I had never really been into lakes, but that changed when I visited one of the most beautiful lakes in the world: Lake Como in northern Italy.

Before I “met” Lake Como, I had never thought about lakes that much. Maybe because I was born and raised in Bangkok where it was easier to find a shopping mall than a body of water. I wasn’t into nature until I moved to the U.S. 20 years ago and started to appreciate national parks, beaches, lakes, and nature in general. 

I first saw pictures of Lake Como on Instagram, so when I started to travel extensively in Europe, Lake Como was high on my list. I was mesmerized by the beautiful blue water and gorgeous villas and lush gardens.

Getting there

But just like my initial confusion with Provence, I was confused when planning my Como trip. I thought there was a town and the lake. In reality, Lake Como is shaped like an upside-down Y and is surrounded by different towns, the biggest of which is Como, where most visitors get on and off the train from other Italian or European cities. If you are from the U.S., you’ll likely fly into Milan and take a 40-minute train to Como, where you can stay or take a ferry to other towns. That’s what we did.

We stayed at a town called Tremezzo near the center of the lake, opposite the most famous towns of Bellagio and Varenna. I found out later that these towns were completely different, and you should take that into account when deciding where to stay.

The only reason we chose Tremezzo was because I wanted to stay at Grand Hotel Tremezzo, which I’m going to write about in my next blog. Tremezzo was a quiet town, perfect for those wanting peace and quiet but also would like an option to visit a busier town with more shops and restaurants.  

Bellagio

I was already charmed by our hotel and its amenities, but the moment I fell in love with Lake Como was when we were on a ferry headed for Bellagio and we were floating at the center of the lake where three branches of the lake met. The golden light reflected on the water with majestic mountains in the background. It was stunning, the very definition of natural wonder. This was paradise if there ever was one.

When we got to Bellagio, I was once again swept away by its quaint Italian charm. All the pastel-colored buildings and architectural details. The many stylish side-walk cafes. The wisteria in bloom. The cute little alley ways lined with shops and restaurants. Italy was famous for its leather goods, and I bought a pair of handmade driving loafers from one of the shops there. Every nook and cranny was cute and charming. I must have taken hundreds of pictures, and they couldn’t do the lake justice.

We also visited Varenna, another gorgeous town on the lake. If Bellagio had a chic city feel to it, Varenna was more like a charming village with shops and cafes lining the lake front and cute pastel-colored houses adorning the hills.

Besides visiting these beautiful towns, we spent much of our time at the hotel, which had a breathtaking view. Our room had a balcony, so that was where I spent most of my time. Just sitting there with a book with the stunning lake as my company, I didn’t want to do anything else.