For centuries, Lake Como has inspired poets, authors, and composers. The deep arctic lake with its Alpine backdrop has cast a spell on Da Vinci, Toscanini, Edith Wharton and and Mark Twain, Churchill and King Farouk. Now, locally-beloved resident George Clooney calls Laglio home, and he provides a firmament of new celebrities. ‘Million dollar views’ is an understatement. Lakeside villas are said to be valued at up to one hundred million dollars.
Lake Como’s temperate climate allows pines and palms to co-exist. Forget clever off-season strategies. Many places, even large hotels, are closed November through March. If you love gardens, go in April or May when the rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias bloom. Roses, oleanders, and hydrangeas follow in June.
Town-hopping is the main activity of Lake Como, by ferry, hydrofoil, or private yacht. Only thrill-seekers or the naïve attempt to drive the narrow cliffside roads. Watch your timing. This is not a small lake. The ferry from Como to Bellagio takes four hours round-trip. Even by hydrofoil it takes 45 minutes each way. Bellagio to Varenna is a twenty-minute ride, and boats do not run constantly, so pay attention to the schedule as well. Even with a decent capacity for speaking and understanding Italian, it can be tricky to understand which boats go where, and when.
Here is a review of the highlights of Lake Como:
BELLAGIO
Old World elegance is evident in Bellagio’s arcaded lakeside piazza where you can stroll, enjoy the scenery and shop at the same time. If you aren’t able to stay at the glorious Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, dine at its glass-enclosed formal restaurant that seems to sit out on the lake. For what some say is the best cappuccino in Italy, find Pasticceria Sport on Piazza della Chiesa. Bar Café Rossi, in the arcade directly in front of the ferry dock, has good breakfast and lunch items. This may be one place you’ll want to sit indoors, to enjoy the incredible detail of the Art Nouveau dining room. Bellagio residents say it’s a shame that tourists don’t usually take the 15-minute drive to Chevrio to dine at Trattoria Baita Belvedere, a great restaurant with greater view. To enjoy other spectacular views with gardens, tour Villa Serbelloni, owned by the Rockefeller Foundation; and Villa Melzi, a magnificent private residence with a chapel, museum and park. If you miss your regular workouts, the Cavalcalario Club is a good source for all things active: horseback riding, paragliding, and a sport called canyoning that involves walking, jumping, swimming, and climbing, thankfully with trained guides.
CERNOBBIO
Many come to Cernobbio to see or stay at its claim to fame: the legendary Grand Hotel Villa d’Este, built in 1568. Its ten acres of meticulously maintained gardens are only rivaled by the antique furnishings Napoleon might have brushed by. At Villa d’Este, many people overlook the Sporting Club; they think it ends with the fitness center and spa, but if you love tennis, visit the tennis center and take a lesson from Giorgio, a wonderful instructor who has run the tennis center for many decades. Behind the courts is a great hiking trail. You slowly climb up the steep mountainside and take in absorbing views all along the way.
Just outside the gates of Villa d’Este, join the locals for breakfast at Polletti, where they start baking each day at 4 a.m. The smells waft through the air until the morning rush that starts around 9:30. For lunch or take-out for a picnic, regulars recommend nearby La Piazzetta. For good family style dinners, go to La Posta, in Moltrasio, a bit north along the shore. Signor Armando and Signora Rosella are multilingual, wonderful hosts and the food is truly home-made. If pizza is your thing, the best pies in northern Italy are said to come out of the oven at Pizzeria Tennis Club Tre Vigne, a small tennis club in Tavernola, and inland town between Cernobbio and Como.
COMO
The largest city on the lake, at its southern point and less than an hour from Milan, Como is the main entrance for many travelers who arrive by train, bus, and car. Characterized as commercial and industrial, it was scrubbed clean for its recent 700th birthday. Como’s must-see church is the cathedral in Piazza del Duomo, with its rose window, ornate doors, and statues of two native sons, Pliny the Elder and his nephew Pliny the Younger. The Duomo is cited as the best example of transitional architecture, began in the 14th century and finished in the 17th, a Gothic façade with an18th-century dome. If you keep hearing about hiking up the mountains but don’t have the heart, or feet, for it, take a ride on the Brunate Funicular Railway from Como. From the main square, Piazza Cavour, you can see villas, a funicular, a neoclassical rotunda, and Cernobbio. A walk along the water under shade trees leads to the public gardens at Villa Olmo.
All the guide books list Il Gatto Nero as Lake Como’s great restaurant for celebrity-spotting, and it can be, but a truly special dining experience is Como’s Il Navedano. It is run by a couple that pays as much attention to the food as they do to the floral decorations. You’ll think you’re dining in a botanical garden.
MENAGGIO
There’s a great beach at the north end of town, and one of Italy’s best-known golf courses, the Menaggio and Cadenebbia Golf Club, has one of the best stocked golf libraries in the world.
TREMEZZO
The sunniest spot on the Lake is the town of Tremezzo, where the views are a draw, but it is best known for Villa Carlotta, built in the 18th century. Inside, there are beautiful ceiling frescoes and an impressive art collection; however, it’s the gardens that draw the crowds. More than 500 species of flowers, plants and trees from around the globe thrive here.
ISOLA COMACINA
A nice day trip from Como or Bellagio is to Isola Comacina, the only island on the lake. You can hike to build up an appetite to dine at its one restaurant. The menu, a set menu, has been the same for almost 50 years. At the end of the meal, you get a history lesson from the owner, who rings a cowbell to get everyone’s attention.The entire lake and all its towns have their beauty, so wherever you end up, take a walk, sip some vino, and enjoy the view.
What’s included:
For the savvy traveler there’s also La Limonaia (a private guesthouse) and The Boat House, set along Lake Garda’s shores, with a full kitchen, dining area, living room with fireplace & outdoor patio.
Set in the tranquil beauty of Italy’s Lake Como, screened by topiary and lush red geraniums, the Villa Oleandra nestles in paradise. The setting is so perfect that when Brad Pitt first saw it on a visit to Italy, he immediately thought of his close friend George Clooney, and urged him to take a look at it.
