# Lake Como

A glacial lake shaped like an inverted Y at the foot of the Alps, with villas and gardens on its shore. Here you travel by boat: the ferry links Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio in a quarter of an hour.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lombardy/lake-como · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do you get there from Spain?

Fly to Milan: Malpensa, Linate or Bergamo. From Milan regional trains leave for Como, at the southern tip of the lake, and for Varenna, on the eastern shore in the middle. If you're going to sleep in Bellagio, Varenna or Menaggio, the train to Varenna and a 15-minute boat leave you at any of the three without touching the car.

## How do you get around the lake?

By boat. Navigazione Laghi, the public company, has slow and fast boats from Como to Colico and a ferry that runs the triangle in the middle (Bellagio, Cadenabbia, Varenna and Menaggio) all year round, from early morning to night in summer. The shore roads are narrow and jam in summer; parking in the villages in the middle is expensive and difficult. For day-to-day, the one-day free-travel ticket pays for itself with three trips.

## What do you need to book in advance?

Villa del Balbianello always requires a reservation, with a limited quota. The seaplane, kayak and water taxis are booked too. The public boat isn't: you buy the ticket on the quay. In July and August accommodation in Bellagio and Varenna fills up months ahead and the quays have queues by mid-morning.

## Where to eat?

In Bellagio, La Punta, on the promontory where the lake's three arms meet, has served perch, agoni and missoltini since 1963 and is open every day from 11:30 to 22:00. In Varenna, the Locanda Cavallino, opposite the quay, has perch risotto and outdoor tables, from February to October. In the hills above Como, the Crotto del Sergente is an osteria serving local cooking that closes only on Wednesdays. Order lake fish: perch, lavarello, agoni and trout.

## Where to sleep?

In Varenna, the Hotel Olivedo, an Art Nouveau house from 1896 opposite the quay and five minutes from the train, is open from February to October. In Bellagio, the Hotel Florence, a three-star on the quay square with a wisteria terrace, from €190 a night. In Como, the Ostello Bello has dormitories and private rooms two minutes from the boats.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Italian Lakes, Alps, Film locations
- Cerca: Engadine (a 70.6 km · Switzerland), Aletsch Glacier (a 103.9 km · Switzerland), Lake Garda (a 115.9 km), Zermatt (a 117.1 km · Switzerland)

## Qué hacer
- **Boat Between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio** (8 h · Everyone, with children and without a car · Desde 3 € per trip): The service that moves the centre of the lake is the public ferry that runs the Bellagio – Cadenabbia – Varenna – Menaggio triangle. It carries cars and passengers, runs very frequently and cannot be booked: you buy the ticket at the quay ticket office and board. For a day going from village to village the free-circulation ticket is worth it.
How it works
It is operated by Navigazione Laghi, the public company running the Lombard lakes' navigation. In the centre of the lake there are two types of boat: the ferry, slow, cheap and with room for cars, and the fast services, which cost more and require a supplement. To hop between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio the ferry is enough: journeys take from 10 to 30 minutes and in summer there are boats from before 7:00 until almost midnight.
Each village has its own character. Varenna is the smallest, with coloured houses above the water and the railway station ten minutes' walk from the quay. Bellagio occupies the tip of the peninsula that separates the two southern arms, with streets of steps. Menaggio, on the west shore, has a long promenade and an old town. Cadenabbia, between Menaggio and Tremezzo, is the stop for Villa Carlotta.
Tickets and prices
Navigazione Laghi charges by leg, with fares in force since 1 April 2026. The shortest trip costs €3. The one-day free-circulation ticket, which lets you hop on and off without limit within the chosen zone, costs from €8. Children aged 4 to 11 pay a reduced fare and under-4s travel free. The fast services carry a supplement. If you go with a car, the ferry charges for the vehicle separately.
Timetables by season
The 2026 summer timetable ran from 1 July to 4 October, with the maximum number of boats. From November to March the ferry keeps running, with fewer departures: download the 2026–2027 winter timetable from the Navigazione Laghi website before going, because timetables change by season and do not always coincide at every quay.
Getting to the lake without a car
From Milan, the regional train on the Tirano line reaches Varenna-Esino in a little over an hour; it is the most convenient way into the triangle. By car, bear in mind that parking in Bellagio, Varenna or Menaggio is expensive and difficult in season: if you are sleeping on the lake, leave the car at your accommodation and get around by boat.
With children and accessibility
It is a plan that works at any age: short journeys, an open-air deck and villages right by the quay. The ferries have a car ramp, so boarding with a pushchair is no problem. Wrap up on deck: even in summer the wind off the lake is cool.
From Bellagio you can book the kayak around the point, and from Varenna the Sentiero del Viandante towards Bellano begins.
- **Villa del Balbianello by Boat from Lenno** (2 h · All ages; the walking path does not admit pushchairs · Desde 15 € per person): The FAI has limited entries since 2023, so you cannot just turn up here: you have to book a time. You can see only the garden on your own or add the guided visit to the villa, which lasts 50 minutes.
What it is and why it matters
The villa occupies the tip of the Dosso di Lavedo, a wooded promontory that juts into the lake opposite Isola Comacina, in the municipality of Tremezzina. Its gardens descend in terraces to the water, with the Durini loggia at the top, open to both sides of the lake. Since 1988 it has belonged to the FAI, the Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano, the foundation that looks after a good part of Italy's private heritage. Inside, the villa holds the collections of its last owner, the explorer Guido Monzino.
Star Wars and Casino Royale on the loggia
The villa appears in two sagas. In Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones it is the lakeside retreat where Anakin and Padmé share their first kiss. In Casino Royale, the Daniel Craig one, it is the place where Bond recovers with Vesper, and their kiss was filmed under the loggia. What you will recognise is the garden and the Durini loggia, which you see with the garden ticket, without the guided visit. The end of Casino Royale, with "The name's Bond, James Bond", was not filmed here but at Villa La Gaeta, in San Siro, further north along the same shore, which is private.
Tickets and prices

