Lake Como
The grand hotels aren't just places to sleep—they're destinations built into the shoreline. We spent mornings at Grand Hotel Tremezzo, where breakfast stretched into late morning and the pool floated on the lake itself. Passalacqua felt like staying in someone's private villa, because it was. Il Sereno was all clean lines and modernist restraint, a different kind of luxury than the Belle Époque grandeur up the road at Villa d'Este.
The rhythm of the lake dictated everything. We took a Riva out for the day, cutting across the water between Cernobbio and Moltrasio, stopping at Harry's Bar for lunch because it felt obligatory and turned out to be worth it. A seaplane ride from Como town gave us the full sweep of it—how the lake splits into three arms, how the villas cling to impossible slopes. Most evenings we stayed in Como proper: Fresco Cocktail Shop before dinner, then Barbarossa or L'Ideale depending on the mood.
What stuck was how little we needed to move. A day at the pool. A slow meal at Ristorante Perrotta. The boat ride between small towns we'd never heard of. Lake Como doesn't ask you to rush.
Where we stayed
Where we stayed: Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Tremezzina, Villa d'Este, Cernobbio, Passalacqua, Moltrasio, Il Sereno, Lake Como and more.
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Tremezzina
- Villa d'Este, Cernobbio
- Passalacqua, Moltrasio
- Il Sereno, Lake Como
- Mandarin Oriental, Lake Como
Dining
Dining: Grand Hotel Tremezzo breakfast, Tremezzina, Harry's Bar, Cernobbio, Ristorante Perrotta, Cernobbio, Barbarossa, Como and more.
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo breakfast, Tremezzina
- Harry's Bar, Cernobbio
- Ristorante Perrotta, Cernobbio
- Barbarossa, Como
- Crianza, Como
- L'Ideale, Como
- Le Colonne, Como
- Osteria Casa, Como
- Ristorante Materia, Lake Como
- Il Sereno, Lake Como
Drinking
Drinking: Fresco Cocktail Shop, Como.
- Fresco Cocktail Shop, Como
Activities
Activities: Spend a day at the pool, Seaplane ride from Como town, Riva boat day on the lake, hopping the small lakeside towns.
- Spend a day at the pool
- Seaplane ride from Como town
- Riva boat day on the lake, hopping the small lakeside towns