Lesser-known Italian towns on Lake Como and the Italian Riviera

Most world travelers are familiar with the popular and often over-touristed cities in Italy such as Rome, Florence, Milan, and Naples, but there are lesser-known locales found on the Italian Riviera and in the Lake Como area that offer equally authentic experiences in Italian food, art, and cultural history. Here’s how to plan your dream Italian holiday to three towns in Northwest Italy—without the crowds.

Rapallo: The art of relaxation on the Italian Riviera

Situated on the coast of the Ligurian Sea just south of Genoa and north of Cinque Terre, Rapallo is known for its temperate winters and leisurely Ligurian lifestyle. This Italian Riviera town of 30,000 residents has been a haven for numerous artists, writers, and poets such as Ernest Hemingway, W.B. Yeats, Ezra Pound, Robert Lowell, Friedrich Nietzsche, Max Beerbohm, and Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.  

In recognition of its cultural heritage, Rapallo created an Art Nouveau monument known as Chiosco della Musica on its waterfront in 1929. Today, the palm-lined promenade has become a path past other notable landmarks—including the Castello di Rapallo (Rapallo Castle), a statue of Christopher Columbus, and the Basilica of Saints Gervasio and Protasio. Visitors can arrange a walking tour or take a leisurely passeggiata (stroll) along the water on their own.

A must-see sight in Rapallo, the Museo del Merletto (Lace Museum) is housed in a former private villa and dedicated to the preservation of local lacemakers. The collection includes over 5,000 lace artifacts and designs.

While visiting this town, art lovers should stop by an outpost of the Rome-based NUAR Gallery located at the Grand Hotel Bristol. This immersive art space showcases site-specific installations that feature artists’ work, including abstract and figurative art as well as sculpture and photography exhibitions.

For the Epicurious traveler, a culinary tour is one of the best ways to explore Rapallo. Guido Porrati, the owner of ParlaComeMangi, offers guests a hands-on Genovese pesto-making experience in his traditional Ligurian bottega or deli shop. ParlaComeMangi also offers a tour that includes a visit to a green market (think farmers’ market) and continues through the narrow alleyways of Rapallo’s historic center for local wine and olive oil tastings. Guests on the tour also get to taste regional specialties such as focaccia al formaggio and pansotti, a pot-bellied pasta with walnut sauce. Travelers can explore the Mercato del Giovedi on their own. This well-known market is located on the Lungomare Vittorio Veneto promenade.

(Related: This little-known region may have Italy’s best wines.)

During its high season from April through October, Rapallo attracts nearly twice its population, and yet, there’s a tranquil vibe throughout the town’s historic center in contrast to the high-profile neighboring towns accessible by Rapallo’s ferry service. Rapallo’s pier is located along the waterfront promenade where ferries transport visitors to Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, and San Fruttuoso, as well as Cinque Terre. The year-round ferry service offers panoramic views from the sea and costs an average of approximately U.S. $15 (one way).

Visitors who choose to take the 30-minute ferry ride along the Gulf of Tigullio to Portofino disembark onto a small cosmopolitan square surrounded by designer boutiques, cafés, and buzzy restaurants like da I Gemelli. The restaurant’s owners, identical twins Paolo and Matteo Giovannini, follow in the footsteps of eight generations of restaurateurs that date back to 1850. Recipes from their grandmother’s Ligurian cookbook include signature dishes such as spaghetti ai muscoli tritati and trenette al pesto alla Portofino, both of which are nicely complemented by post-prandial gelato at Dolce & Gabbana’s Caffè Excelsior along the harbor. 

(Related: Northern Italy’s ‘problem bears’ show the challenges of rewilding carnivores.)

Where to stay in Rapallo

Grand Hotel Bristol Spa Resort: Located a short walk from Rapallo’s historic town center, this pale pink Belle Époque palazzo overlooks the Gulf of Tigullio. The hotel has 80 rooms and suites and most have private balconies. Built in 1904, the five-star Grand Hotel Bristol Spa Resort has the Michelin-listed restaurant Le Cupole on-site, which features a rooftop terrace. 

Hotel guest experiences include cooking classes, private boat tours, Vespa and e-bike adventures, sunset cruises, diving and snorkeling, and a cable car to the hilltop Sanctuary of Montallegro.The hotel’s 21,000-square-foot Erre Spa functions as 21st-century Roman baths, complete with hydrotherapeutic saunas and pools, while the hotel’s nearby Marina di Bardi Beach Club offers guests a private beach with an on-site seafood restaurant.  

(Related: A guide to Lake Como’s highlights—villas, promenades and aperitivo spots not to miss.)

Varenna: Is this the most romantic village in Italy?

Situated on the eastern shore of Lake Como and surrounded by the botanical gardens of Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero, Varenna is home to less than a thousand residents and hosts hundreds of wedding celebrations throughout its high season. Visitors to Varenna who wander the verdant landscape surrounding Villa Cipressi may encounter impromptu marriage proposals on the three-level terraced gardens that slope down to the lake’s shoreline.

Built between the 15th and 19th centuries, the gardens are listed in Italy’s directory of most beautiful gardens and the various plant species include cypress, palm, tamarisk, magnolia, myrtle, gardenia, lemon, and American agave, as well as numerous seasonal species. The various terraces and stairways lead down to a pair of iconic gates that open onto the lake where visitors await their turn for a photograph amidst the wisteria.

