Lake Como, Lago di Como in Italian, is located at the northern end of the region of Lombardy and is a little over one hour from the City of Milan. It is closer to the Italian speaking Switzerland than most of the rest of Italy. Lake Como is Italy’s most popular lake and is a top romantic travel destination. The lake is entirely surrounded by mountains. Wealthy Italians from Milan have built beautiful country homes around the lake that are more like palaces. Two of the mansions are open to the public and are very popular tourist attractions, Villa Carlota in Tremezzo and Villa del Balbianello in Lenno.
There are approximately 30 picturesque small towns and villages in the Lake Como area.
Watersports on the lake are very popular and you will be able to rent just about any kind of equipment. The lake is very active with sailboats, windsurfers, kite surfers, wake boarders and Kayak paddlers. The weather is typically mild and sunny from March through October. Water taxis are available and are also a good way to tour the lake.
The wealth combined with the beauty and privacy of Lake Como attracts many celebrities. Any George Clooney fan would know that he owns Villa Oleander in Laglio and often entertains Hollywood celebrities there like Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. Another famous property owner is Richard Branson who owns Villa Cassinella. This villa is available to rent if you are fabulously wealthy. Another popular attraction is a restaurant named Locanda on the only island in the lake. Famous celebrities that have eaten there include Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, Victoria and David Beckham and Elton John.
There are local shops surrounding the lake and if you are a chocolate lover you will find some of the best chocolate in the world. Another area for shopping is the town of Bellagio where you will find numerous boutiques along the cobbled alleyways where the lake links to the old center of town. There are many choices of restaurants and cafes in the area as well as a scattering of bars and nightlife.
There are 300 hotels in the Lake Como area that range from bed and breakfast accommodations to five star hotels.
Villa d’Este
On our trip to Lake Como we stayed at Villa d’Este which is part of the Leading Hotels of The World group. This famous resort has been hailed as one of the best hotels in the world by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel and Leisure and Forbes Traveler. It overlooks Lake Como and has a beautiful pool area, lush and breathtaking gardens, beautiful décor and excellent dining. The hotel was originally built in 1568 on 25-acres of gardens.
It was transformed to a luxury hotel in 1873. The hotel is continuously updated and offers a total of 152 rooms.
The staff at Villa d’Este is extremely professional and very accommodating. The dining experience is wonderful and the mountain view from the Veranda Restaurant is simply breathtaking. You can also dine on the terrace overlooking Lake Como.
Staying at Villa d’Este is a once in a lifetime experience that I hope I will have the privilege of doing again.