Lake Como is the most beautiful stretch of water in Europe, an hour from Milan: villas with gardens sloping to the shore, grand hotels, boats as taxis and a light that made painters and film-makers stay. It is the lake for weddings, honeymoons and second homes that become first homes.
Stay
- Villa d’Este, Cernobbio
- Passalacqua, Moltrasio
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo
- Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como, Blevio
Do
- Aperitivo at the Villa d’Este terrace as the sun goes down
- Villa del Balbianello and Villa Carlotta gardens
- A wooden Riva boat for the day
- Lunch at Il Gatto Nero above Cernobbio
- Bellagio at dawn before the ferries arrive
Gavalia’s rules
- A boat is not a luxury on Como, it is transport; rent one for the stay.
- Passalacqua and Villa d’Este are booked a year ahead for summer weekends.
- For property, insist on a private dock and a garden to the water; those two features decide the value.
The western shore
Cernobbio, Moltrasio, Laglio, Tremezzo and Menaggio line the shore that faces the afternoon sun: Villa d’Este, Passalacqua, Villa Balbiano, George Clooney’s Villa Oleandra. This is the lake of the films and the prices. The grand hotels, the gardens and the boats are all here.
Bellagio and beyond
Bellagio sits at the point where the lake divides, with Villa Serbelloni and the village steps. Varenna across the water is quieter; the northern lake is wilder and more affordable; Blevio and Torno on the eastern shore hold the Mandarin Oriental and villas with the best views of Cernobbio.
Property
Como villas are priced on three things: the frontage, the dock and the garden. A restored villa with all three on the western shore is a 20-million-euro proposition and rarely public. Apartments in the grand villas divided a century ago offer the address at a fraction of the price. Milan is fifty minutes away, which is why the lake has become a place to live.
The property market
The western shore from Cernobbio to Menaggio is the address, with waterfront villas from 10 million euros to 50 million and beyond; the eastern shore and the villages above the lake offer views at a third of the price.
Try it yourself
Villa Cost CalculatorPurchase price and country: taxes, fees, annual running costs and the ten-year total, with rental income if you let it.Destination MatcherMonth, mood and budget: the three countries or regions that fit, with the season and the hotels.Questions people ask
Where should I stay on Lake Como?
Cernobbio, Moltrasio or Tremezzo on the western shore for the grand hotels and the afternoon sun; Bellagio for the village and the views.
How much is a villa on Lake Como?
From about 5 million euros for a villa with lake views to 20 to 50 million for a restored waterfront villa with a dock and garden on the western shore.
When is the best time to visit Lake Como?
May, June and September for warm days, open gardens and fewer visitors. July and August are hot and busy; the lake sleeps from November to March.
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