Lakecomo
Bellagio — the Pearl of the Lake, Villa Serbelloni Gardens & the Ferry Triangle
Bellagio (population 3,000, on the tip of the Lariana promontory at the point where Lake Como divides into the Como branch to the southwest and the Lecco branch to the southeast, the most celebrated lakeside village in Europe, nicknamed the Pearl of the Lake) is accessible by ferry from Como in 50 minutes, from Varenna in 15 minutes, and from Menaggio in 15 minutes — the three-ferry triangle circuit is the classic Lake Como day trip.
Varenna — the Passeggiata degli Innamorati, the Gardens & the Grigne Mountains
Varenna (population 800, on the east shore of Lake Como opposite the centre of the lake, accessible by ferry from Bellagio in 15 minutes or by train from Milan Centrale in 1 hour on the Lecco-Sondrio line, with Varenna-Esino-Perledo station 400m above the village requiring a local bus or 20-minute walk down) is the quietest and most locally authentic of the three ferry triangle villages.
Cernobbio — Villa d Este, Lake Como's Grand Hotel Tradition & George Clooney's Lake
Cernobbio (the small town 5km north of Como city on the western shore, population 7,000, famous as the location of Villa d Este — the most celebrated grand hotel on Lake Como and one of the most famous hotels in Europe) is the starting point for understanding the lake's role as the playground of European and American wealth since the 18th century.
Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo & Lenno — the Western Shore's Botanical Gardens
The western shore of Lake Como (the Tremezzina, the 10km stretch between Lenno and Menaggio) contains the highest concentration of historic villas and botanical gardens on the lake — Villa Carlotta, Villa Balbianello, Villa Monastero (seen from across the lake at Varenna), and the Giardino Botanico di Villa del Balbianello are all accessible from the Tremezzina by lake ferry.
Lake Como Through the Seasons — Spring Camellias, Summer Crowds & Winter Calm
Lake Como's microclimate (the lake's thermal mass moderating temperatures throughout the year — the lake rarely drops below 10 degrees Celsius even in the coldest winters, the south-facing slopes receiving maximum Alpine sun, the compressed growing season producing intense botanical displays) creates distinct and rewarding seasonal experiences very different from the July-August peak-tourist period.
Como City — the Gothic Cathedral, Funicular to Brunate & the Silk Museum
Como (population 85,000, the principal city of Lake Como at the southern tip of the lake's western branch, the historic Roman town of Comum founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BCE, the birthplace of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, the gateway city for Lake Como visited by most tourists as a transit point without spending adequate time in the city itself) merits a full day's exploration independent of the lake.