Lake Como offers hidden treasures just waiting for the visitor to discover them: charming corners forgotten by time, lakeside villages where nothing seems to have changed for centuries. It is steeped in history with an immense collection of churches,architectural masterpieces and works of art covering the centuries. The lake is situated in a basin surrounded by wooded mountains, and offers an extremely varied landscape, with its' shores featuring a succession of pastures, and woods as well as harsh and impressive rock formations. All this alongside elegant, lakeside villas with sub-tropical gardens, which provide a haven of peace and tranquillity and chic resorts such as Bellagio, Menaggio and Como itself.

The entirety of the Lake Como region is famed for its mild conditions, summers rarely get excruciatingly hot and winters are never bitterly cold. Snow may fall in the region on the odd occasion, but is generally very rare from year to year. Summers will see the odd day where the mercury rises over 30 degrees, but in the peak summer months the temperatures tend to hover in the high 20's.

Lake Como is a popular location for those interested in wind sports- so strap your windsurfer to your car and head to Lake Como if its windsurfing that you're interested in, because the way that the valleys split up air currents means that a variety of wind currents blow through the area making it ideal for windsurfing.

Activities on Lake Como
Sightseeing , Walking , Swimming , Fishing , Golf , Cycling , Water Skiing , Beach Volleyball , Hiking , Equestrianism

For sheer variety of activities and attractions Lake Como definitely has the edge on its’ two rivals Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda. Swimming in fresh water lakes,with no waves to bother you, is surely an experience not to be missed. For those of you who are a bit more adventurous, Como is the home to many of Italy’s former world championship Water Skiing champions, Its’ glass like appearance makes it an ideal nursery slope for those who wish to take up this exhilarating sport.

The weather conditions are Mediterranean, which means the summers are long and summer conditions will begin to prevail around May where the average daily high has risen to about 13 degrees. Once you move into June the highs have reaches 17 degrees, before peaking at 20 degrees in the hottest month of July.

Rainfall is consistent across the year, with Spring and Autumn being the wettest months on average across the year. The Spring time, while very beautiful as the trees and flowers are blooming and the region is coming back to life after winter, can bring torrential downpours which can last for 1 or 2 days. Though after the sky has broken and the rain has fallen you'll be sure to be met with a good run of sunny clear days in the aftermath.

One of the interesting things about Lake Como is that throughout the summer months it stores the heat from the sun in the water and throughout winter this heat is released, which is one of the reasons why the climate is kept so mild during the winter months. The surrounding mountains also act as insulation keeping the areas warmer than other locations at similar latitudes.

Winters do see temperatures drop below freezing, and January is generally the coldest month with an average minimum of -3 degrees and maximum of only 2 degrees. The average daily temperatures in January and February are -1 and 0 degrees, respectively.

You can find snowfall as you head to higher elevations, though it is rare to find it in the lowlands. The northern parts of Lake Como have a tendency to be a few degrees cooler than the south and the north also receives more rainfall on average- this is due to the north's closer proximity to the Italian Alps.

While summer will see the conditions perfect for a holiday and the weather warm enough to take part in water sports, keep in mind that this is the same thought that 1000's of others have had to you may be paying more for accommodation and even restaurants may hike their prices.

Winter can still be a great time to visit, you can make the most of the off season deals and the lake is extremely beautiful in winter and you can take in the sights and sounds in the clear crisp winters air.

Menaggio
Menaggio is located on the western shore of Lake Como, 35km from Como, because of its' privileged geographical position between Como, Lugano and the upper lake, it is considered the "metropolis" of the central part of the lake. Its' three districts are Croce and Loveno in the hills and Nobiallo at the edge of the lake. Due to its' panoramic position, with a view that overlooks Bellagio, the Grigne and the Corni di Canzo mountains, and its' pleasant climate, it has been a renowned resort for more than a century. The beautiful villas give testimony to this fact. They include Villa Belfaggio, Villa D'Azeglio, Villa Lovone, and Villa Vogoni, all of which are in the residential area of Loveno.
Menaggio is a busy tourist centre with several high-class hotels, many restaurants, pizzerias and bars.

