A Relaxed Long Weekend on Lake Como

Lake Como is one of those destinations where one could easily spend a week trying to see everything. But since the lake is relatively compact and just over an hour from Milan, we found it to be a perfect place for a long weekend relaxation.

We spent two full days on the lakeshore and two days were spent mostly with reaching it. Instead of rushing from one place to another, we tried to leave enough time to enjoy the surroundings.

Day 1: Arriving in Fiumelatte

We arrived by car on a hot July weekend and reached our accommodation in Fiumelatte in the late afternoon. The tiny village is just south of Varenna, and our old villa was located directly on the lakeshore.

The garden, with its fountain, palms and cypresses, immediately won us over. Later that afternoon, we went down to one of the village's tiny pebble beaches and took a swim in the lake.

There was also a small stream coming down from the mountains, beside which even the greatest summer heat felt as if we had opened a refrigerator. Not a bad place to spend the first afternoon.

Day 2: Varenna and Bellagio

After breakfast, we walked to Varenna, which took about 20 minutes. The town has fewer than a thousand inhabitants, but it gets considerably busier during the season.

We wandered through the small streets, walked along the lakeside promenade and eventually reached the harbour, where we took a ferry to Bellagio.

Bellagio felt almost like a real city compared to Varenna. There were many more people, ornate buildings, a wide lakeside promenade and elegant shops and restaurants under arcades.

We spent the hottest part of the day in the gardens of Villa Melzi, surrounded by plants and trees from all over the world, with a unique view of the lake.

After a gelato, we returned to the harbour and took the ferry back to Varenna. Later, we headed up into the mountains for a proper northern Italian dinner.

Day 3: Swimming in Lierna

The next morning, we drove for a few minutes from Fiumelatte to Lierna. Its pebble beach offers beautiful views of the lake, and the small, densely built peninsula nearby is perfect for a pleasant walk.

After lunch and a little more swimming, we returned to our accommodation for a late afternoon nap.

In the evening, we went up to Vezio, a small settlement above Varenna, for a walk. We ended the day with a gelato on Varenna's lakeside promenade.

Three days were enough to get a good taste of Lake Como — without ever feeling that we had to rush. And perhaps that is exactly what makes it such a good long-weekend destination.