At Lake Como: A Subtle Stay
Bellagio from the Como waters, Image by Ellena Mcguinness
Lake Como has bright light. Maybe it’s the exact way that the sun reflects the mirror of water. Light can be so particular in a place. The sun tint at its rise, the shape of it at dusk…the color of the sky itself and the buoyancy of the clouds.
(Cover Image by Karl Moran)
Why Lake Como?
There is a warmth to Como. It’s a bit regal, a bit zen, and it has the best gelato of all of Italy. 3 scoops a day minimum.
Lake Como is arguably the most glamorous and laissez faire of Italy. It’s ritzy, it’s serene, it’s calm but it’s happening. It’s where celebs go to get married but it’s where normal people go to enjoy life.
Lake Como, also known as Lago di Como in Italian, is a grand lake in northern Italy of the Lombardy region. It’s the third-largest lake in the country as well as being one of the deepest lakes in all of Europe. What is it about deep lakes that have a magnitude that feels unreachable?
Lake Como is quite famous for the splendor of its waters’ natural beauty alongside the vista of villas and homes that have populated around it. The lake itself spans 28 miles around which are forested hills and mountains, including the majestic Alps. It’s the combination of the lake’s crystal glass waters and Italian greenery that create placard pictures of the landscape. And why so many iconic film scenes have taken place here.
Bellagio
Bellagio, Image by Miriana Doroban
Bellagio has been called the “Pearl of Lake Como” and for a reason. One of the more popular places, it’s quieter than Varenna and worth the stay for the ambiance and the vistas.
Bellagio is at the intersection of what is recognized as the lake's three branches and is known for its cobblestone charm, the bright and coloration, and the tranquility of its beautiful gardens. Bellagio provides panoramas of Lake Como and the mountains that stand behind it. One of the highlights of Bellagio is the Villa Melzi Gardens where one can walk the lakefront promenade. It’s an experience walking up and down the slim walkways that give way to local shops, gelato of course, and other sweet finds on the town’s walking course.
I had some of the best gelato of my life in Bellagio, the licorice is out of this world and the walnut and fruit flavors are divine.
Where to Stay? Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
Image by Ping Zhou
A beacon of Italian feel, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is over 150 years in establishment. It used to be the Grand Bellagio as it’s situated on the lake in Bellagio. The hotel has a devotion to celebrating its architecture and the quality of food and drink that it houses. Its vantage point of the lake and surrounding elements is astounding. It’s the pinnacle Como feel with its thick stone porticos that line the lake and grand views from windows right above the waters.
As for the stays, the rooms are warm and mix exuberant tones that make it feel enchanting as if from a storybook. Everything feels high ceiling at this hotel with the long tapestries and floor-to-top windows. Staying at a place that has a rich history is also exciting, experiencing the embedded stories that have withstood the test of time. The hotel is an experience.
OR, Agriturismo: Il Talento nella Quiete
Italy is about enjoyment but precluding that is that it’s about pace. It’s about slowww slowing down the pace. It’s about traveling slow. It’s about eating slow. It’s about living slow. In this sense agrigurismo stays offer something unusual and intimate with the environment.
Have you heard of the Slow Foods Movement?
The Slow Foods Movement was birthed by Carlo Petrini, an Italian activist and author who has effused that food should be: “Good, clean, and fair” giving gravity in eating to the land, farmers and food producers, trade of agriculture and foods, and the execution of cooking and eating.
Carlo Petrini, Image by APEGA
Agriturusmo is Italy’s farm-to-table tourism and a manifestation of the Slow Foods movement, an elevated farm and food travel genre if you will.
This encapsulates appreciation and touring of farms, vineyards, cheese producers, and food producers while providing a personable experience.
At Lake Como, venues can be found dotted throughout the towns and in between them. For a stay beyond the touristy swells by the lake, enjoy a stay such as at Il Talento Nella Quiete which will reward you with on-site tastes.
Il Talento Nella Quiete translates as “Talent in the Quiet” and represents the all-encompassing farm, food, and vacation stay of Italy’s Agriturismo.
It’s 15 minutes from Lake Como itself and nestled in the hills. A part of staying at the house is having food production from the site, the Italian local fare ingredients are right from the land. The house is family-run and has that homestyle touch about the stay. For something that feels quaint and intimate, a more rural side to the vista of Lake Como, this is the place.
Highlights
Boating: Wooden Boat on the Lake
Image by Chris Boland
One of the most fulfilling activities while staying in Lake Como is traversing the area via boat. These excursions can be done from half an hour to a full day. Boating can take place in various forms, motorboats, speedboats, and sailboats, and is a highlight of the area.
As always, seeing the views from the waters provides perspective. There’s flexibility to explore the lake at a designated pace. Oftentimes in tandem with bubbly beverages or Italian snacks. Depending on the boat, these excursions can take you to the multitude of towns, hidden coves, or even sidle up to the shoreline, and offer a chance to swim in the waters. Like gondolas in Venice, boating is considered by some an overhyped aspect of the lake, but, it’s a staple to-do for a reason.
Hiking (Varenna to Bellagio)
Image by Cosmin Andrei Buzamat
For nature lovers and activity enthusiasts, hiking around Como is also a great way to scope the scene.
The Monte San Primo trail in Bellagio is the highest peak in the area. With an elevation of 5,531 feet, the trail to the summit offers a strenuous hike that delivers resplendent views of Lake Como, the Alps, and the surrounding countryside. The hike is an actual hike being 2-6 hours with a couple of options for the hike path itself. It should be taken for seasoned hikers…!
For a more leisurely hike or extended walk, the Punta Spartivento trail is at the very tip-top of the Bellagio peninsula. The trail is relatively easy comparatively and gives a likewise vista of the area's delights. The walk route is directly available starting from Villa Serbelloni.
How to Get Here? Trains
Lake Como is inherently a spot that savors the Slow Food mission in its essence. Italy does overall, and that includes locomoting to and from places in the country.
One of the greatest joys of experiencing Italy is its trains. They’re not rushed, and not treacherously slow, but a sleekness to Italian’s savoring aspect of savoring. Arriving and departing the Lake via train is part of appreciating the culture, and the land, and also a more hands-free way to travel rather than renting a car.
Trains go in and out of Como from Milan and Florence. The regional direct train is from Milan, only 40 minutes. From Florence, multiple trains must be taken.
Image by Abinash Satapathy
*Safety tip
Unfortunately, Lake Como is still up in arms, it’s still having its moment. That being said, try venturing in the off-season, or even slightly off-high season. This will make exploring the jewel of its space there that much more exciting because you won’t be shoulder-to-shoulder with others vying for the same views. Try a venture in autumn which is still warm and still lovely.
Bottom line
Como is sanctuary-esque in form, looming and undeniable like the unbeatable orangeness of the sun. It’s operatic in size, an almost endless height of the region from lake to sky as well as that feel of staying in a place like Villa Serbelloni. Its undeterred agriculture history and farms give way to Italian cuisines that have withstood centuries and mark the place as fertile in ground and in culture. The area overall is one not to skip.
