Private skippered guide
Varenna faces west, which makes it the best sunset stop on Lake Como. Seen from the water its ochre and rose houses stack straight out of the lake, with the Castello di Vezio watching from the ridge above.
The approach to Varenna is one of the finest on the lake: the fishermen's harbour of Riva Grande, the lakeside walkway pinned to the rock, and the gardens of Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi running down to the water. Because the village has almost no road frontage, the view from a boat is the view Varenna was built for.
Varenna is also the natural counterpart to Bellagio — the crossing takes only a few minutes — so a two hour cruise can take in both shores. In late afternoon we usually finish here, with a glass in hand while the light turns the façades copper.
Varenna
The old fishermen's beach with boats pulled up between the coloured houses.
Two botanical gardens that step down to the lake in terraces.
The medieval tower above the village, framed by olive terraces.
Italy's shortest river, a white streak down the cliff just south of the village.
Info
Tours
From a one-hour villas cruise to Bellagio, Varenna and a full Grand Tour, every itinerary is private and built around you.
1 hour
The first basin in front of Como and Cernobbio: Villa Olmo, Villa Erba, Villa d'Este, the Blevio shoreline and Torno.
Couples, families and anyone with only part of the day in Como.
Como · Villa Olmo · Cernobbio · Blevio · Torno
From €350 per boat
1–6 guests · departure from Como
Up to 11 guests · 7–11 guests: +€50/hour per boat
Details
2 hours
From Como towards Torno, Laglio and Nesso, past period mansions, stone boathouses and gardens running into the water.
Guests who want the best balance of time, scenery and relaxation.
Como · Torno · Laglio · Nesso
From €700 per boat
1–6 guests · departure from Como
Up to 11 guests · 7–11 guests: +€50/hour per boat
Details
3 hours
The heart of the lake from the water: Villa del Balbianello, the tip of Bellagio and Villa Melzi. Panoramic tour, no landing.
Guests who want to see mid-lake and the most famous places on the Lario.
Balbianello · Bellagio · Villa Melzi
From €900 per boat
1–6 guests · departure from Como
Up to 11 guests · 7–11 guests: +€50/hour per boat
DetailsDestinations
Detailed guides to the places we reach on board: what you see from the water, the best light, and how long to allow.
Bellagio sits on the tip that splits Lake Como in two. Approaching it in a classic mahogany taxi is the way the village was meant …
Read the guide
Villa del Balbianello stands on a narrow wooded spit near Lenno, and its famous double loggia only reveals itself from the water. …
Read the guide
Como is where most cruises begin. Leaving the city basin in a mahogany taxi, the shoreline turns into a sequence of villas, cypres…
Read the guideSend us your dates and we'll time the cruise so you reach Varenna with the best light.