Varenna
Lake Como, Italy
A quieter fishing-village-turned-resort on the eastern shore, with a lakeside promenade and pastel houses.
Places in Varenna
- Lakeside cafes, Varenna promenade A string of relaxed cafes along the water, ideal for a slow coffee with lake views.
Practical notes for Lake Como
- Best time to visit
- May, June, and September offer mild weather and blooming gardens without peak-season crowds.
- Getting around
- Ferries connect all major towns and are the easiest, most scenic way to move around the lake. A car is useful for reaching hillside villages, though the coastal roads are narrow and slow in summer.
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- Italian. English is widely spoken around the lake.
- Timezone
- CET (UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer)
- Current trends
- A run of Milanese and international buyers restoring historic villas into small design hotels has brought a new wave of destination dining to towns like Laglio and Torno, just as ferry-hopping between villages (rather than driving) has become the preferred way to see the lake.
Other neighborhoods in Lake Como
- Bellagio — The lake's most photographed town, its cobbled streets rising steeply from the water's edge at the point where the lake forks.
- Cernobbio — A quiet town near the lake's southern tip, home to antique shops, traditional restaurants, and grand hotels.
Read the full Lake Como guide