Lake Como is one of the most beautiful lakes in Italy and a wonderful place to swim in clear water.
Although the water can be fresh most of the year, it is very pleasant to swim in during the summer and to stroll along the water’s edge in the off-season.
To help you plan your travel, we wrote our Lake Como travel guide with our itinerary, things to do and all our recommendations for restaurants, hotels… to fully enjoy this little place of paradise.
Below, we have listed the most beautiful beaches of the lake for you!
Sommaire
- Where is the best place to swim in Lake Como?
- Does Como cityt have a beach?
- The best months for swimming
- Map of the best beaches of Lake Como
- 1. Spiaggia di Piona
- 2. Spiaggia d’Onno
- 3. Spiaggia di Lierna
- 4. Lido (pool) Menaggio
- 5. Lido of Mandello del Lario
- 6. Spiaggia di Dervio
- Where to sleep in Lake Como?
- Ideas for activities in Lake Como
- How to get to Lake Como (by plane)?
- How to get around by car?
- Day trip from Milan ?
Where is the best place to swim in Lake Como?
Before starting, you should know that there is a lot of boat traffic on the lake. The boat is not only a way to visit the lake, but also a means of transporting people and goods.
However, many Italians swim on the beach of Como, just behind the temple of Volta. However, we advise you to go further north to enjoy the clear water and quiet beaches.
Important information, in Italian, beach is called Spaggia (sound nice)! An other detail don’t forget to take water shoes, because it’s most of the time pebble beachy.
Does Como cityt have a beach?
The area near Como is not recommended for swimming, because the water of the lake is not very clean.
The best months for swimming
As you can see, the water can be cool in the lake. We recommend the summer months: July and August for swimming.
But it remains pleasant from May to the end of September. It all depends on your resistance to the cold and the desire to swim. 😉
Map of the best beaches of Lake Como
Place at our top 6 of the best beaches on Lake Como.
All you have to do is enjoying and if you find any beautiful beaches, don’t hesitate to share them with us in comments.
1. Spiaggia di Piona
This is our favorite of the beaches of Lake Como. It is located on the north side of the lake and offers an amazing view on the mountains an a unique natural environment.
The water is clear and clean. Ducks and some swans may come to keep you company during your swim. It is a grassy beach, you will swim with the feeling of being in the middle of nature. Perfect for families.
Entrance free and grassy beach
2. Spiaggia d’Onno
This beach, located in a natural area near Bellagio, will delight nature lovers. The water is clear and clean, with the mountains of Lake Como in the background.
Entrance free and pebble beach
3. Spiaggia di Lierna
After your visit to the village of Varenna, son’t miss it. Di Lierna, located in the northern of the village, you can enjoy a refreshing swim in clear water with a beautiful view of the lake.
Entrance free and grassy beach
4. Lido (pool) Menaggio
This private beach has a swimming pool, so you can alternate between swimming in the lake and swimming in the pool. Perfect for families.
Entrance fee about 6€, sun beds and umbrellas
5. Lido of Mandello del Lario
This beach is located between Varenna and Lecco and is easily accessible by car. It is one of the largest beaches on Lake Como , so you will easily find space even in the summer season. It has a restaurant and a playground to keep the little ones busy.
Entrance free, Pebble beach, paid parking
6. Spiaggia di Dervio
This beach, located north of Verenna, is easily accessible by car. The water is so so clear, you will love swiming in its crystal clear waters.
Entrance, pebble and grass beach
Where to sleep in Lake Como?
1. Best choice : Suite Menaggio : perfect location,on the center of Menaggio, the view from the balcony was unmatched, very modern & fresh apartment, with a fully equipped kitchen, we loved it all!
2. Best price : Albergo Frirenze : location to the town centre of Como, 10min walk to the train station and near the lake ferry terminal, staff were very helpful and efficient. Very good breakfast. Would stay again if in Como.
3. With View : Hotel Bellagio : great location, gorgeous view from our room, Very nice staff and lovely buffet breakfast
When we visit we love to spot the beautiful hotels and then bookmark them on Google for a future stay or to have ideas for accommodation on special occasions!
1. With Jacuzzi : Bello!Lake Como Suites in Como: the rooms are superb and decorated with great taste. The hotel is centrally located. The terrace with the jacuzzi is just dyke. In short, a very nice hotel that we can’t wait to try!
2. With swimming pool : Hotel Asnigo in Cernobbio: the big advantage of this hotel is its magnificent swimming pool overlooking the lake, one of the most beautiful in the region. The rooms are nice, clean and quiet. An ideal hotel to relax.
Bello! lake Como Suites in Como
Hotel Asnigo in Cernobbio
Ideas for activities in Lake Como
To visit Lake Como, you can book your activity in advance on internet. We advise you to take a look at the website getyourguide which proposes several activities at best prices, it will give you ideas of activities to do.
How to get to Lake Como (by plane)?
The nearest airport is in Milan.
We recommend Skyscanner website, which we generally use, to compare the prices of different airlines and find your flight at the best price.
How to get around by car?
For our road trip, we rented a car in order to be able to stop whenever we wanted. The national road that goes around the lake is in very good condition. The coastal road offers nice views of the lake, but it is narrower.
Car rental: To compare rental prices we recommend the RentalCars website. To give you an idea of the price, we found a car for 50€ for 4 days through Hertz.
We checked the “debit card” option, because we had read that some rental companies do not accept credit cards. In France, the bank card is usually called credit card, however if you look on your card, you will see mentioned “debit card” on it.
Day trip from Milan ?
You can book a day trip from Milan all included, by bus and boat to see the best of Lake Como, Bellagio, Como, Villa Olmo and Varenna.
We wish you a great trip! Don’t hesitate to leave us a note below to tell us if you are planning this trip, or to ask any questions you may have, we will answer you with great pleasure. It is always a real pleasure to read you.
