First time I saw Lake Como was in the movie Ocean’s Twelve. Stunning, captivating, spectacular, fascinating, and the list can go on. I was completely smitten by the opulence and grandeur of the lakeside villas, surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and mountains. Sure enough, it was added to my bucket list!
Lake Como is a part of the northern Italian Lakes District. The huge lake spans more than 100 square kilometre and is dotted with several beautiful hamlets. If you are planning a trip to Como, look over the map. Don’t just book your hotel in Como town.
We arrived in Como from Lugano, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. We had hired a taxi to Menaggio for Euro 90. One hour of beautiful ride was mostly by the Lake Lugano and we reached Menaggio ferry terminal even before we realized. With a ten minute ferry ride we reached Bellagio, a dream destination and our home for next five days.
In my opinion, spending a little extra money on private transport can save you tremendous time, specially if you are on a short holiday (or don’t want to wheel around your luggage). And it comes bundled with super comfort.
Bellagio … the pearl of the Lake Como
We had booked a lakefront hotel on the promenade. Just a few steps from the ferry and we were in our room with a balcony almost at the edge of the lake. Voila … what a spectacular view! The lake, the mountains and the expanse, worth every penny paid for that room. At a little distance we could also see the towns of Mennagio and Tremezza. We could have sat there endlessly admiring the beautiful vista from our little balcony but there was much more to enjoy in Bellagio.
We went for a walk on the waterfront. The promenade was beckoning with beautifully manicured gardens and abundance of flowers on the sidewalks. Cobbled path leading to the lake, people sitting on the steps/swimming in the lake, local musicians grooving to their beat … it looked incredibly romantic!
If you have seen pictures of Lake Como with a staircase, then it has to be Salita Serbelloni. One of the most popular and photographed passageways lined with boutiques, restaurants, shops and everything touristy allures everyone. Wander through the narrow lanes offering riveting views of the town and lake. No matter what, this staircase is sure to find a place in your photo collection. Make sure you wear a pair of comfortable shoes as you will certainly go up and down a few times.
Bellagio is the only town on Lake Como that is surrounded by water on two sides. It’s a small town with a few hotels and is relatively more expensive. Due to its popularity, tourists from other towns arrive here throughout the day. So it gets pretty crowded during the day time. It’s common to sight a celebrity here as many of them own their villas in the vicinity. Just sit around enjoying a glass of wine and look at chic crowd and expensive cars. Though the best time to enjoy Bellagio is late evenings when the day tourists have left. Some cafes have live band and people are not afraid to dance on the streets while holding up the occasional traffic. We enjoyed our evenings savouring Italian food and amazing wines in the lakeside cafes.
Lake Como is even more beautiful when seen from the water. Most towns have boat rental service where you can hire a boat by the hour. We hired a small boat for half a day. After a brief set of instructions, we were the proud Skipper of our own boat. We grabbed some beers and sandwiches and set out for the best part of our holiday. Needless to say, the camera and sunscreen are the must-have accessories. Once you set sailing, it’s impossible not to fall in love with the stunning shoreline, quaint villages and beautiful expansive villas.
Advantages of your own boat .. move at our own pace, stop wherever you like, swim in the lake, laze around, enjoy your beer and click some of the best pictures of your trip. How could we not stop in front of Villa del Balbianello for a photo shoot. After all, it’s one of the most instagrammed site. Made famous by Hollywood, this villa has featured in films like Casino Royale and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
Another beautiful Villa la Cassinella, right next is available for mere Euro 130,000 per week rental. Anyone interested?
Bellagio, Mennagio and Varenna are three beautiful towns and must be seen. With a convenient 10-15 minutes ferry ride its easily possible.
Varenna … straight out of a postcard
Pastel coloured houses on mountain slopes make Varenna the most stunning backdrop for a picture. It’s narrow alleys, steep stairs and stone buildings are intriguing. Varenna is laid back and relaxed. It’s a much smaller and quieter town with just a few cafes. Unlike Bellagio, Varenna is connected via train as well. Since it was just ten minutes by ferry, we visited it twice, once in the day time and then for a dinner in the evening.
Menaggio
This beautiful town shares its border with Switzerland. We went to Menaggio for an evening. It has a lovely lakeside promenade and a lively Piazza Garibaldi, a fantastic place to enjoy a coffee or a drink while enjoying an awe-anspiring view of the lake. There is a church at the end of the piazza and upper part of the town has a medieval look. Menaggio is connected with Bellagio and Varenna thru ferry and with Tremezza and Leno via road.
Como Town
You can’t go to Lake Como and not visit Como town. We took a fast ferry from Bellagio and reached Como in an hour. Since you can’t visit every town on the lake, this is a good orientation. The scenery is beautiful all the way. Como town gives a city feeling with lively squares, nice cafes and lot of shopping in the charming lanes. It also has a marina and a little hydroplane airport for those who want to splurge. Large number of the tourists make Como town as the base as it’s conveniently connected to other cities.
On our way back from Como, we stopped at Tremezza, just across the lake from Bellagio. Villa Carlotta is open to public, for a charge albeit. Villa del Balbianello, in the village of Leno, is also pretty close.
At the end of the day, we were happy to be back in Bellagio. Bellagio wins hands down. No wonder it’s called the crown jewel of Lake Como.
On way to Milan
At the end of our fabulous holiday, we took a taxi to Milan for Euro 120. In one hour we were in our hotel in Duomo area. If we had opted for public transport, it would have meant a bus or ferry from Bellagio to Como town, then a train from Como to Milan, and then a metro from Milan to hotel, spending at least five hours.
We spent our day around Duomo di Milano. The impressive structure is worth admiring. The Galleria has impressive Labels for shopping as Milan is the fashion capital of the world!
Just for fun!