Lake Como Isn’t Just for the Rich and Famous

Zig-zagging our way up the narrow roads in Cernobbio, Italy, overlooking Lake Como at every hairpin turn, we half-expected our dreamy-looking home rental to be a joke. The restaurant around the corner, Il Gato Nero, advertised George Clooney as a regular on its website, and the various lakeside communities were buzzing with Fiat Pandas and sleek Ferraris. And yet, this presumed playground of the rich and famous, perched on the edge of the Alps, was the most affordable part of our European vacation.

Lake Como, located about an hour north of downtown Milan in northern Italy, is the third-largest lake in the country, distinguished by its upside-down Y shape and flanked by towns like Como (southwest), Lecco (southeast), Cernobbio (where we were staying, just north of Como) and Bellagio in the promontory between it all. Driving around one of the most famed lakes on Earth, one of cinematic beauty and suave stereotypes, I felt like a budget James Bond. This is, after all, the backdrop for such stylized productions as Casino Royale and Ocean’s 12. Gwen Stefani’s music video for “Cool” was filmed here, and Star Wars capitalized on the lake’s otherworldly atmosphere for that ill-advised kissing scene between Anakin and Padme at Villa Balbianello. Even Pliny the Younger was obsessed with this place, way back in the first century. Suffice to say, Lake Como has a ritzy reputation.

On our recent vacation, which also included stops in Switzerland and Milan, Lake Como was the most surprising — debunking preconceived notions about moneyed elitism, and proving that we too can live like Clooney. Or at least we can hack it easily enough to pretend. Prior to visiting, and based almost entirely on stock images and movie stills, I assumed Lake Como was a posh resort community like St. Moritz or Aspen. But having recently spent $28 on a latte in Aspen, I can confirm that Lake Como is practically the antithesis. For that same amount of money, we split a bottle at Castiglioni Wine, alongside a spree of gratis tapas and a piece of blueberry pie somehow better than anything I’ve had in the U.S. Even in the more familiar, touristy areas of the lake, like the towns of Como and Bellagio, you won’t find the typical trappings of swanky resort tropes, but rather boutique businesses like these, where friendly servers, recognizing your American accents, gush about their love for country music. Or Lebanese bakeries like Crema & Cioccolato, where the owner, an excitable character, insists you try some of his wife’s homemade walnut-date cake. Or Mercato Coperto di Como, where locals shop for supper and chat up friendly vendors while double-fisting arancini. Lake Como is not just for A-listers with summer villas, but a welcoming and proud community where locals, transplants and travelers alike are supported and celebrated.

While Lake Como reaches peak tourism in the summer, especially in the pricier, more in-demand months of July and August, the rest of the year remains largely accessible and affordable. Considering its mountainous lake locale, the climate skews rainier and milder than much of Italy, with crisp winters, and humid summers tempered by breeze. No matter when you visit, here’s how to visit Lake Como and live like Clooney on a decidedly not-Clooney budget.

Where to Stay

Just 10 minutes south of Laglio, the ritzy community where the Ocean’s actor owns a waterfront villa, Cernobbio provides the same vistas and beauty, without necessitating an Oscar-winning career to afford it. We booked an Airbnb, which are abundant in this area particularly and run the gamut from homes to apartments, all of which are shockingly reasonable. It’s also nice to feel like you’re a part of the community, like a confident Como local as you white-knuckle your compact car up the slim streets.

Down towards the town center, Hotel Centrale offers affordable lodging — and meeting space in a stone-lined tavern — in a historic inn dating to the late-1800s, and the Hotel Miralago features front-row lake views through its soaring windows, and a stately, green-hued restaurant that looks like something from a Wes Anderson movie. In Como, just south of Cernobbio, the Villa Flori offers big villa vibes at a fraction of the typical villa cost. The intimate property, with less than 60 rooms, is perched right on the water and exudes the kind of romance that Anakin and Padme could only dream of. If you’re looking to splurge, you can certainly do so, as at Cernobbio’s Villa d’Este, a five-star property with ballrooms, gardens, super-sized suites and its own fleet of private boats.

Where to Eat

In the morning, start with Americanos and pastries at Crema & Cioccolato, where the affable owner will surely tempt you into sampling everything behind the counter. Being Lebanese-owned, you’ll also find things like hummus and grape leaves — perfect fodder for a picnic in a lakefront garden, as one does. Nearby, Pasticceria Poletti is a wonderland of cakes, croissants, cream-filled pastries and fluffy focaccia, and in Como, Pasticceria Dolciamo is a sunny little cafe wafting with cannoli, custard tarts and glazed cakes that look like fruity works of art.