Garden: €15 adults; €11 for ages 6 to 18 and students up to age 25.
Villa and garden, with guided visit: €25 adults and €17 reduced.
Family: €42 for the garden for two adults and two or more children aged 6 to 18.
Under 6s: free.

Reservation is compulsory for the garden and for the guided visit, and is made on the FAI ticket website. For queries, the villa can be reached on 0344 56110 and at faibalbianello@fondoambiente.it.
When it opens
In November it opens from 10:00 to 17:00. In December and January it opens only on some separate days that the FAI publishes on its website; the high season runs from mid-March to mid-November. From 9 to 15 November 2026 the FAI holds its safety week and there may be an evacuation drill during your visit: if so, follow the staff.
Getting to Lenno
Lenno is on the western shore, between Como and Menaggio. Navigazione Laghi boats and the ASF C10 bus, which runs along the shore, arrive there. If you go by car, park in Lenno: there is no parking at the villa. Lenno is also in the middle of the Lake Como Greenway, from which the 1.1 km detour to the villa leaves.
Beware of access on foot: the Greenway website says it is only allowed on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Confirm it when booking with the FAI and, if you go on another day, count on the boat.
With children and accessibility
The garden works well for families, with terraces and wide paths. The walking path from Lenno is not for pushchairs; arriving by boat, the garden has accessible areas. The guided visit to the villa, with rooms full of objects, interests teenagers more than small children.
- **Lake Como Greenway, from Colonno to Griante** (3 h 30 · 11.2 km · For those who walk normally; not suitable for pushchairs · On your own · free): A signposted path of 11.2 km along the western shore of the lake, from Colonno to Griante, linking seven villages among villas, Romanesque and Baroque churches and cobbled alleys. It is walked in about three and a half hours and you can cut it wherever you like: the boat and the bus run along the same shore.
The route by stages

