Summer on Lake Como, from a villa at the water
Summer on Lake Como is lived on the water. Mornings are still and glassy, a breeze usually rises after midday, and the ferries keep crossing between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio into the long evenings. The lake is narrow and walled by steep green slopes, so the far shore, with its campaniles and terraced gardens, is always in view from the terrace.
The 47 villas below lean towards the shoreline. At Torno, terraced gardens fall 40 m from the road to the lakefront, past a heated infinity pool to a private dock. At Lezzeno, a house reached by 65 cobbled steps opens through its garden gates onto a pebble beach, and at Pianello del Lario a heated pool sits at the water's edge beside a jetty and slipway.
At a glance
- 47 private villas
- From 2 to 17 bedrooms
- Up to 33 guests in one villa
- 43 with a private pool
- 15 with a cook or staff
- Availability and price on request, reply within one working day
A southerly breeze known as the Breva tends to rise after lunch, cooling the terraces and bringing out the sailing boats.
Public boats link the central villages, so lunch in Bellagio or an evening in Varenna needs no driving and no hunt for parking.
A private boat with a driver is the finest way to see the shoreline villas; in July and August it pays to reserve one well ahead.
Choose your villa
Add up to five villas to your list and send one request with your dates: we confirm availability and price with each owner.
Show all 47 villas
Positions are approximate: the exact address is shared once your stay is confirmed.
Questions before you choose
Which airport is closest to Lake Como?
Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate and Bergamo are all roughly one to two hours by road, depending on which shore you choose. Trains from Milan also run to Como and to Varenna on the eastern shore.
Can we swim in the lake in summer?
Yes. By July the surface water is comfortable for swimming, and many villas have steps, a dock or a small beach. It stays cooler just below, since Lake Como is one of the deepest lakes in Europe.
How do we reserve a villa for July or August?
Choose up to five villas and send one request with your dates. We confirm availability and price with each owner and reply within one working day. In high summer most villas let Saturday to Saturday.
- Lake Como in spring: villas among the gardens
- September on Lake Como, in a lakeside villa
- Wedding villas on Lake Como
- Family villas on Lake Como, with room to play
- Lake Como villas for large groups and families
- Villas with a pool on Lake Como
- Lake Como villas with their own way into the lake
- Staffed villas on Lake Como, with a cook in house
- Summer in Positano, with a villa above the bay
- Summer villas on the Amalfi Coast
- Summer in Ravello, from a villa above the sea
- Summer in Praiano, in a villa facing the sunset
- Summer in Amalfi, from a villa above the town
- Summer in Sorrento, in a villa facing Capri
- Summer in Nerano and Massa Lubrense, villas by the sea
- Summer on Capri, from a villa above the sea
- Summer on Ischia, villas with thermal pools
- Summer villas in Tuscany, from coast to vineyard