These autumn days, along the west shore, the Lake Como villages go back to the pace of the people who live there. On the slopes the chestnut woods are turning, and from my Venetian water taxi you can see it clearly: the lake belongs to the Lariani again.
When I take guests along this shore at this time of year, what strikes them most is how ordinary it all feels. The landing stages are quieter, the lakefronts go back to the locals, and the villages let you see them as they really are. For me it's the most honest moment of the year to show them.
Menaggio, the old village climbing to the castle
I often start from Menaggio. From the water you take it all in at a glance: the lakefront below and, behind it, the old village climbing towards the castle. It's one of those places that makes sense straight away from the lake, because you see it whole, from the shore up to the woods.
As we get closer I always ease off a little. The guests look at the houses, and I look at them: that's when they realise there's a real village behind the postcard. In the Menaggio guide I also tell you about the park of Villa Vigoni, for anyone who wants to go ashore.
Tremezzo and the gate of Villa Carlotta
From there we follow the lakefront of Tremezzo. Here you'll find Parco Olivelli and Villa Carlotta, with its gate on the water. From the boat you see it head-on, with the gate opening straight onto the lake.
The azaleas belong to spring; inside, the rooms hold works by Canova and Hayez. At this time of year I like to bring the engine almost to idle in front of the gate and let the guests decide how long to stay.
Lenno, at the end of the gulf
Then comes Lenno, in the Tremezzina. It's the village you set off from for Villa del Balbianello, the FAI villa on the Lavedo point. But Lenno deserves a stop of its own as well.
The lakefront sits sheltered at the end of the gulf. Behind it are a Romanesque crypt and an 11th-century baptistery: stones that speak of a lake people have lived on for many centuries. In autumn, with the villages quiet again, I take my time over them too.
Isola Comacina: you only get there by boat
Off Ossuccio lies Isola Comacina: a wooded ridge on the water, with medieval ruins under the trees. Its story ended in fire in 1169. You can only reach it by boat, and that's the right way to arrive.
This is where I slow down the most. We come in gently, engine at idle, and the island's woods open up little by little. At this time of year the ruins among the trees feel even more secluded, and on board people usually stop talking.
The lake of the Lariani, among the chestnut trees
Then look up. Above the villages are the slopes, and on Lake Como chestnut woods grow almost everywhere. Autumn is their season: chestnuts, colours on the turn, and the woods becoming part of daily life again for the people living below.
This is the lake of the Lariani. In summer it hides a little behind the villas and the busy landing stages; in autumn it comes to the front again. When guests ask me what the real Lario is like, I point to the shore and then to the mountain: the villages sit down by the water, but behind them there are always the woods.
One last thing, for anyone already thinking about Christmas. At Villa Cipressi, with its cypress terraces stepping down to the water and its façade facing Bellagio, there's the Christmas village. It's a good reason to come back to the lake once autumn has run its course.
If you'd like to see the lake villages like this, from the water and at autumn's pace, let's set off together from the landing stage. Two hours on my Venetian water taxi are enough to start getting to know them; I'll tell you the rest on board.
Central lakeMenaggio Central lakeTremezzo Central lakeIsola Comacina
Timeless Lake Como
Two hours on Lake Como aboard a Venetian water taxi, at the pace of autumn.