Colonno – Sala Comacina. It starts at the southern entrance to Colonno, next to the Greenway signs. You look back towards the church of San Michele Arcangelo and cross the old bridge over the Pessetta stream.
Sala Comacina – Ossuccio. A quarter of an hour to the cemetery and the chapel of San Rocco. A 300 m detour goes down to the old town and the harbour, opposite Isola Comacina, the only island on the lake.
Ossuccio – Lenno. The Romanesque church of Santi Giacomo e Filippo, the sanctuary of the Beata Vergine del Soccorso, which crowns the Sacro Monte of Ossuccio, and the Villa del Balbiano.
Lenno – Mezzegra. The Lenno lido, the square and the baptistery of San Giovanni. From here the 1.1 km detour to Villa del Balbianello, at the tip of the promontory, branches off.
Mezzegra – Tremezzo. The hardest stage, with a slope. You pass the church of Sant'Abbondio, with its terrace over the lake, the Casa dei Presepi, free all year, and the village of Bonzanigo.
Tremezzo – Griante. The Bolvedro district, the Teresio Olivelli park, the arcades of Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta, with its botanical garden.
Griante. The last stretch follows the shore along a protected path beside the road, passes the Cadenabbia quay and the Anglican church and ends next to the bus stop.

Surface, ascent and signposting
It is a village path, not a mountain one: cobbled alleys, stairs, some stretches of asphalt and passages beside the SS 340 Regina road, which must be crossed with care in several places. It goes up and down the slopes between villages, without big climbs; the fifth stage is the steepest. The Lake Como Greenway signs mark the way from Colonno.
Getting there and getting back

By car: in Colonno you park on Via Cappella. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays it costs €5 for the whole day, paid at the wooden hut at the start of the street.
By bus: ASF line C10, Como – Menaggio – Colico, runs along the shore and stops at all the villages. It is the simplest way to get back to the car.
By boat: Navigazione Laghi boats stop at Sala Comacina, Campo, Lenno, Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta. Returning to the starting point across the lake is half the plan.

When to go
You can walk all year. The best seasons are from March to June, with the villas' azaleas and rhododendrons in flower, and autumn. In July and August set out early: there are stretches in the sun and the cobbles store heat. In rain the cobbles are slippery.
With children, dog, pushchair or bike

Children: suitable for all ages. Split the path into two or three stages and return by boat.
Dog: allowed.
Pushchair and wheelchair: no, because of the stairs and cobbles. With small children, a baby carrier.
Bike: not recommended, because of the slopes, narrow alleys and steps.

There are public toilets at Ossuccio, in the clinic and at the Antiquarium, and at the Lenno town hall. For food, every village has bars and trattorias by the water.
- **Funicular from Como to Brunate and Walk to San Maurizio** (2 h · All ages; the funicular admits wheelchairs · €3.60 each way; €7.20 return): The funicular leaves from Piazza De Gasperi, next to the lake, and climbs to Brunate in 7 minutes. At the top you continue on foot through the village streets to San Maurizio, the high viewpoint over the first arm of the lake and, on clear days, towards the Alps and the Milan plain.
What it is and why it matters
Construction of the line began in January 1893 and it was inaugurated on 11 November 1894, after about 22 months of work. It ran on steam until 1911, when it was electrified, and the Brunate station was rebuilt in 1934–35. Today it is operated by ATM on behalf of the Lombardy Region. It climbs a steep slope, between villa gardens and woodland, and the view opens up as you gain height: Como, the head of the lake and the surrounding hills.
Brunate is a village of early 20th-century summer villas, hanging above the city. From the upper station there are several balconies with views, a step away.
The walk to San Maurizio
From Brunate station follow the signs to San Maurizio through the village streets, gently uphill and then more steeply. It is asphalt, suitable for anyone who walks normally. At San Maurizio is the Faro Voltiano, the tower built in memory of Alessandro Volta, the physicist from Como who invented the electric battery; although the tower is closed, the esplanade around it already gives a wide view of the lake. Allow about two hours for the way up, the walk and the return by funicular.
Times and frequency
The funicular runs every day from 6:00 to midnight, with simultaneous departures from Como and Brunate. Check the detailed timetable on the ATM website, which publishes it as a PDF.
Prices
According to the ATM fares in force since 1 July 2025:

Single: €3.60.
Return: €7.20.
Under 12s: €2.40 each way.
Under 4s: free.

