Varenna Lake Como: the village seen from the water
Colourful houses on the water, Villa Monastero with its own landing stage and Castello di Vezio above the rooftops. Varenna, told by a captain who sets off from here every day.
Varenna, on the eastern shore of Lake Como, is a village you really understand from the water. From a distance it is a row of yellow, pink and ochre houses pressed against the mountain, with a bell tower in the middle. Then you get closer, the engine drops to a murmur and the gardens appear, running right down to the lake. Many of our trips in the wooden Venetian water taxi start right here, and that first approach is when things go quiet on board.
Varenna from the lake: what you see arriving by boat
Coming from Bellagio, directly opposite, the crossing is short. Ahead of you the village sits squeezed between water and mountain, and up on the headland stands the tower of Castello di Vezio. Further south, among the trees, you pick out the gardens of Villa Monastero.
Varenna faces west, so in the afternoon the sun hits the façades full on. That is when the colours light up and the reflections on the water are at their sharpest.
How to get to Varenna by boat
The village has a Navigazione Laghi pier, with car ferries to Bellagio, Cadenabbia and Menaggio. With a water taxi there is an easier option: Villa Monastero has its own small landing stage for taxi boats, to be used only for dropping off and picking up visitors, and you call the ticket office in advance. Boats are not allowed to stay moored during the visit, so I drop you off, move away and come back for you.
If you are coming by train from Milan, get off at Varenna-Esino station on the line to Lecco and Tirano. It is a walk down to the lake, and from there you can hop on board.
A short history of Varenna
The village goes back a very long way and is recorded as a fishing settlement as early as 769. In 1126 it was destroyed by Como, because it had sided with Milan. After Isola Comacina was razed in 1169, Varenna took in the refugees, and the new quarter built for them was called Insula nova. Later it passed to the Sfondrati family, who held it until 1788.
What to see in Varenna, Lake Como
- 01Villa Monastero
Founded in the late 12th century as a Cistercian convent, rebuilt in an eclectic style between 1897 and 1909. Today it is a house museum with a botanical garden along the lake, open to the public since 1940 and restored in 2025.
- 02Castello di Vezio
An old lookout post on the headland above Varenna, surrounded by olive trees. You can visit the furnished tower, the underground rooms, the garden and an exhibition on the Lariosaurus. The whole central lake is laid out below you.
- 03Villa Cipressi
Another lakeside villa and garden, a short walk from Villa Monastero. A combined ticket covers both villas on the days Villa Cipressi is open.
- 04Fiumelatte
A stream only about 250 metres long, mentioned by Leonardo da Vinci in the Codex Atlanticus. It usually flows from March to October, then stops.
- 05The lakeside walk
The walkway over the water that locals call the lovers' walk, with the churches of San Giorgio and San Giovanni Battista in the centre.
When to visit Varenna
My favourite months are April, May, June, September and October: the gardens look their best, the lake is calmer and the lanes are less crowded. In summer Varenna gets busy, so come early or late in the afternoon. In winter the village is quiet and Castello di Vezio opens on fine weekends. Opening times change with the seasons, so always check the official websites before you set off.
Places near Varenna
Right across the water is Bellagio, on the point where the lake splits into its two branches. A short walk from Villa Monastero is Villa Cipressi, and a little further south, still part of Varenna, is Fiumelatte. Cross to the western shore and you reach Villa Carlotta and Menaggio. Our Classic Lake Tour starts right here in Varenna, and if you only have an hour there is the Central lake tour, which takes in the villas between Varenna, Bellagio and Tremezzo.