There is a lakefront lido as well as a scenic cobbled shopping area. Menaggio is a popular destination, particularly for holidaymakers keen on outdoor activities. In summer, the city centre fills with holidaymakers, making it the ideal place for those wishing to have an " active" holiday.Sports-lovers will find first-class facilities: water sports are organised at the tourist port, and there's also a gym, horse-riding, tennis, basket-ball and volley-ball. A wonderful view awaits golfers at the panoramic 18-hole course and those who enjoy trekking will find a network of clearly sign-posted paths covering a range of abilities. There is plenty of good walking in the area, from easy strolls to tough mountain hikes, as well as opportunities for swimming, water-skiing, mountain-biking and riding. Menaggio Tourist Information Office (Piazza Garibaldi) stocks a good range of information in English about local activities and sights. For a personal account of hiking in the Menaggio area, see our Lake Como walking page. Keen walkers may also be interested in Lonely Planet's Walking in Italy, which features Menaggio as a recommended access town with plenty of information and detailed description of a 9km walk up Monte Grona from nearby Breglia and a much tougher 22km trek along the Via dei Monti Lariani, above the lake.

Menaggio is served by an excellent ferry service, which gives you easy access to all other parts of the Lake. The fastest means of transport is the hydrofoil, which also serves the whole lake. There is also a car-ferry service, which links Menaggio to Bellagio and Varenna. There is also a regular bus service on the Como/Menaggio/Colico route.

Bellaggio
Known as the ‘Pearl of the Lake’, this beautiful town enjoys a magnificent setting on the promontory dividing Lake Como from Lake Lecco. 31km from Como. It is undoubtedly the most famous resort on the lake. For centuries its' scenic location has enchanted artists and writers from around Europe. The views from the lakefront, its' colourful terrace cafes and tree-lined promenade, are simply superb. With its' mild winter and pleasant summer, its' historical town centre, its' lush and varied flora, Bellagio is the ideal place for those who like tranquillity and walks. Whilst its' elegant cafes, restaurants and charming shops provide an added bonus and attract visitors from all over the world. During the summer there is a whole range of water sports to choose from, as well as a lake-side Lido, while in the winter there are ski lifts on Monte San Primo. Because of its' location it has a great variety of views. Indeed, it offers a good view of the whole lake. On the northern horizon one can see the Pre-Alps. Some of the best views can be seen from the park of Villa Serbelloni and from the top of Monte San Primo. From the latter, on a particularly clear day, one can make out the Alps, from Mont Blanc to the Ortles, and the Madonnina on top of the Duomo of Milan.

Mezzegra
Mezzegra is a very small place but very interesting for a particular reason - it was where Mussolini was executed.

Sala Comacina
Sala Comacina, is an attractive village, lying on the western bank of the lake: a drawing room facing lsola Comacina. This little village, which lies on the western shore of Lake Como at the foot of Monte Costone, is one of the most distinctive places on the lake. In the last century Sala Comacina was already considered to be an important holiday destination, as is demonstrated by the many villas which have stood along the coast since then.
Tremezzo
Tremezzo is another lovely lakeside town. There's a classic lakeside promenade, as well as many wonderful old villas (some of which have been converted to hotels), and it's from here you can take a car ferry over to Bellaggio and Varenna, on the opposite shore.

Lake Lugano
Nestled between the peaks of the pre-alps and straddling the Italy - Switzerland border, its position is of storybook tales.

The quality of life is excellent. Leisure activities are abundant: Golf, tennis, horseback riding, water-skiing, and snow-skiing. Water-ski on Lake Lugano in the morning, lunch at a lakeside café and snow-ski in St. Moritz in the afternoon. And the region is as well known for its secure investment climate as it is for its weather!

Porlezza
is an important tourist center situated at the head of Lake Lugano, surrounded by the valleys of Menaggio, Carvagna, Intelvi and Valsolda. Porlezza is just 15 - 20 minutes’ drive from Lugano to the east, whose airport offers connecting flights to Zurich, Frankfurt, Paris and Rome.


Lake Maggiore, Italy’s second biggest lake.
Maggiore – also called Verbano - is no exception. 34 miles from Milan’s Malpensa airport, Lake Maggiore is less glitzy than Como, less crowded than Garda, and is, on the whole, a more natural experience. Until you reach Stresa however, where the fantastical and the grandiose rule.


WHEN TO GO: April to October is the best period if you plan on enjoying the botanical gardens or the sun. As with the other lakes, some of the hotels and restaurants are closed between November and March, though Maggiore has a number of working towns which continue to function long after the tourists have gone home.

Having said that, Locarno, Verbania, Stresa and Luino are all much more attractive outside of the winter season. Temperatures can reach mid-30s Celsius in July and August (That’s around 95 degrees Fahrenheit), though snow is very common between January and February (even in March!). Expect some spectacular thunderstorms in August, and heavy rain in April and October.