The ticket is bought at the ticket office at Como station.
Getting there
The lower station is at Piazza Alcide De Gasperi, at the end of the lakeside promenade, about ten minutes' walk from the cathedral and from Como Nord Lago station. If you arrive by train from Milan, Trenord sells a combined train and funicular ticket. By car, leave the car in one of the paid car parks in the centre: next to the funicular station there is hardly any room.
With children and accessibility
For children the funicular itself is the attraction. The funicular admits wheelchairs, and the walk through Brunate is paved, although with slopes. With a pushchair it can be done.
If you have the day free, the boat between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio leaves from the centre of the lake, and the seaplane flight takes off in front of Como.
- **Orrido di Bellano, Walkways over the Gorge** (45 min · All ages · Desde 8 € per person): The Pioverna stream comes down from the Valsassina and, just before reaching the lake at Bellano, has forced its way through a narrow, deep gorge. The visit is made along walkways anchored to the rock walls, hanging over the water, to the great waterfall at the end. It takes about 45 minutes, is easy and has a great deal of water noise.
What you see and why it matters
The Orrido is a gorge that water began to carve out about a million and a half years ago, according to the region's tourism website: the walls close over your head, form basins and whirlpools and let light in from above in strips. The walkways were extended recently and now reach the great waterfall upstream, which is the end of the route.
Above the gorge, on a rock, is the Ca' del Diavol, a restored three-storey tower reached by a staircase projecting over the ravine. Inside there is a multimedia exhibition on the history of Bellano, the legend of the Pesa Vegia and a virtual reality trip. It has its own ticket, sold together with that of the Orrido.
Opening hours
From 2 to 29 November 2026 it opens Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 17:00, and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 to 17:00. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing. In the summer months the hours extend: in July and August it opens until 22:00. For December and the rest of winter check the calendar on Bellano's tourism website.
Tickets and prices

Adults: €8.
Ages 6 to 14: €5.
With a train or lake boat ticket: €5. Show it at the ticket office.

It is bought at the entrance ticket office or through the online sale for the Orrido and the Ca' del Diavol, linked from Bellano's tourism website.
Getting there
The entrance is at Piazza San Giorgio, in the centre of Bellano, a few minutes' walk from the quay and the station. The most convenient way is to arrive without a car:

By train: Bellano has a station on the Milan – Lecco – Colico – Tirano line, a short journey from Varenna.
By boat: Navigazione Laghi boats stop at Bellano, north of Varenna.
On foot: the Sentiero del Viandante reaches Bellano from Varenna along the hillside and crosses the gorge by a bridge.

With the day's train or boat ticket, moreover, the entry is cheaper.
With children, dogs and accessibility
It is a visit that works very well with children: short, with a sense of adventure and no effort. But there are stairs and narrow passages, so pushchairs and wheelchairs are not allowed; with babies, a baby carrier. Dogs of any size can enter the Orrido, but not the Ca' del Diavol.
The walkways are wet almost all the time because of humidity and spray: shoes with a good sole and something warm, because inside the gorge it is cool even in summer.
When to go
The flow rules. After days of rain or in spring, with the Valsassina thaw, the waterfall comes down strongly and the visit is more impressive. In high August there is less water but the gorge is the coolest spot on the shore. Go first thing or late in the afternoon to avoid the groups.
Combine it on the same day with the boat between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio: from Varenna to Bellano there is a short hop by train or boat.
- **Sentiero del Viandante from Varenna to Bellano** (Hikers with some experience · On your own · free): The Sentiero del Viandante is the old mule track along the eastern shore of the lake. One of its most rewarding stages leaves from Vezio castle, above Varenna, and continues halfway up the hillside via Regolo and La Fabbrica to Bellano, among chestnut trees, meadows and open views to the middle of the lake. It is free, signposted and, as it runs parallel to the railway, you return without depending on anyone.
What the path is
For centuries it was the overland route linking the villages of the Lecco shore with Colico and, beyond, with the Alpine passes. It was called the Via Ducale or Via Regia, and some stretches are known as the Napoleona because of works from the Napoleonic era. In the mid-19th century, with the shore road, it was almost abandoned. Today it has been recovered as a hiking path: its classic route, from Abbadia Lariana to Piantedo, is about 35 km, and the extended version runs from Lecco to Morbegno, in the Valtellina, with about 75 km. It goes almost always along paths and cobbled mule tracks, between 200 m and 992 m in altitude.
The Varenna to Bellano stretch, step by step

