Ela Nostos

A first timer’s guide to Europe’s deepest lake and its aristocratic towns. How to explore Lake Como and its central region.

Logistics

GETTING THERE

There is no airport in Lake Como and, unless you’re roadtripping from a neighbouring country, I’d suggest taking a train from Milane Centrale. Depending on where you’re visiting, it will determine which route and destination to pick. If, like us, you are wanting to explore the central lake area, I’d take the train to Varenna – it’s about an hour and under €15. From Varenna, we took a ferry across to Menaggio (the town we stayed in). We chose this as our base because of how central it was to the other towns, and it wasn’t as packed as Bellagio, or as quiet as Tremezzo. From Menaggio, we walked/took buses to Tremezzo, and ferries to Bellagio and Varenna.

GETTING AROUND

As much as I love bikes and the freedom of your own transport, I’d recommend exploring Lake Como by foot, bus or water taxi. For context: • Buses: to get from the top of Menaggio, to the bottom (line C12) is €3, and from Menaggio’s square to Tremezzo (neighbouring town) is €3.80 (line C10). It’s quick and affordable but be sure to check the bus times as they tend to end early in the evening. • Ferries: the bigger boats cost about €9.60 to get across the central region, like from Menaggio to Bellagio. But private boats are a lot more expensive, and each have their own rates based on routes and amenities etc.

WHERE TO STAY

Because this was our first visit, it was recommended that we stay in the central region – this means the main choices are Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio or Tremezzo. We opted to stay in Menaggio, and visited the other towns by foot or by ferry. I’d say this was a good choice because Bellagio was packed, and Menaggio is very central. But we booked quite late, and in my frenzy, I didn’t realize that the accommodation booked was all the way at the top of Menaggio (close to another town called Lugano). Not the most practical for night excursions (we ran through a forest and I nearly shat myself when the church bells echoed in the dark), but really beautiful for those that would utilise the trails or bus (while it’s running).

Attractions

Villas

Lake Como is known for its beautiful villas and extravagant gardens – many of these used to be privately owned homes that have since been converted into hotels, event spaces and general visiting locations. If you have limited time but would like to see the incredible opulence, I’d suggest prioritising these 3 villas (more info below): • Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo
• Villa del Ballbianello, Tremezzo
• Villa Menzi, Bellagio

Villa Carlotta:
📍Tremezzo
By chance, we arrived at the gates 5 min before opening – this was a game changer (not only for the rest of our day) because we got to walk through the villa and its gardens calmly. There are over 300 years of art collected – including incredible marble statues and frescoes. But my favourite was the top floor: framed by renaissance style art, the balcony overlooks the lake. Just incredible! • open from 10:00-18:00, everyday • tickets are €15 for adults, €10 for ‘students 19-25’ (we showed a photo of UCT cards) etc. • there’s also a cute cafe that made great espressos

Grand Hotel Tremezzo:
📍Tremezzo
When walking from Villa Carlotta towards Villa del Ballbianello, you’ll pass some beautiful stores and buildings. One that I took note of was this Grand Hotel. The pin striped umbrellas gave a very 1950s aperol advert aesthetic (white lotus vibes too). Honestly, I just appreciated it for it’s incredible opulence and appearance.

Parco civico Teresio Olivelli:
📍Tremezzo
These public parks are along the promenade of Tremezzo (opposite a beautiful church too). If you have time, Id recommend getting some takeaways drinks from Bar Roma and enjoying a game of backgammon under the trees overlooking the lake.

Villa Sola Cabiati:
📍Tremezzo
Like the hotel above, we were only able to see this villa from the exterior. But I’m including it because it is between Villa Carlotta and Villa del Ballbianello and a beautiful sight to see.

Villa Del Ballbianello:
📍Tremezzo
Like the hotel above, we were only able to see this villa from the exterior. But I’m iI know I should probably share the villa’s history but this is where Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (Padamé and Anakin’s secret wedding) was filmed, along with James Bond Casino Royale (final scene). Apart from having a fan frenzy, the villa is beyond beautiful and definitely worth the visit. To keep this short, here are a couple of notes:
• unless you’re arriving by boat, it is a long walk from the bus stop to the villa (wear appropriate shoes)
• there is a €6 ferry from the villa’s dock to the mainland (but was not operational the day we went)
• many websites tell you to book in advance – we did not. And despite the website saying it was fully booked, we bought tickets at the entrance and got in • tickets are €12 (or €9 for students) for the garden, or €21 (or €15 for students) for the villa and garden (incl. tour)
• open from 10:00-18:00, closed on Mondays and Wednesdays (closed Dec-March)

Villa Melzi di Bellagio:
📍Bellagio
The villa itself is not open to the public, but Villa Melzi’s gardens are. The views over the lake are exquisite and the botanical gardens are quite ‘iconic’ to Lake Como.
• open from 10:00-19:00, everyday
• tickets are €8

La Lanterna:
📍Bellagio
If you have some time to explore the town, we found two great restaurants and a gelateria to try. La Lanterna is a cute pasta joint that makes fresh pasta, and has seats on the small street, as well as the cosy inside. I’ll be honest, after nearly a week of pasta and pizza, I was craving something fresh and ordered a salad. I know it sounds lame but it was so so good (especially with burrata and tomato) – and Alec gave his stamp of approval for the summer pasta dish.

Smooth Operators:
📍Bellagio
Best gelato we found in Bellagio! And they also offered ‘magnums’ (gelato on a stick) in the authentic italian flavours. We opted to share one pistachio magnum, and one pistachio gelato. As decadent as it sounds, when combined, the duo was perfectly balanced.

La Fabbrica Del Gelato:
📍Menaggio
This place had THE BEST gelato of Lake Como. After trying the pistachio and white chocolate flavours (amazing), we realised that a queue had formed around the block, and that the trash was overflowing with their gelato cups – testament of their popularity.

Piazza & Promenade:
📍Menaggio
My favourite night in Lake Como included getting takeaway pizza and sitting on the edge of the water by the piazza, and watching the sunset. It’s just a really wholesome place to appreciate the beauty surrounding you – both the place and people. For pizza suggestions:
• Pizzeria Lugano (more below)
• if you’re looking for gluten free, Ristorante Pizzeria is on the piazza and wasn’t bad (even though it was rated 2.1 on Google) But just generally, I’d recommend walking along the pathway and seeing the various cafes, gardens and beautiful views. Further down there’s also a miniature golf course!

Pizzeria Lugano:
📍Menaggio
A very cute pizzeria frequented by locals and shy tourists. The humble institution makes fresh pizza, with few other dishes, and is found towards to top of Menaggio. I’d honestly recommend trying the classic pizza without extra toppings.

Ristorante del Porto:
📍Menaggio
Before arriving, I looked up the ‘must try dishes’ from Lake Como – many were fish pastas and seafood, namely:
• Cuttlefish pasta (stained black from the ink)
• Risotto with perch (small fish)
• Polenta etc.
This restaurant is at the foot of a hotel (on the lake) and is rather pricey. But we decided to enjoy the view and share the seafood risotto and a starter of octopus – it was the softest octopus I’ve ever had. Everything was made from scratch, and I’m glad we tried the risotto (even if very heavy for the summer!). All round, a great location for a celebratory lunch/dinner and to try the local dishes. note: there are not many images linked to this location