Dreamy Lake Como — NspireTravel

Note: This was written before the global pandemic. We are currently sheltering in place and not traveling anywhere. For those like me with wanderlust who are going crazy with being stuck in one spot, it is fun to think about the future when we will be able to travel again. I hope this post will give people some inspiration!

For stunning vistas of blue water with tall mountains as a backdrop, lake edges dotted with handsome villas, and towns with terracotta roofed buildings, Lake Como in northern Italy is the place to go. It’s extremely picturesque and an extraordinary place to spend time in. A place to slow down and catch your breath, especially after arriving from the hustle and bustle of a large city like Milan or if you’ve been on the road for a while.

Two Days in Bellagio

We spent two days in Bellagio, a small town at the tip of a peninsula that juts out onto Lake Como. Bellagio is a beautiful scenic town on the lake and because of the steep slopes that the town was built on you could see the lake from many places.

The apartment we stayed at was right across the street from the lake, so the views from the windows were spectacular. The water in this deep lake is a special blue and reflects back the mountains so that it makes you feel like you’re in a dream, floating in the sky. I could’ve sat there all day staring at the scenery.

Depending on what time of year you go, during the high season in the summer, it can be packed with day tourists. Even on a day in autumn, there were lots of people milling around. Once evening arrives things quiet down as the day trippers are gone and you could start to enjoy the special atmosphere of the town.

In the evenings the locals are out for their passagiata (evening walk). It’s a nice time to be out and about as the sun is low on the horizon and the temperature is cooler.

Sunsets are spectacular at Lake Como, the lake reflects the colors making a dazzling display.

Dining in Bellagio

The food, like elsewhere in Italy, was heavenly. We enjoyed a platter of charcuterie and bruschetta at one wine bar, Angolo DiVino. At another wine bar Apertivo et Al, we had the local dishes of pizzocheri valtellina and cassoeula along with local wines to go with them. The pizzocheri valtellina was an interesting combination of buckwheat pasta, cabbage, potatoes and cheese. It sounded strange and carb heavy but was delicious, the melty local white cheese brought everything together flavor-wise and texture-wise. The cassoeula is a meat stew with sausage, ribs, pork skin, and some vegetables that my husband enjoyed eating. One lunch at Trattoria San Giacomo, we had a cold dish with the local perch from the lake.

Visiting the Gardens of Villa Melzi

An activity to do during the day is to visit a villa while you’re in the area. There are several that are open to the public. An easy one to get to from Bellagio is the Villa Melzi. If you walk south (about 1.5 km/1 mile) along the western side of Lake Como, you will come to the villa that is known for its gardens, the Villa Melzi. The villa itself isn’t open to guests, but the expansive garden was a fun place to meander around. There is a pretty white folly next to the lake that reflects the sunlight creating a stunning contrast with the blue lake. There are grottos where you can hide and enjoy the coolness of the air, and even a grove of bamboo.

There are other villas that you can visit via ferry, such as the Villa Carlotta which is across the lake from Bellagio.

View of Lake Como from the Villa Melzi Garden

Boating Around Lake Como

Another activity to do is to go out on the lake. Just riding the ferry isn’t enough. Renting a boat is the best, but if you’re unsure about handling the boat, you can book a boat tour around the lake (from a different company, there are several that offer a tour). The views from the lake are fantastic and gives you a different perspective of the lake.

We rented a small motor boat from Rent by Boat. As we motored around the lake we went by some grand villas — some of them famous for having been a film location for movies like James Bond films or for being owned by a celebrity, such as George Clooney or Richard Branson. There are picturesque small towns along the lake that climb up the side of the mountains. There wasn’t much traffic on the lake while we were there, so it was easy to steer around to wherever we wanted to go. At lunch time, we pulled over to a sheltered place to stop and eat a picnic — sandwiches from the deli. Before we left we had ask the boat rental man about anchoring and he said there is no anchoring on this lake since it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe at 400 meters/1300 feet. So during our picnic we just drifted!

At the Tip of the Peninsula is this Harbor, Punta Spartivento, Where We Rented One of These Small Boats

A Map to Guide Us Around the Lake While Boating

Practical matters

From Milan, if you’re traveling without a car, there are several ways to get to Bellagio by bus or train. The quickest is to take a train, but you can’t take a train straight to Bellagio. The closest you can get is either the city of Como or Varenna then hop on a ferry to Bellagio. You could also take a bus from Como, but this would take longer and is not as fun as riding a ferry on the lake.

We opted to take a train — an hour ride from Milan — to Varenna, a town on the east side of the lake then boarded the ferry to Bellagio.

For lodgings, there are several hotels or rentals. We stayed in a cute apartment we found on Airbnb that had two balconies, one from the bedroom and one from the living room, in which we enjoyed the view of the lake from.

Lake Como is a large lake with many small towns, you can easily spend many days traveling from town to town around the perimeter of the lake. With the stunning views of blue water and mountains it would be a place to visit again and again.

Note: There are no ads in this post. I was not paid by any business mentioned or linked here.