Varenna – Vezio. Climb from the village to Vezio castle, the medieval tower that watches over Varenna from above. The slope is short but steep and gives you the best view over the Bellagio and Menaggio triangle.
Vezio – Regolo. The path goes down towards the Esino stream, crosses it by an old bridge and climbs again to the hamlet of Regolo.
Regolo – La Fabbrica. It continues along a track halfway up the hillside, first paved and then earth, towards the Masna valley, and crosses the Bosco delle Streghe, the witches' wood, before reaching La Fabbrica.
La Fabbrica – Bellano. Final descent to Bellano. The path crosses by a bridge over the gorge of the Orrido, which you can visit before taking the train back.

If you have legs left, the path continues from Bellano towards Ombriaco, the sanctuary of Lezzeno, Oro and Dervio.
Signposting and difficulty
The Viandante has its own signs and information panels with the route map; also carry the track or a map for the crossings with tracks and farm roads. There are no technical passages: it is a medium mountain path with continuous ups and downs, loose stone and cobbles that are slippery when damp. It needs some walking habit and hiking footwear.
Getting there and getting back
Go by train. The Lecco to Tirano line stops at Varenna-Esino and at Bellano, and is what lets you do the path in stages. Set out from Varenna, walk to Bellano and return by train in a few minutes. If you come by car, leave it in Varenna or Bellano and use the train in one direction; in Varenna parking is scarce in season.
You can also reach Varenna on the mid-lake boat from Bellagio or Menaggio.
When to go
From March to November. Spring and autumn, with the chestnut trees in colour, are the best seasons; in summer set out early, because the hillside stretches face the midday sun. In rain the cobbles become slippery: better another day.
Water, food and facilities
There is water and bars in Varenna and Bellano; in the hamlets on the way, little else. Bring a litre and a half of water and something to eat. In Bellano, when you finish, there are trattorias by the lake and the station next door.
With a dog and with children
With a dog you can, on a lead in the hamlets and with water for it. With children, the stretch works for those who already walk for a whole morning; with little ones, do only the climb from Varenna to Vezio and come back.
- **Kayak Around the Point of Bellagio from Pescallo** (1 h 30 · Ages 8 to 65, able to swim): You set out from the small beach at Pescallo, east of Bellagio, cross the bay under the cliffs and round the tip of the peninsula, with the Alps to the north and Villa Serbelloni above. It is about 90 minutes of calm water in a small guided group, at lake level, where no terrace or boat reaches.
What it involves
The tour is run by Bellagio Water Sports, a local kayak and paddle-board company with a meeting point in Pescallo square. The route leaves the beach, crosses the bay, passes beneath the cliffs known as the Rockefeller ones and beneath the gardens of Villa Serbelloni and reaches La Punta, the end of the Bellagio peninsula, where the three arms of the lake meet. From there you see at the same time the Como arm, the Lecco arm and the north towards Varenna and Menaggio. Then you return along the same side to Pescallo.
Times and groups

9:00 departure: be at the meeting point at 8:45. Up to 8 people.
11:30 departure: be there at 11:15. Up to 6 people.

