Lake Como autumn: that's what plenty of people type into their phones before they travel. I simply call it autumn, and I watch it from the helm of my Venetian water taxi. From here you see the colours whole, from the peaks down to the water.
I'm Massimiliano Magni, captain at Lario Water Taxi. In autumn my work finds a different rhythm. The days get shorter, the air turns cooler and the lake, more often than not, settles down. It's the season I most enjoy telling people about, because from the water your eye reaches everywhere.
From the shore you see the foliage in pieces: an avenue, a garden, a patch of woodland above the road. From the boat the whole mountainside is in front of you, from one shore to the other, and you watch it change as the season moves on.
Here I'll tell you what you'll see, when it's worth heading out and what to pack. The lake takes care of the rest.
Colour coming down to the water
These days, when I take guests towards Bellagio or Varenna, the first thing I point out isn't a village. It's the woods. In autumn the forests on the mountains around the lake change colour, and from the central lake it looks as if the colour starts at the top and slowly works its way down to the shore.
From the landing stage you don't notice. From the water you do: the high slopes light up first, then the middle band, and last of all the trees near the water. The same mountain, a few days later, is no longer quite the same colour.
In autumn the villas are still open, and they're still a good reason to slow down. In front of Villa del Balbianello or Villa Carlotta I keep the engine low and let the shoreline do the talking: the façades, the gardens, sometimes a creeper that has turned red on a wall. Check the opening hours before you set off.
Cooler air, calmer lake
Summer on the Lario has its charm, but it's also the season of crossing wakes and engines. In autumn there's less traffic on the lake than in summer, and you feel it straight away. The water is calmer, the boat runs softly, and you can talk without raising your voice.
Sometimes we stop in the middle of the lake and all you hear is the water against the hull. Coloured mountains on one side, a village on the other, and no hurry to move on.
The air changes too. It's cooler, and on a boat you feel it more: a light jacket is plenty. My Venetian water taxi has a canopy for shelter, and the wooden dashboard is more or less the colour of the season's leaves.
Afternoon light
If you ask me the right time for the foliage, I'll say the afternoon. In autumn the afternoon light is low and warm: it strikes the slopes from the side and brings out reds and yellows that look flat at midday.
It's good light for photos, too. From the water there are no cables, roads or parked cars in front of the lens. Just the shore, the woods above and, when the lake is still, the reflection below.
Three tips from the helm
- 01One more layer
In autumn the weather is cooler, and on the boat you notice it. Bring a light jacket even if the day feels mild.
- 02Choose the afternoon
The low, warm afternoon light is what shows the colours of the woods at their best.
- 03Watch the sunset
In autumn the days get shorter and darkness can come sooner than you expect. Check the sunset time on the day itself.
If you'd like to see the lake in autumn like this, from the water rather than the road, let's set off together on the Classic Lake Tour: two hours on board, with time to watch the woods change colour and to stop wherever the light is right.
Classic Lake Tour
Two hours on the Lario, at autumn's pace: see you on board.