Activities around Lake Como
Things to do:
Summer season is one of the most attractive period to discover the beauty of the lake and the area all around it. If you have the opportunity to stay in the region a couple of days extra there is plenty to explore. Below, you can find some suggestions to plan your stay along the lake:
BOTANICAL GARDENS AND PRIVATE VILLAS
Lake Como is famous all over the World for the unparalleled beauty and the charm of its botanical gardens and its unique villas. Here you a list of places that you can visit during your stay:
VILLA BALBIANELLO: (A must see for the Star Wars fans) https://fondoambiente.it/luoghi/villa-del-balbianello
VILLA CARLOTTA: https://www.villacarlotta.it/it/
VILLA MELZI: https://giardinidivillamelzi.it
VILLA MONASTERO: https://www.villamonastero.eu
BIG CITIES AND SMALL VILLAGES:
It’s really easy to visit Lake Como. The ferry service allows you to travel easily across the lake without a car. (Please note: Last ferrys leave around 10pm). At the website https://www.navigazionelaghi.it you can organize your daily trip along the lake, verifying the time table of the boats.
VARENNA & MENAGGIO
Along the lake you can find different villages that surely request a visit during your stay. If you are only staying a couple of days, we’d suggest to concentrateon visiting Varenna & Menaggio which are the most charming ones and only a 15 minutes ferry ride away from Bellagio port.
COMO
It’s the biggest city along the lake and it is from here the lake got its name, the town of Como will conquer you with its charm and its elegance. A tour along the historic centre and a visit at the Duomo are compulsory during your stay. And if you want to do shopping, this city can surely offer you the best of the made in Italy. Como is also the city of the silk, and its fabrics are renowned all over the World. Don’t lose the opportunity to discover them inside one of the boutique of the city.
LECCO
The second big city along the lake, Lecco is located on the other branch of the lake and it is famous as setting of the famous “The Betrothed“ Novel of Alessandro Manzoni. It is a friendly small city with a nice city centre. You can spend an afternoon along its streets, maybe enjoying an Aperitif in one of the bars along the main square.
NATURAL AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES
The lake Como is also famous for its natural beauty and its evocative panoramas, so you can have different options if you ‘d want to spend your time in a leisure or natural activity.
BOAT TOUR
In all the villages along the shores of the lake there are different companies that can offer you private tours by boat, as well as the possibility to rent your private boat, to live the experience to drive a boat on the lake.
SALA COMACINA ISLAND
In front of the village of Sala Comacina there is a small and beautiful island that it’s a lovely examples of nature and history heritage along the lake. At this web site you can find all the information to organize your visit there:
TRACKING ACTIVITIES
All along the lake there are different routes for all the tracking lovers and addicted. The most famous one is surely the Greenway of the lake Como ( https://greenwaylagodicomo.com/en/ ) that will accompany you at the discovery of all the most romantic villages, churches and gardens along the lake.
Instead, if you like the mountain tops and you would want to organize a daily trip on them, Valtellina valley can give you beautiful leisure experiences. One of the valleys that you surely discover here is the beautiful Val Masino, a unique natural jewel on the mountain tops over the lake ( https://www.valmasino.info )
RELAX
The lake Como can also give you the opportunity to take some days for yourselves, relaxing along its shores. Here you are a list of lidos where you can spend some hours in complete relax, drinking a cocktail at the sunset :-)
LIDO DI LENNO: https://lidodilenno.com
LIDO DI BELLAGIO: http://www.lidodibellagio.com
LIDO DI CERNOBBIO: http://www.lidodicernobbio.com
RESTAURANTS
We’d want to share with you a list of good restaurants, where eat during your stay at the lake
MISTRAL RESTAURANT - BELLAGIO ( MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANT ): https://www.villaserbelloni.com/en/mistral-restaurant.html
GUALTIERO MARCHESI RESTAURANT - TREMEZZO ( MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANT ): https://www.grandhoteltremezzo.com/en/gourmet-experience/la-terrazza-restaurant/
GIACOMO AL LAGO - TREMEZZO: https://www.grandhoteltremezzo.com/en/gourmet-experience/giacomo-al-lago-restaurant/
LIDO DI LENNO - LENNO: https://lidodilenno.com
CROTTO AI PLATANI: https://crottodeiplatani.it
LA TIRLANDANA - SALA COMACINA: http://www.latirlindana.it
RISTORANTE AL PRATO - VARENNA
IMPERIALINO - MOLTRASIO: https://www.imperialino.it