagio. It took us about 10 minutes to walk there from our apartment on Via Serbelloni and it was well worth it! The hotel restaurant, La Terrazza, (www.belvederebellagio.com/en/la-terrazza-restaurant) offers stunning views across the south-eastern arm of the lake, which is in the opposite direction to what you’ll see from the Bellagio village and waterfront.
That said, despite our love of a good view, it really wasn’t the view that made us go back there a second time only two days later!… It was the food! Honestly one of the most memorable meals ever. The seafood was some of the best I have ever had, and I’ve been a lot of places that are known for good seafood! I highly recommend the calamari/octopus, Branzino and Lavarello. So, while I don’t often gush about restaurants, the combination of their 5-star service, stunning vistas and incredible seafood (I have never had calamari that tender!), made it a definite top 10 experience for us!
So there you have our top 10 experiences while staying in the Lake Como area. I hope you love it as much as we do! For more detail on Bellagio (our favorite place to stay), visit my Bellagio blog post.