Departures are every day, with compulsory advance booking. There is also a sunset departure, the Golden Hour Tour; check the days on their website. The website does not publish the price on the tour page: you see it when booking.
What is included and what to bring
Included are the kayak, life jacket, a small dry bag, bottled water, a place to leave your rucksack, a map of the area and the guide. Not included are transfers, food or changing rooms and toilets.
Wear comfortable sports clothes that can get wet, shoes you do not mind getting in the water, sunglasses with a strap, a cap and sun cream. Phone inside the dry bag.
Who can go
It is designed for people aged 8 to 65. Children go with an adult and everyone must be able to swim. The company does not recommend it for anyone with back or heart problems or other serious conditions. The listing does not ask for previous experience: it is a guided group paddle, not a sporting crossing.
Getting to Pescallo
Pescallo is on the other side of the peninsula, about ten or fifteen minutes' walk from the centre of Bellagio, uphill and then down along streets and steps. If you arrive by boat from Varenna or Menaggio, get off at Bellagio quay and walk across. By car, Bellagio has paid car parks, but in season they fill early: better to arrive on the mid-lake boat.
Weather and cancellations
In strong wind or bad weather the tour is cancelled and the amount refunded. If you are the one who cancels, the company refunds nothing: all sales are final. So it is worth checking the forecast before booking. The first departure, at 9:00, usually finds the lake calmer than the mid-morning one, when the breeze begins to blow.
To book
You book on the Bellagio Water Sports website or by phone or WhatsApp on +39 340 39 49 375 or +39 334 19 29 303.
- **Seaplane Flight from Como** (30 min · Adults and families wanting a treat · Desde 480 € the flight for two people): You take off from the water in front of Como in a Cessna 206 seaplane and in half an hour fly over the lake to the Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio triangle, returning via Argegno. It is expensive, but it is the only way to see the whole Y of the lake at once, with the villas and villages like models at the foot of the mountains.
What it is and who runs it
The flights are operated by Como Seaplanes, which works with the Aero Club Como and has its base on the city's lakefront. The aircraft is a high-wing Cessna 206, so the view downwards is not blocked by the wing. It seats up to five passengers with a maximum total weight of 320 kg.
The take-off and splashdown are the most special part: the plane runs over the water throwing up spray and lifts off in front of the city, with the cathedral and the Brunate funicular to one side.
The flights

Panoramic tour, 30 minutes: Como, Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, Argegno and back to Como. From €480 for two people.
Lake and mountains tour, 60 minutes: adds the north of the lake, with Piona abbey, Colico and Dongo. From €960 for two.
Grand tour of the lakes, 90 minutes: the whole lake and, on the way back, Lecco and the small lakes of the Brianza: Annone, Pusiano, Alserio and Montorfano. From €1,440 for two.

Prices are published for two passengers; if you are more, the plane takes up to five and the flight may be shared with other passengers.
How to book
You book on the Como Seaplanes website, choosing day, time and number of passengers. Payment is made when booking and the place is not confirmed until the confirmation email arrives. If the flight is cancelled because of bad weather or maintenance, you get the full amount back. Flights can also be given as gifts.
The website does not publish a fixed season or timetable: flights depend on the weather and daylight. For questions, call +39 351 594 2877 or write to info@comoseaplanes.com.
Meeting point
The base is at Viale Massenzio Masia 44, in Como, on the lakefront west of the centre. From Piazza Cavour you can walk along the shore. By car, park in one of the paid car parks in the centre; in the promenade area parking is scarce.
When to go and what to bear in mind
Choose a clear day: with low cloud or haze you lose the view of the Alps, and with wind or storms the flight is cancelled. Morning light is usually cleaner and end-of-day light warmer on the mountains. In spring and autumn the air is usually more transparent than in high summer.
Bring sunglasses and a phone with battery; to photograph through the window, press the lens against the glass and you will avoid reflections. If you get seasick easily, take something beforehand: it is a small plane and you feel turbulence.
With children
The website sets no minimum age; ask when booking if you are travelling with small children. For them it is an experience they remember, but think about the engine noise in the cabin and the price, which is per seat.
If you prefer to see the lake from the water and more cheaply, the boat between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio costs from €3 a trip. To see it from above without flying, the Brunate funicular leaves a few minutes from the base.

## Dónde comer
- **Ristorante La Punta** (Restaurant, Bellagio, €€€). Qué pedir: the lake antipasto and the riso in cagnone with perch fillet, or the grilled agoni.
- **Locanda Cavallino** (Restaurant, Varenna, €€€). Qué pedir: the mixed lake-fish antipasto and the perch risotto, the house dish.
- **Crotto del Sergente** (Restaurant, Como). Qué pedir: the pumpkin risotto (for two), the trout ravioli or the lake fish guazzetto with riso in cagnone.

