A beautiful stay in Lake Como

After a short train ride from Milan we disembarked at the Varenna Esino station and walked the 5 min to our AirBnb. Once settled in we walked a short distance towards the wharf area and found ourselves face to face with the beautiful Lake Como and its crystal-clear and tranquil waters. I’m not going to lie, you almost feel like you’re part of a movie as soon as you start walking along the lake which is also surrounded by lush, emerald-green mountains all around.

We walked along the waterfront promenade, called the lovers’ promenade, from the wharf of Varenna to the centre of the village with beautiful views of the town and the lake, almost postcard perfect, and then climbed the narrow cobblestone streets until we reached Piazza San Giorgio where we found a restaurant to have dinner. For the rest of the evening we took it easy and just soaked in the atmosphere of the small town which after the intensive week that we had in Switzerland where we were walking and exploring so many different areas, it felt well deserved to have a bit of down time again.

The next morning after a well deserved sleep-in we caught a ferry to the nearby (and well known) town of Bellagio. Here we walked alongside the lakeside promenade where we ensured that we sampled some more gelato before climbing its narrow cobblestone streets, passing squares and just enjoying its colourful buildings. 

We even managed to find a great place that sold local craft beers, the Taverna Gambrinus Bellagio, where I sampled some of their beers whilst Suz enjoyed an Aperol Spritz (and Xander and Eloise spent the time playing some more UNO).

After a few hours we caught the ferry back to Varenna and managed to get a lake side sitting for dinner where we enjoyed a few local dishes and red wine whilst Xander re-told us the story about how his pizza crust got taken from him in Milan.

The next morning we decided to catch a ferry to Bellagio and then a local bus to the town of Nesso. After climbing down a lot of steps we made our way to the ancient bridge that spans the river, the Ponte della Civera. We had purchased our lunch after getting off the bus, local paninis with pesto, cheese and meats (and some local beers) which we enjoyed whilst having  beautiful views of the bridge, lake and also away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist crowds. Our original plan was that we were to catch the ferry from Nesso back to Varenna, however after checking the time table we had recently missed one and the next wasn’t for another couple of house, so we walked the stairs back up and caught a bus back to Bellagio and then a ferry back to Varenna again. 

We found the Lake Como area to be a great destination, not only due to the beautiful lake and its surroundings, but also with its picturesque towns and villages with their cobblestone streets, and lakeside promenades.

We had chosen to stay in Varenna due to its proximity to the train station, making it easier for us to get to and leave without having to carry suitcases along on the ferries. However, after spending a few days in the area we felt that we made the right decision to stay here, not only due to the train station, but also because Varenna is such a picturesque and charming village with breathtaking views of Lake Como and more intimate setting than Bellagio.  

We’ll happily return to Lake Como again, for now though, it was time to return to Rome.