Finally cooler weather! Our first couple of weeks traveling in Italy have been in somewhat of a heatwave for this time of year so the cooler weather is a literal breath of fresh air! And what better place to have it than Lake Como! There are so many reasons to visit Lake Como, not only is it a beautiful lake but so much of the surroundings are just as beautiful. Here you will find views of the mountains, beautiful sunsets, picturesque villas and small towns, which makes Lake Como the perfect escape from Milan or other nearby big cities.
Located at the foot of the Alps, Lake Como is a glacial lake that is shaped Iike an inverted Y. At about 29 miles (47 km) long and up to 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, with an area of 56 square miles it is third largest Italian lake (after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore). While it may not be the biggest lake it is the deepest lake at a maximum depth of 1,358 feet (414 meters).
LAKE COMO AND SURROUNDINGS
Lake Como is one of the most renowned destinations in the world and is appreciated for its natural landscape and for the small and characteristic villages that sit all along its banks.
There are many beautiful towns and villages to choose from if you plan on visiting Lake Como. We decided to spend 3 nights in the city of Como which is located at the southern tip of the south-west arm of Lake Como and located only 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Milan.
On the day we arrived we met a private guide and enjoyed a walking tour which included not only a great overview of the city and walk through the beautiful Cathedral of Como, but also a boat ride around Lake Como.
We ended the tour with a ride up the Funicular (cable car) to an amazing lookout point that overlooks the city of Como. The ride takes about 7 minutes each way and we just did the ride up, snapped some photos, then came down but the views from this viewpoint were well worth the trip!
And you can’t leave Lake Como without a trip over to Bellagio. This is a very picturesque town as the city sits on the promontory that splits the two legs of Lake Como. Keep in mind that Bellagio is a very touristy town but even with that being the case, it is a nice way to spend the afternoon. On the ferry ride over you get great views of all the famous homes including Villa Erba (where a scene from Ocean’s 12 was filmed) as well as Villa Oleandra (which was George Clooney’s Villa). The boat ride took about a 2 hours because of all the stops but worth it as you get to stop at several small towns on the way which have beautiful views from the water. This slower ferry has open air seating on the top level which also allows unobstructed views of the banks of Lake Como.
On the way back we took the fast boat and while it still made several stops it only took about an hour to get back to the city of Como. The fast ferry is all enclosed so keep that in mind so you can get all your photos on your way there. HELPFUL TIP: when you get off the ferry upon arrival in Bellagio you should go ahead and stand in line to secure your ticket back on your ferry of choice. Return tickets had to be bought the day of and can’t be prebooked. This was very helpful because we had a seat reserved on the return book of our choice while several groups of people were trying to buy tickets for the fast ferry back and they were already sold out and had to wait for several more hours for the next available ferry.
Nom Nom Nom
We didn’t focus on food during our quick trip to Lake Como but here are a few places worth mentioning:
Hidden down a quiet street in the city of Como, you will find Il Pinzimonio. This was a great restaurant serving traditional Northern Italian dishes & wood-fired pizza in a modern venue with rustic exposed-stone walls.
L’antica Riva is a located in a historic building of the seventeenth century, one of the first houses in the city of Como, and is a great spot for dinner along the lakefront promenade. The food and service was great and we sat on their lovely terrace which had magnificent views of the lake.
The Modern Nomads 
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