The Mercado Coperto di Como is not so much a market as it is a multi-sensory feast. Locals do their daily shopping here, stocking up on all-local meat, produce and seafood, between sips of espresso and bites of cheese. The sprawling, grocery store-sized facility is well worth a visit, even if just for a snack as you mosey around town.

In Bellagio, a postcard of a village lined with cobblestones and terraced gardens, the touristy destination teems with cute storefronts, eateries and bars. Like Nando, a cozy restaurant perched on alleyway steps overlooking the Piazza Mazzini, where most of the ferries dock. Snag an al fresco table on the steps and split a pizza as you watch boats criss-cross the shimmering lake. Then, pop into Aperitivo et Al for a charcuterie-paired wine tasting, and wind your way up the bumpy alleyways for a scratch-made scoop from Gelateria del Borgo.

Back in Cernobbio, Il Gato Nero lives up to its Clooney endorsement with rustic, regional Italian fare and sweeping lake views from its elevated location up in the hills. The cozy, candlelit restaurant boasts its own wine cellar, and an elegant menu of seasonal dishes like baked artichokes with burnt onion powder, savory crème brûlée with asparagus and basil granita, and spaghetti with sea urchin butter and red prawn tartare. Pastas come in different portion options and prices, and entrees top out at €45 for traditional veal Milanese.

At the bottom of the hill, Castiglioni Wine is a boutique bottle shop and bar so lovely that we went two nights in a row. Everything here, from the bottles to the generous pours, is dramatically more affordable than most American wine lists or bottle shops. In fact, both wine prices and general real estate (because we can’t help but peruse Zillow, “just for fun”) around here are far cheaper than even anything in Oklahoma City, where we live. Plus, service is genuinely friendly and snacks — like tomato toasts — are free. Across the road, the homey Trattoria Laghee served the best pizza we had in the area. Finish with a nightcap at Harry’s Bar, a waterfront institution since 1973, for a flute of Sardinian dessert wine.

What to Do

Myriad markets keep shoppers plenty busy. Como Market, a weekly outdoor spectacle that hugs the historic city walls in Como, features a dizzying array of vendors and stalls on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. You’ll find everything from food and housewares to toys, vintage goods and Italian designer clothes at a fraction of the cost you’d expect to pay in Milan. Or even Oklahoma City, for that matter. I bought a billowy floral shawl and a pair of gray pants, both made by Italian designers, for less than a bolo tie back home.

Take a ferry for more shopping and snacking in Bellagio. Ferry stations line nearly the entire lake, with frequent and convenient departures from the likes of Como, Tremezzo and Menaggio. Get lost in the stony alleys and stairways, popping in to Bellagioseta for clothes, shoes and accessories, Azalea Silk for ties and bandanas aplenty, and Corner Shop for everything from fancy chess sets to dog-themed jewelry.

Beyond the ferries, private boat tours are a bangin’ business on Lake Como, with companies that run the gamut in terms of style and price point. Il Medeghino offers private yacht tours, Bellagio Water Limousines live up to its ritzy name with a fleet of polished wooden boats, and Como Classic Boats features both classic and electric boats, plus a 007 Tour that spotlights iconic filming locations from the likes of Casino Royale, and for better or worse, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. But much like pasta prices, boat rentals come in all different forms and budgets. There are also kayak rentals, for something a little less ornate.

Or if you’d prefer to simply dive in, there’s that too. Beaches can be found from every access point along the lake, with some of the best — and least crowded — located along the central and northern reaches of the lake. Be mindful that the water temperature is usually quite cold, even at the height of summer, and you might want to arrive early to snag a spot in the summer months. Some popular picks include Lido Villa Olmo in Como, equipped with a beach bar and numerous umbrellas and chairs; Lido di Cernobbio with its own restaurant and beach club; and Careno, a comparatively rustic beach, southwest of Bellagio, lined with lawn and pebbles.

Even if you’re not staying in a villa, you can at least visit one. Tours are offered mid-March through mid-November at select villas, such as Villa Melzi, Villa Balbianello and Villa Monastero, the latter of which contains an enormous botanical garden and a museum that preserves four centuries of local history. Sadly, Clooney’s villa is not accessible to tours. But with the right tour, the right restaurants and the right wines, you’ll feel like the king of Como too.