SydneySteve

We are staying at the Belvedere Hotel in September for three days and will follow the recommendations here to visit Silvios and Bilacus, but what about the walks and the ferry trips. We would be interested in any information or references to information about seeing as much as possible in the area particularly by walking around the edge of the lake ??? Any advice or ideas ? Thanks a lot.

rex

Make every effort to get to see Villa Balbianiello, and in second place, Villa Carlotta is (I hear) quite worthwhile, as well.

But all in all, Lake Como is not a place where long sightseeing-filled days are usually anyone's prime objective.

Best wishes,

Rex

ms_go

We enjoyed spending some time on the Isola Comacina. It is the only island in the lake and one of the ferries makes some stops there. The island has a very interesting history, but is mostly wooded now with ruins -- some of which date to Roman times. We did not stay for the meal there (unfortunately), but I understand it is a real treat that includes a recounting of the history of the island. They do both lunch and dinner. Do a search on this forum and you will find some information about it.

3gigs

I don't think there are a lot of areas where you can walk any great distance around the edge of the lake, what with the many private homes and all. Your best bet is the ferry across to Menaggio, and especially to Varenna. The latter is a wonderful village, easy to traverse by foot, with beautiful views westward to peaks which I believe are actually in Switzerland. As a prior contributor noted, however, the beauty of Lake Como is that it is a place to relax and NOT spend all day doing the traditional sightseeing thing. We were there last September - stayed at the Hotel Florence - and some of our best memories are of long lunches in Bellagio, especially lakeside at the Florence's outdoor restaurant - and slow walks around town. It was a great opportunity to "power down" midway through the vacation.

HowardR

To me, the best part of Lake Como was having the best of both worlds--it was a place to relax while doing sightseeing!
I agree with some of the previous suggestions--Villa Carlotta is worth a visit and the tiny village of Varenna is great for a casual strong around time. And, while in Varenna, definitely visit Villa Monastero.

SydneySteve

To enjoy the lunches and dinners we need to walk and possibly even run or bicycle. We have hit the fifties where it is much easier to relax if the body feels good. Thank you for your comments about the villages and sights. Does anyone ride bicycles in the area or around paths near to the lake ?