Of the many beautiful towns on the shores of Lake Como, Bellagio is the most popular. Also, known as “The Pearl of the Lake”, it’s situated on the tip of a peninsula which divides the lake into two legs, Como and Lecco. It’s the ideal place to stay during a vacation.
My daughter discovered Lake Como on a school trip she took to Italy a few years ago. This summer we spent three days in Lake Como with the family. We chose to stay in Bellagio because it was easily accessible by ferry boat. Bellagio is characterized by the simplicity of its 19th century buildings, by the stone lanes with picturesque cobbled stairways, and by large numbers of shops, restaurants, and hotels.
The town of Bellagio is an hour bus ride away from Como. You can go there by boat which I highly recommend because of its winding roads. We decided to drive and got car sick. The slow ferry boat from Como takes about 1 hour 40 minutes to Bellagio. The fast ferry boat takes around an hour.
The panoramic lake views are stunning both during the day and in the evenings with the mountains of Italy and Switzerland in the distance.
For accommodations, we considered:
Grand Hotel Tremezzo: Luxury 5 Star Hotel directly on the lake with all the amenities one can ask for. It’s located on a quite part of town but still walking distance to everything. They even have a floating pool in the lake.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni: Luxury 5 Star Hotel located at the end of the main street of town. It’s the perfect location because it’s nearby the ferry station. You have a row of restaurants outside of the hotel if you want to venture out.
We decided to stay at Metropole Bellagio. The hotel is directly in the middle of the lake front and priced reasonably for a family traveling with teenagers. They were one of the few hotels in the area that had a triple room to accommodate our kids. They also offered complimentary breakfast in the morning as well as Free WIFI. We had a lake front room with a balcony facing the lake. Where you could sit and admire the views of the lake.
Right outside the hotel doors is the main street of Bellagio, where you find a variety of restaurants/bars alongside the lake and in front of the ferry terminal. Tourist come daily to dine alongside the lake or just walk around town. Some of the best Italian cuisine we had was in Bellagio.
Bellagio is a very walkable town providing you are not put off by climbing steps. You climb up many cobblestone steps that lead you up small alleys to find local artist galleries, cafes and stores.
Even my husband, who hates to shop, found something to buy. He bought both this sweet red devil and some collectors playing cards (really, only for the jokers).
Some of the attractions to see in Bellagio are the famous gardens of Villa Melzi and the Church of San Giacomo.
What are your favorite towns in Lake Como?
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frankaboutcroatia
January 21, 2014 at 8:51 amI so want to visit Lake Como and plan to go there this spring. Bellagio looks like a perfect base to explore the area. I wouldn’t mind driving the winding roads. But ferry is tempting too. Lovely photos!
Carmen
January 21, 2014 at 2:22 pmIt’s perfect because you can take the ferries to the other towns from Bellagio. The ferries run most of the day. We ventured off to some of the other towns but Bellagio was still my favorite.
Mrs. Chasing the Donkey
January 21, 2014 at 10:08 amOhhhh I loved Lake Como when we were there in 2010. I was on the hunt looking to Spot George Cooney – no such luck though 🙁 I think I will go back and try my luck again. Thanks for linking back us with #SundayTraveler
Carmen
January 21, 2014 at 2:27 pmThat’s funny, I had no luck either. We saw a helicopter flying over the lake. Some of the tourist joked around saying it was George Cooney heading to his villa. They say he likes to ride his motorcycle around town. I’ll definitely go back one day.
A Southern Gypsy
January 21, 2014 at 3:30 pmWow, Lake Como looks lovely…I will have to make it there one day! Thanks for linking up to the #SundayTraveler again this week 🙂
Travis
January 25, 2014 at 1:01 pmI have only ever visited Lake Garda and (thankfully) it wasn’t during peak times. Lake Como and Bellagio look like a wonderful place to sit back and relax! I totally understand about getting carsick on Italian roads – I think that’s the only place I’ve ever felt sick! Glad to have found you blog via #SundayTraveler – looking forward to reading more! Safe travels!
Carmen
January 26, 2014 at 3:44 amWe went in June and it wasn’t so bad. Most of the tourist were American speaking English. Next time you’re in the area go to Lake Como. It’s a great place to unwind and relax for a few days.