## Car-free: Car-free: train from Milan and boat between villages
Lake Como is best done without a car. Trenord regional trains run from Milan to Como Lago in an hour and to Varenna-Esino in a little over an hour, and from the jetties the public Navigazione Laghi boat links Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio in a quarter of an hour. The shore roads are narrow and parking in the central villages is expensive.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Olivedo** (Small hotel): Hotel Olivedo is the yellow house you see as you step off the boat at Varenna. It was built in 1896 by Mr Bertarini as a coal store for the lake's boats; it later became a hotel, gained a third floor and, during the Second World War, a fourth. Today it is run by the family's third generation and keeps its period Liberty furniture. If you come to the lake without a car, few addresses are as convenient: the jetty is in front of the door and Varenna-Esino station about five minutes' walk away.
The rooms
There are 20, spread over two buildings. In the main house there are 10 superiors with a balcony and lake view, a large bed and original Liberty furniture, and 4 standard attic rooms, plainer. In the annexe next door there are another 6 with a lake view, in a modern, sober style, some with a private balcony and with a shared terrace. All have a private bathroom, wifi and satellite television, and can be set up with a double bed or with two beds. The superiors are the only ones the hotel lists as wheelchair accessible; tell them when you book.
The website does not publish an official star rating or room prices. It does publish the extra bed, at €60 a night, and Varenna's tourist tax, €3 per person per night.
Breakfast, bar and restaurant
Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 10:00, Italian and continental, with gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and lactose-free options. The bar is open to guests from 10:00 to 18:00. On the ground floor is Locanda Cavallino, the house restaurant, also open to those not staying here, with tables outside facing the water.
What to know before booking
The hotel is open from February to October; in November, December and January it is closed. It does not accept children under 14, because of the period furniture and the soundproofing of a historic building, nor animals. Cancellation is free up to seven days before arrival; after that, the stay is not refunded. Check-in is from 14:00 to 22:00 and check-out until 10:00; if you arrive later, tell them beforehand.
Getting there
From Milano Centrale, the regional train on the Tirano line reaches Varenna-Esino in a little over an hour. You walk down towards the lake and the hotel is on the piazza by the jetty. By car you take the SS36 towards Lecco and Sondrio and the Mandello del Lario and Varenna exit; the website does not mention private parking. From the jetty the boats leave for Bellagio and Menaggio in a quarter of an hour, and the Sentiero del Viandante starts on foot.
- **Hotel Florence** (Hotel, desde 190 € / night): Hotel Florence is on Piazza Mazzini, Bellagio's arcaded square facing the jetty, so you step off the boat and in two minutes you are at reception. According to the house, in 1864 Luigi Gramatica turned an old harbour inn into a hotel, and it has been run by the same family ever since; today their descendants are still at the helm. It has three stars and is one of the village's historic establishments.
The rooms
There are four types, with furniture made by local craftsmen, air conditioning, television and wifi:

Standard with village view, 18 m², from €190 a night.
Standard with lake view, 25 m², from €290.
Superior, 30 m², with a balcony or terrace over the lake, from €320.
Suite, 40 m², with a living room and a balcony or terrace over the lake, for three people, from €380.