The citizens of Varenna purchased Villa Cipressi in 1980, and today, it houses a four-star hotel that hosts numerous nuptials and celebrations. On the last Sunday in July, Varenna celebrates Festa della Regina with fireworks and dinner in honor of Queen Victoria’s visit in 1838. 

The neighboring Villa Monastero, which was once a 12th-century Cistercian convent and later a private residence, opened to the public in 2003 as a fine arts museum with artworks, furniture, and décor from the former owners. While you’re here, don’t miss out on visiting the Scanagatta Ornithological Museum which features more than 800 specimens of birds and mammals. It’s just a short walk from Villa Monastero.

For panoramic views of Varenna, Lake Como, and beyond, travelers should make their way to Castello di Vezio, a medieval military outpost with an owl aviary. Its location high on a bluff overlooking the town makes it an ideal spot for scenic views. From March through November, the gardens and dungeons here are open to the public, as is the tower, where weekend sundown is celebrated with aperitivos (pre-dinner drinks) served on the terrace. 

(Related: 7 must-do experiences in Italy’s stunning Lombardy region.)

Where to stay in Varenna

Hotel Villa Cipressi: Facing directly onto Lake Como, this four-star hotel is an elegant complex of buildings, gardens, and fountains that date from the 14th century. Hotel guests have the option to dine at the neighboring Hotel Royal Victoria for breakfast and dinner where the fine dining restaurant Visteria offers lakefront seating. Visteria’s menu showcases regional seafood and artisanal pastas such as fusillo with squid, red shrimp, and seaweed as well as risotto with green peas, buffalo cream, and blue lobster. The chef’s signature chocolate cigar with confectionery ash provides a pleasing post-prandial buzz without the smoke. 

Menaggio: For the laidback luxury of Lake Como

Directly across from Varenna, the town of Menaggio sits on the western shore of Lake Como. Menaggio is located down the road from Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta. The ferry service from Varenna and Bellagio arrives along the lakefront promenade, which is lined with grand hotels and villas that date back to the 18th century.

According to Silvia Ballerini, a local who hails from the neighboring village of Carate Urio, “Menaggio is where people come for laidback luxury in contrast to the white-glove, mandatory-jacket scene of other Lake Como resorts.”

Home to less than 4,000 residents, Menaggio was once a walled city with a 10th-century castle and today comprises three hamlets and the town center. A one-kilometer (more than a half mile) historic walk starts near the tourist office at Menaggio’s Piazza Garibaldi and ascends on narrow cobblestone streets to the medieval Castello di Menaggio and the Church of San Carlo with its bell tower.

On the town’s waterfront, visitors may spot a 32-foot column of Carrara marble. It is the Monumento alla Tessitrice, a commemorative monument to the female silk weavers of the region.  

Other area landmarks include the 12th-century Leaning Bell Tower located in the hamlet of Nobiallo and remnants of the Antica Strada Regina, the Roman royal road that ran along the western shore of Lake Como.

(Related: On the shores of Lake Iseo: exploring Italy’s lesser-known lake district.)

Today’s equivalent of that ancient road is Menaggio’s lakeshore promenade, one of the most elegant in the region and notable for its palm trees, pergolas, and landscaped median. A favorite of locals and visitors, the promenade follows the lakeshore from Piazza Garibaldi in the town center to the town beach where the former Lido di Menaggio has been transformed into Victoria Beach, a brand-new lakefront beach club complete with restaurant, bars, private beach, and two infinity pools. 

In nearby Tremezzo (a 10-minute drive from Menaggio), the 17th-century Villa Carlotta features several sculptures by Italian sculptor Antonio Canova, as well as tapestries, paintings, and period furnishings spanning 300 years. The landscaped grounds include gardens that span nearly 20 acres and include a fern valley, citrus tunnels, succulents, English roses, camellias, and 150 varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas. Villa Carlotta also has picnic areas and a playground, as well as an on-site bistro, Bistrot Villa Carlotta, located in a former greenhouse. 

For visitors who wish to cross the lake, Menaggio’s ferry terminal is in the town center and offers year-round service to both Bellagio and Varenna. A one-way, 15-minute journey costs less than U.S. $10, depending on the season.

Where to stay in Menaggio

 Grand Hotel Victoria: With its expansive front lawn, this five-star hotel faces onto Menaggio’s lakefront promenade.Grand Hotel Victorial was built during the Belle Époque and has remained a favorite for travelers seeking a sanctuary away from the crowds.

Public spaces in the recently renovated hotel are marked by grand staircases and massive chandeliers, while the rooms are exemplars of Italian contemporary design with touch screens, coffee machines, and spacious balconies and bathrooms. 

The hotel’s signature Erre Spa is the largest spa on Lake Como at nearly 13,000 square feet and includes tropical waterfalls, saunas and steam rooms, and a 65-foot heated indoor pool.

At the hotel’s Lago restaurant, guests dine on a veranda with unobstructed lake views. The hotel’s private boat and launch makes it easy to dart back and forth across the lake for day trips to sites like Villa del Balbianello, where scenes from movies such as Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale were filmed.

(Related: 6 unforgettable Italy hotels, from Tuscany and Lake Como to Rome and Milan.)