filipa.figueira21What if I told you that I visited Lago di Como with Sofia from Argentina and Davide and Sergio from Italy without planning anything? This is the magic of travelling alone, you never know what is going to happen. I did plan to go to Lake Como and thanks to Couchsurfing I didn’t go alone. I had planned to visit Bellagio and Varenna on my second weekend in Italy but after checking the weather I changed my plans and decided to go on my second day. It was the best thing we did since we caught a beautiful day even though when we left Milan the sky was really grey.
Our plan was to go and come back to Lake Como in the same day, so we chose to see Bellagio and Varenna. However, since we were going by car we passed by the city center of Como before reaching our first destination – Bellagio.
When to visit Lake Como?
The best months to visit Lake Como are from April to October. I visited the Lake in the middle of October and the weather was still very pleasant.
How to reach Lago di Como?
If you’re visiting Milan you should take one day to visit Lago di Como. I went to Lake Como by car but it’s also reachable by public transportation, mainly the train. Therefore, you have the following options:
- Milano Centrale Station to Como S. Giovanni or to Varenna-Esino
- Milano Porta Garibaldi to Como S. Giovanni
- Milano Cadorna – Como Nord Lago
Once you are in Como lake you can move around by boat so that you can see the beautiful villas. See more about the boat tours here.
What to do in Lake Como
Located in Lombardy region, Lake Como, also kwnown as “il Lario”, is the third largest of the Italian lakes, after Lake Garda and lake Maggiore). The lake its famous for its natural beauty and its villages.
There are plently of villages that you can see in Lago di Como. Our plan was to see two in just one day so we chose Bellagio and Varenna. Since we were doing a car trip we also passed by other villages but we didn’t stop to explore.
Our first stop was Bellagio. We had a hard time finding a spot to park the car since it was Sunday and we only arrived around 13 pm. We eventually found a spot in a parking lot. We had lunch in Antico Pozzo Restaurant and I must say that I ate the best risotto of my life, really!
Best things to do in Bellagio
Walk along the river to see the mountains and the boats moving around
See Bellagio from above by climbing the Salita Serbelloni street. This is one of the most walked and photographed streets of Bellagio and here you will find restaurants and a variety of shops.
Stroll around the streets of Bellagio
Take your time to walk around Bellagio and see it’s narrow and colorful streets.
Visit the Basilica of San Giacomo
Go to Punta Spartivento
This is a great spot to take pictures and just be present in the moment looking at the view. I highly recommend you to go there!
Our road trip continued and he headed to Varenna by car. This litle village is cozy and in one hour or two you can get to know everything. We also had the chance to see the most amazing sunset there.
This was my first trip to Italy (first of many I hope) to represent my company in an event in Milan. In total I spent 9 days in Lombardy region, knowing better Milan, Como, Bergamo and Brescia.
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