Aug 01, 2026

The Pearl, Off-Season: Finding Lake Como Without the Crowds

I'll admit it: George Clooney is part of why Lake Como had been on my list for years. But the lake doesn't need George — Milanese families have been escaping to these shores for over 2,000 years, just thirty miles north of the city's heat and close enough to keep one hand on the business but get away from the noise. The blue water and epic Alp peaks are a stunning combination.

Shaped like an upside-down "Y," the lake stretches 28.5 miles, threading together villages that feel like they were built for exactly this — looking beautiful from a boat.

Getting There Will Teach You Things

We flew into Milan and drove north into the Alps, and the drive alone is worth narrating. Lesson one: get the full car insurance coverage. Lesson two: hug the centerline, not the mountain, on the switchbacks (oops). Lesson three, a big one: do not drive into the actual old city of Como. Narrow does now accurately describe the teeny streets — a city clearly not built with cars in mind.

This was November — off-season by every definition — and the roads were still busy, parking still an adventure. I genuinely can't picture what July looks like, especially with Instagrammers taking non-stop selfies (eye-roll).

We based ourselves in a quiet Airbnb in Prato (apparently, a huge kite surfers spot with epic winds — who knew? So cool to watch), then drove down to Menaggio each day to catch the ferries across. Hindsight, I would recommend staying in Menaggio just to avoid the daily drives. The roads along the ferry terminal are narrow enough that parallel parking becomes a daily skill-builder, and the towns themselves are built up the hillside, not along it — so get those butt muscles ready.

One more thing nobody warns you about: at the grocery store, use the disposable gloves before touching the produce. I still remember getting yelled at by a local — fair enough, my bad.

The ferries are the better way to move between towns anyway — who needs a private boat tour? The ferry and roads will always take longer than Google Maps suggests, so leave time to soak the relaxing vibe in and breathe in the pure mountain air, and not rush, rush, rush.

Bellagio: The Actual Pearl

Surprisingly, the city of Como isn't the lake's most iconic stop. That title belongs to Bellagio, sitting right at the junction where the lake's three arms meet — which the locals call the "Pearl of the Lake," and which from the water, at golden hour, earns the nickname without irony.

The streets here are steep cobblestone, climbing up from the harbor toward the Parco di Villa Serbelloni — 52 acres of terraced gardens wrapped around the promontory the town sits on. The Villa itself, now a retreat for scholars under the Rockefeller Foundation, isn't open to visitors, but the grounds are, and the scale only reveals itself once you're inside. From outside, you'd never guess how far back and how far up it goes. The terracing was designed for privacy as much as beauty, so whole sections stay hidden until you round a corner and the lake opens up beneath you again.

South of the gardens, Giardini di Villa Melzi does something similar at smaller scale — about 20 acres of neoclassical lakeside grounds, the villa itself sitting right at the water's edge rather than up the hill. Most of the lake's grand villas only crack their gardens open to the public; the houses stay private.

If you eat one meal in Bellagio, make it Dispensa 63, tucked up a narrow cobblestone street at Salita Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour 15. The name is literal — sixty-three steps climb you there from the harbor, and you'll feel every one of them on the way up and appreciate every one on the way down. Inside: one small room, communal tables, a few window stools. The chef's menu changes often, comes out in courses, and is creative but unpretentious — a rare combination. Yum, yum, and yum.

Across the Water: Varenna and Como

Directly opposite Menaggio sits Varenna, the quieter cousin — a fishing village with far fewer crowds, anchored by the romantic Villa Monastero botanical gardens and, up the hill, Castello di Vezio. It was a really nice counterbalance to Bellagio: more chill, still beautiful.

Down at the southwestern tip is Como proper — the lake's only real city, with Renaissance architecture and a historic Duomo (yes, another Duomo) anchoring streets that feel more urban than anywhere else on the water. Different vibe — it feels like a city

where people live and not only for tourists. From here, the funicular up to Brunate is worth doing regardless of how long the line is. The ride itself — steep, narrow, climbing through the trees with the lake dropping away below — is the memory, not the destination. Try to get the front seats; the view really makes a difference.

Lake Como was everything I thought it would be, even without a George Clooney sighting. What nature created — the epic mountains and clear lake waters — are the centerpieces, and the man-made villas with spectacular gardens are a bonus.

-Mini K.