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Lake Como
Lake in Lombardy, Italy

Lake Como

Lake Como, also known as Lario, is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy.

Plan a trip to Lake Como→From Orio al Serio (BG)

It has an area of 146 km2 (56 sq mi), making it the third-largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. At over 400 metres (1,300 ft) deep, it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. Its characteristic "Y" shape resulted from the movement of the ancient Adda glacier, which was diverted by the mountainous terrain and carved the three branches.

Get in

Getting to Lake Como

The main access to the lake is from Milan and Bergamo. It is also possible to cross the border from Lugano (Switzerland), and arriving at the lake at Menaggio. In the north, the lake can be accessed through the Splügen pass (closed from end of autumn to the beginning of spring), or from St. Moritz, both entering from Switzerland.

See

Worth seeing

Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo offers great views of the lake from its large impressive gardens which are famous for the wide varieties of plants. The villa is also a museum containing a number of sculptures and artworks. Villa Monestero in Varenna. The Wayfarer's Path of Leonardo da Vinci Sentiero del Viandante (Lierna)

Do

Things to do

= = Take a boat trip. The most popular tourist towns seem to be Bellagio, Menaggio, and Varenna. Gravedona and Domaso (in the north) and Bellano, Lenno, and Argegno (mid-lake) are also worth a stop (no more than two hours required for each). Take a flight over the lake. Aero Club Como offers flights in seaplanes. = = The nearest skiing area is the Piani di Bobbio site.

  1. 01
    Cablecar Argegno - Pigra

    Take a cable car then hike down to Colonno (~2 hr).

Eat

Where to eat

Gelato – many of the small towns around the lake have excellent gellaterias. This dessert/snack is wonderfully flavourful and perfect for enjoying from a bench at the side of the lake. Locanda dell'Isola Comacina on Isola Comacina Creme Caramel in San Siro (parking may be problematic) La Baia in Cremia Trattoria Il Pontile, Musso Pizzeria Laguna Beach in Pianello del Lario

How locals move

Getting around Lake Como the local way

  • Get aroundFor example, the regular ferry takes around 2 hours to go from Como to Bellaggio.
  • Get aroundBy comparison, a one-way ticket on the regular ferry from Como to Bellaggio (ca 2 hr) costs €10.40, while a return ticket on the hydrofoil (45 min) costs about €30 (Sep 2019).

From Wikivoyage: Lake Como, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-06.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.