These are starting prices published by the hotel; they change by date. The website does not publish the number of rooms or check-in and check-out times: ask when you book.
The restaurant and the wisteria terrace
The most photographed part of the hotel is its garden above the lake, with tables under a wisteria pergola that in spring is covered in flowers. There and in a large room with 19th-century vaults is the house restaurant, also open to non-guests, with seasonal Italian cooking, meat, sea and lake dishes. Breakfast is served in that same room. There is also a cocktail bar for the aperitif.
For guests there is a small spa with a hydromassage tub, sauna and Turkish bath, without treatments or massages. It is used privately, by two people at most at a time.
When it opens and how to get there
It is a seasonal hotel: the website announced reopening in April 2026 and the restaurant open until 15 October 2026. For winter, write to them first. Reception is staffed 24 hours and small animals are accepted.
Travelling without a car is the natural way: the mid-lake ferry drops you in front, a quarter of an hour from Varenna, where the Milan train stops. By car, bear in mind there is almost no room in the centre of Bellagio: the hotel says the nearest municipal car park with free spaces is about 600 metres away.
- **Ostello Bello Como** (Hostel): Ostello Bello is a small Italian chain of hostels with a lively social scene, and the one in Como is on Viale Fratelli Rosselli, on the west lakefront, two minutes' walk from the jetties from which the boats leave for Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio. It is the cheap bed for sleeping in Como and setting off on the first boat, or for ending the day with an aperitif in the garden without taking the car.
Dormitories and rooms
There are mixed shared dormitories of 5 and 6 beds, and 6-bed dormitories for women only. For those who prefer privacy there are double rooms, twins with the beds under a mezzanine, triples, quads and family rooms. All the rooms, dormitories included, have an ensuite bathroom with shower. There is air conditioning, wifi throughout the building, lockers in the rooms, a USB socket by each bed, safe and hairdryer.
The website does not publish fixed prices or check-in and check-out times: you see the price when you book, and reception is staffed 24 hours, so you can arrive on the last train.
What is included and what is not
Included: the shared kitchen, with free pasta, vegetables and basic ingredients to cook with; water, tea and filter coffee; a welcome drink; soap, earplugs, an iron and a computer for free use. Paid separately are the buffet breakfast, the aperitif, towels, padlocks and laundry. There is an automatic left-luggage facility for suitcases, paid and open 24 hours: useful on the day you check out and still want to catch a boat.
The common areas
The bar is open 24 hours and faces an inner courtyard. Behind it is a hidden garden with hammocks and a barbecue, a terrace, a cinema room, a work area, board games, table football and ping-pong, and instruments for anyone who wants to play. There are acoustic concerts and activities in the evenings. It is a place for people who travel wanting conversation; if you want silence, ask for a private room.
Getting there and what is nearby
From Milan, the train takes about 40 minutes, according to the hostel. From Como San Giovanni station you walk down in about ten minutes; Piazza Cavour is seven away and the Duomo ten. The Brunate funicular leaves from the other end of the promenade, and the seaplane base is on the lakefront, a few minutes away.

## As a family: The Lake by Boat, in Short Stretches

With children of different ages the lake works if the boat is the plan and not the chore: journeys of 10 to 30 minutes, a village, an ice cream and another boat. The routes are done in pieces and there is always a quay or a bus to get back.

### What works best
The boat triangle between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio, with a day ticket

The Orrido di Bellano: 45 minutes of walkways over the water, free for under-6s

The Brunate funicular, a 7-minute ride up with a view over Como

A stretch of the Greenway to Lenno and back by boat

Kayak from Pescallo for over-8s who can swim

### Where to sleep
Varenna, with the train and the quay on foot

Bellagio or Menaggio, a short boat ride from everything

### Where to eat
A picnic on the shore of the villages in the centre

Promenade restaurants in Menaggio and Bellagio, better early

### Keep in mind
The Greenway and the path to Balbianello have stairs and cobbles: baby carrier, not pushchair

Balbianello requires a reservation and has a €42 family ticket

On the boat, under-4s do not pay and ages 4 to 11 pay a reduced fare

### Qué hacer as a family
- Boat Between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio
- Villa del Balbianello by Boat from Lenno
- Lake Como Greenway, from Colonno to Griante
- Funicular from Como to Brunate and Walk to San Maurizio
- Orrido di Bellano, Walkways over the Gorge
- Kayak Around the Point of Bellagio from Pescallo

## Consejos

### Sleep in the middle of the lake
From Varenna, Bellagio or Menaggio you reach everything by boat. From Como each excursion begins with an hour on the boat.

### Take the first boats
Before nine the quays are quiet and the light is better for photos.

### Carry your train or boat ticket
At the Orrido di Bellano they give you a discount if you show it.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do I need?
Two or three nights: one day for the Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio triangle, another for the western shore with Balbianello and the Greenway, and half a day for Como and Brunate.

### Where is it best to sleep without a car?
In Varenna, which has a train station and a quay, or in Bellagio and Menaggio, a short boat ride from Varenna.

### Can you visit in winter?
Yes. The ferry in the middle runs all year and the Orrido di Bellano opens daily in November. There are fewer boats and villas such as Balbianello open only on some days in December and January.

### Is it a good destination with children?
Yes, if you plan it by boat: the journeys are short, they like the Orrido di Bellano and the Brunate funicular, and the Greenway is done in stretches. Don't bring a pushchair for the Greenway or the path to Balbianello.

### Do you have to pay to see the villas?
Yes. Villa del Balbianello, for example, costs €15 for the garden alone and €25 with the villa, and you have to book.