Why We Stayed Outside the Main Towns of Lake Como

When planning our long weekend at Lake Como, we decided not to stay in one of the three best-known towns: Varenna, Bellagio or Menaggio. Instead, we found accommodation in Fiumelatte, a tiny village just south of Varenna.

And we couldn’t be happier about or choice.

Our accommodation was in an old villa, directly by the lake, with its own garden, a fountain, palms and cypresses. In the late afternoon, we could simply walk down to one of the tiny pebble beaches in the village and take a swim in the lake.

There was also a little stream coming down from the mountains, which made the air around it feel refreshingly cool even in the middle of the July heat. It sometimes felt like someone had opened a fridge in the village.

Fiumelatte and Varenna

Varenna was just a 20-minute walk away, so staying outside the town hardly felt like a compromise. There is also a train between the two places, which takes only four minutes.

Varenna has fewer than a thousand inhabitants and, in our opinion, is probably the most charming of the three main towns. Its small streets, lakeside promenade, little shops and colourful houses make it a lovely place to wander around.

However, it gets considerably busier during the season. And this is exactly where staying in Fiumelatte worked so well for us: we could easily walk into Varenna when we wanted to, then return to a much quieter place afterwards.

Varenna or Bellagio?

We visited both, and the difference was quite noticeable.

Varenna is the smaller and, for us, the more atmospheric of the two. It feels like a small Italian lakeside village, with narrow streets and a relaxed promenade along the water.

Bellagio, on the other hand, felt almost like a real city when we arrived. There were considerably more people, ornate buildings, a wide lakeside promenade, elegant shops and restaurants under arcades. It was also more crowded, but that did not make it less enjoyable. We spent the hottest part of the day in the gardens of Villa Melzi, enjoyed the unique views of the lake and, of course, had some excellent gelato.

So, which one would we choose?

For sightseeing and a first visit, both are worth seeing. But for staying overnight, we would probably choose Varenna — or, even better, one of the smaller villages nearby.

Fiumelatte showed us that you do not necessarily have to stay in the place everyone else is staying. Sometimes being just a few minutes away gives you the best of both worlds: the famous towns are close enough to visit, while your own little corner of the lake can remain pleasantly quiet.