Part of the pleasure of Lake Como is that no two towns feel alike, and where you choose to spend your days is really a question of temperament rather than a matter of finding the single best address. The lake is shaped like an upside down figure, three long branches of deep water folded between mountains, and each town along its shores has grown into its own particular character over the centuries. Some are made for slow romance, some for families and swimming, some for gardens and grand hotels, and one or two for people who quietly want to avoid the crowds altogether. Over several visits I have come to think of them almost as different rooms in the same beautiful house. What follows is my honest sense of who each one is for, so that you can arrive already knowing which door to open. If you would like the wider picture first, my complete guide to Lake Como sets the scene.
Bellagio
Bellagio is the town on the postcards, the so-called pearl of the lake, and it earns the title even if it also pays the price for it. It sits right on the point where the three branches meet, which gives it lake views in three directions and a light that shifts all day. The centre is a set of steep cobbled stepped lanes climbing away from the water, lined with silk boutiques, small trattorias and gelato counters, and it remains both the most romantic and the most crowded of the towns. Because it is the central ferry hub, almost everyone passes through Bellagio at some point, and by late morning in summer the lanes fill quickly. My advice is to stay overnight if you can, so that you have the place to yourself in the early evening once the day boats have gone. It suits couples, first-time visitors and anyone who wants the classic Como scene close at hand. I have written far more about it in my full Bellagio travel guide.
Varenna
If Bellagio is the town everyone photographs, Varenna is the one I keep returning to. It sits on the eastern shore, a small and tranquil fishing village of ochre and faded red houses that seem to have been painted straight onto the rock. The great pleasure here is the Passeggiata degli Innamorati, the lovers’ walk, a slender waterside path pinned to the cliff that carries you from the ferry dock into the old village without ever leaving the edge of the lake. Varenna faces west, which gives it the best sunsets on Como, long and slow and gold over the far mountains. It is also directly connected to Milan by rail, which makes it the easiest town to reach without a car, and it holds far fewer crowds than Bellagio even in high season. This is the place for readers, for couples who want quiet, and for anyone arriving by train. My full Varenna travel guide covers where to walk, eat and stay.
Menaggio
On the western shore, more or less across the water from Varenna, sits Menaggio, and it is the town I recommend most often to people watching their budget without wanting to feel they have compromised. It is lively but relaxed, with a broad flat lakefront promenade that is genuinely walkable, a real square with cafes, and a good stretch of open water for swimming. It offers the best value of the main towns, and its flatness alone makes it kinder to families with young children and prams than the vertical lanes of Bellagio. Menaggio is also a natural gateway. From here the road climbs west toward Lugano and the Swiss border, so it makes a fine base if you want a day in Switzerland or a hike into the hills behind the lake. It suits families, walkers, and travellers who want a comfortable, sociable base without the premium prices.
Como
At the southern tip of the western branch is Como itself, and it is worth remembering that this is a proper small city rather than a resort village. It has a magnificent Duomo, centuries of silk heritage still visible in its shops and small museums, real restaurants that stay open late, and genuine nightlife of the sort you will not find further up the lake. It also has by far the best transport links, with fast trains to Milan and a web of ferries and buses fanning out from its waterfront. From the lakefront a little funicular climbs to Brunate, the village above, for a wide view back down over the rooftops and water. Como is less picture perfect and more of a working city, which is exactly its appeal for some. It suits those who want an urban base, easy arrivals and departures, and something to do after dark.
The Tremezzina, Tremezzo and Lenno
The stretch of western shore around Tremezzo and Lenno, known collectively as the Tremezzina, is the villa-and-garden heartland of the lake. This is where you find Villa del Balbianello on its wooded promontory and the terraced botanical gardens of Villa Carlotta, along with a run of grand old lakeside hotels that have hosted travellers for well over a century. It is scenic and noticeably quieter than the central towns, with long views across to Bellagio, though it is more spread out and therefore more oriented toward those with a car or a willingness to lean on the ferries. Come here if gardens and grand architecture are the point of your trip, if you want a stately hotel with a lawn running down to the water, and if you value calm over convenience. For planning where to base yourself along this shore, my guide on where to stay in Lake Como is a good companion.
Cernobbio
Just north of Como sits Cernobbio, a small and refined enclave that many visitors pass without stopping. Its name is bound up with Villa d’Este, one of the most famous hotels in the world, and the town keeps a quiet, moneyed elegance without ever feeling showy. There is a modest, pretty lakefront square, a scattering of good restaurants, and an easy sense of being close to the city of Como while feeling entirely apart from it. It suits travellers who want understated luxury and privacy, and who are happy to trade the bustle of the central towns for something more discreet.
The Lecco branch
Most visitors never explore the south eastern arm of the lake, the branch that ends at the town of Lecco, and it rewards those who do with a very different Como. This side is rugged and mountainous, hemmed in by sheer grey peaks, with an industrial and working history that gives it a plainer, more lived-in feel. Lecco is woven into Italian literature as the setting of Alessandro Manzoni’s great novel The Betrothed, and there is a real pleasure in walking a town that has stayed itself rather than becoming a backdrop. It is cheaper than the resort towns and far less touristy, and it feels more like real Italy than a holiday postcard. Come here for hiking, for literary interest, and for a look at the lake with its everyday clothes on.
Which town should you choose?
If you want romance and a central position, choose Bellagio and stay the night. If you want quiet, painterly calm and easy arrival by train, choose Varenna. If you are travelling with family or watching your budget, Menaggio gives you the best value and the flattest, friendliest lakefront. If you want a connected city base with nightlife and simple transport, choose Como. And if villas and gardens are what draws you to the lake, base yourself in the Tremezzina. Cernobbio and the Lecco branch are for a second visit, or for travellers who already know they want either quiet luxury or the rougher, more authentic edge of the lake. Whichever you choose, the ferries make it easy to visit the others, and my guide to getting around Lake Como by boat explains how.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the prettiest town on Lake Como?
Bellagio is the most famous and the most photographed, sitting on the point where the three branches meet, but many people, myself included, find Varenna every bit as lovely and far more peaceful. If you want the classic image, choose Bellagio. If you want quiet beauty and the best sunsets, choose Varenna.
Which town is the best to stay in?
There is no single answer, because it depends on how you travel. Bellagio is best for romance and central location, Varenna for calm and easy train access from Milan, Menaggio for value and families, and Como for a city base with the strongest transport links.
Bellagio or Varenna, which should I pick?
Choose Bellagio if you want the postcard scene, silk boutiques and a central ferry hub, and do not mind crowds. Choose Varenna if you want a small, tranquil fishing village, a waterside lovers’ walk, better sunsets and an easy rail connection to Milan.
Which town is best for families?
Menaggio is my usual recommendation for families. Its lakefront is flat and walkable, it offers good value, and there is open water for swimming, all of which makes it easier with children than the steep lanes of Bellagio or the cliff paths of Varenna.
