Must Dos in Lake Como
In my last post, I spoke about where to stay in Lake Como and how to get there - so, this blog will delve a little more into what to do when you arrive.
There are a lot of options on things to do while in Lake Como, depending on your preferences - if you like hiking, or prefer water sports, or want to spend the day with aperitivo by the lakeside. So, I've compiled a suggested itinerary full of 'must sees' when you visit Lake Como.
One Day Itinerary (a day trip with the highlights)
Start your day in Bellagio. There's a reason why I suggest going here in the morning - to beat the crowds. We all know you're going to want THAT photo at the top of the stairs, overlooking its iconic street and the lake. So, you're going to have to do it early (I'm talking 7am or earlier), if you don't want a million people in your background.
Then after you've got 'the shot', spend your morning exploring the streets and find yourself a beautiful little cafe to park up and have a coffee and croissant.
We had booked a photographer for a couple's shoot for an hour and it ended up being a great idea, because we got beautiful photos in places we wouldn't have thought to visit otherwise. Jean also gave us a few handy hints and cafes/restaurants to try, while we were in town.
Otherwise, (if a photoshoot isn't your thing) if the weather's nice, you might want to get out on the water at this point and go for a swim, hire a SUP or even go fishing. There's plenty of water sports options available particularly during the Summer months.
By lunchtime, you've probably worked up an appetite and already scoped out your favourite cafe and can sit down for a bite to eat and a drink.
After lunch, it's time to move on to another town. You can try to squeeze in a visit to Menaggio, or just head straight to Varenna for the afternoon. Both of these towns are on the 'middle of the lake' ferry pass. So depending on how fast or slow you travel, you can choose a direct ferry, or opt for the value option.
Again, go explore this beautiful part of the world. Its stunning old town streets are to die for, and make sure you stroll across the red bridge leading into town aptly named the 'Lover's Walk'.
In the late afternoon (just before sunset), I'd definitely recommend seeing Villa Balbianello. It's one of those 'must dos' that you can't really miss out on. There's a few ways you can go about seeing it - but we ended up booking a boat tour, which was pretty reasonably priced, compared to other private options.
The Taxi Boat Varenna 'Central Lake Como Tour and visit to Villa Balbianello' was 70 Euros each (48 Euro for the boat ride, 22 Euro for the Villa's entrance fee). It's a small group tour, so the boat only takes a maximum of 12 people, which is cosy enough that you still get a lot out of it. Your skipper wears a microphone and drives you past a number of the famous villas around the centre of the lake and explains a bit about each of them to you. Then, when you get to Villa Balbianello, you and the group are assigned a tour guide to take you around the house and grounds. I found it to be very interesting (and even if you don't choose the boat tour, I'd recommend spending the 22Euro to go inside).
Afterwards, you get time to explore the grounds and see where the James Bond's movie was shot. Then you're taken home from there and you have an option to be dropped off at Bellagio, if that's where you're staying that night.
Places I'd go to again, If I went back
I have two restaurant recommendations in Varenna, that I rated some of the best meals we had on our trip. The first is Al Prato. It's a husband and wife duo who runs the business and they don't cut corners in terms of service or food. We worked out they only do one sitting per night. They could certainly do more - they turned so many people away who didn't have bookings. But I really like that they make a point of not overstretching themselves and I guess that's why everything was just so good. It's obvious they don't want to sacrifice that personal touch, just to get more people through the door. So take my advice, and book in advance.
The second is Osteria Quattro Pass, which was also served us a beautiful meal and had lovely service. The actually restaurant has really beautiful decor and it gives off authentic Italian vibes. It doesn't have lakeside views to rely on, so instead, it just offers up beautiful, homemade meals - so it's as far away from a tourist trap as you can get. We were lucky that they managed to squeeze us in that night without a booking, but I'd highly recommend booking in advance.
