Lake Como ( Varenna ) Things to do ?

Cooking class at Il Caminetto!

I agree with Sasha. The cooking class was one of the highlights of our 3 weeks in Italy. If you're interested be sure to reserve well ahead of time.

If you're not otherwise spending time in Milan, a day trip there is highly worthwhile. There isn't much to "do" in Varenna, and that's the point of going there. I kept thinking of Rick's descriptions - "no turnstiles to go through" and "see how low you can get your pulse." I don't remember if he said these about Lake Como or somewhere else, but they're very apt. It's just a lovely place to relax and recharge.

Jim, The Italy Guidebook has a few suggestions on things to do in Varenna. As Harold mentioned, it's a great place to just relax and enjoy il dolce far niente. There's a nice promenade along the lakefront that's very popular for "strolling" in the evenings. Depending on your interests, some activities you could consider: > Tour the ornate gardens at Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero (there are other ornate gardens at other points along the lake as well) > Climb up the hill to the Castle (I believe there's a Falconry there as well) > Take a day trip to the elegant resort of Bellagio (about 20 minutes by Ferry) > Take a day trip across to Menaggio or other points on the lake Happy travels!

Swim in the Lake,relax. There are some hiking trails around. Nice old Romanesque church up at Gravedona. Most importantly, sit outside at the Varenna Cafe and enjoy a few Aperol Spritz while watching the world go by. Where are you staying?

We loved the cooking class at Il Caminetto. Chef Moreno drove us over to the old castle afterwards and dropped us off. We walked to the castle, where there was a falconry demonstration in progress. then we followed the trail back down to town. The wlak to the Fiumicino is short but very nice. We also enjoyed taking the ferry across to Menaggio. We planned to rent kayaks there, but the last one rented out just before we got there. so we went for a swim instead. The water sseemed cleaner on that side than at Varenna. I believe there is more hiking on th ehill behind Menaggio, but we didn't check that out.

Thank you all for the wonderful ideas!!! We will be staying at the Hotel Olivedo, Most of the other hotels were full. We did snag a double room with balcony and view of the Lake! Can't wait to start our vacation in May. Starting in May in Sorrento and going north Orvieto, Pienza, Volterre, Luca, C/T , Florence and finally in Sorrento ending in mid June !!! Thanks once again !!! Jim

We stayed in a very nice hotel in Bellagio that was in the downtown area and faced the lake. We just lucked into the hotel, only because we had stopped at another hotel. Since that hotel was busy, the clerk called the second hotel. I believe the hotel was the Hotel Florence. t was wonderful! We wish we had been able to stay longer! We were there in September, 2011, and it was very HOT! We used part of our time for a long ferry ride. We just wanted to be on the water to be cool. We enjoyed riding all around the lake and seeing the sights from the water. Enjoy!

We stayed at the Hotel Olivedo this past August and really liked the property. The hotel is a well kept antique with modern amenities. The owner takes a while to be accustomed to, but we had a great stay. You could cruise the lake to Bellagio, Mennagio, or wherever. The fact that there is not a lot to do appealed to us as it was a great place to do not much. Buon viaggio,

We stayed at that hotel as well. Varenna was our favorite place in Italy! One day we were there it was cold and rainy so we took a day trip to St. Moritz. Very scenic train ride!