Lake Como and Lake Garda
Italy, June 2010
These two famous Northern Italian lakes have much in common. They are both glacial and are overlooked by dramatic mountains. Both have a wide choice of villa hotels located next to picturesque towns, linked by an efficient ferry service. They also have excellent restaurants to suit all budgets and an abundance of ice-cream parlours. However, there are quite a few differences - one of them being the dress code!
During the day this tiny town is inundated with visitors
Lake Como has been a holiday destination of the rich and famous since Roman times and from the moment you set eyes on it you will appreciate why. The mountains that surround the lake are covered with dense green trees which teasingly only give you glimpses of the shimmering water adding to its exclusivity and your excitement.
Located only a mountain away from Switzerland the scenery is spectacular. Colourful villas in all shapes and sizes and built in different eras hug the edge of the crystal clear water or cling to the steep hills. Where nature permits narrow towns, each with identical looking clock towers, appear and only occasionally will you spot the road before it vanishes behind trees or into the mountains.
Perhaps it’s viewing the picturesque towns from the water that makes everything so peaceful. There is nothing rushed about Lake Como. Instead there is a sophisticated, laid back ambience that is contagious. The water is not buzzing with jet skis and classic Riva speedboats are left on cruise mode. Even the ferries travel at a slow pace hopping from town to town. The only exception is the high speed hydrofoil that makes the trip up and down the centre of the lake several times a day.
By far the hardest decision is where to stay as the lake covers 146 km² and is shaped like an upside down “Y”. The three sections are narrow, resembling rivers and only where they meet does it look like a lake. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is here that you will find Lake Como’s most famous town - Bellagio.
Located at the intersection, looking straight down the stem of the “Y”, gives the illusion that you are on an island. The best place to experience this is at the Punta Spartivento which translated means “the point in which the wind divides”. It is well worth being windswept for a few minutes in order to enjoy the views up the northern end of the lake with its dramatic backdrop of snow covered peaks.
The town itself is nestled on the sheltered hillside of the peninsula. Steep cobbled streets filled with boutiques, souvenir shops and restaurants run up and down to the flat narrow stretch of land next to the lake. During the day this tiny town is inundated with visitors who arrive by hydrofoil, ferry or speedboat taxis. In fact we only found one oasis of calm and that was in its famous hotel - The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni - which was originally built as a private villa in 1852 and turned into a hotel 20 years later. From here you can admire the lake and mountains through the swaying palm trees around its pool and the glass walled Terraza Serbelloni restaurant provides the most dramatic vista in which to dine.
Although the lake attracts its fair share of holidaymakers sporting obligatory shorts and t-shirts, inside its two deluxe hotels there is an old fashioned elegance that you would expect to find on the Orient Express. At dinner there is a strict dress code of jacket and tie and at lunchtime, especially at the Veranda restaurant of the lake’s other famous hotel - Villa D’Este - everyone looks as if they have come from a fashion shoot in Milan.
Villa D’Este lies on the outskirts of Cernobbio, about a 10 minute drive from the town of Como which sits at the south-western end of the lake. The grounds of the hotel include three separate villas all set against a backdrop of Roman gardens that stretch up the steep hillside. The property takes up a large section of waterfront but, due to the lack of flat land, the outdoor swimming pool is located on an enormous pontoon sitting out in the lake. Lying on your sun lounger next to the pool you could easily be on a boat bobbing along in time with the waves.
A two hour drive away, on the main Milan to Venice motorway, and on Verona’s doorstep is Lake Garda. Italy’s largest lake couldn’t look more different, especially if your first glimpse is from the southern shores where it could be mistaken for the sea. However, the scenery and shape of the lake changes dramatically the further north you go. At its southern base the lake is wide and made up of bays surrounded by green rolling hills. Half way up, the mountains start to dominate and the lake narrows into a wide river. Eventually the shore line vanishes altogether and is replaced by craggy cliffs that fall straight into the water.
the atmosphere is what you would expect in a Mediterranean resort
In the south, the atmosphere is more what you would expect in a Mediterranean resort with large Victorian hotels, such as The Grand on the Gardone Riviera, taking up the same length of shoreline as the actual town. There are beaches and campsites located on the outskirts of most towns and car parks are filled with camper vans.
As with Lake Como it is not until you get out onto the lake that you really get a feel of its size and shape. However, the first thing you will notice is that the water here is buzzing with activity. Jet skis, water skiers, sail boats and speed boats skim across the water or are tied to buoys allowing their owners to sunbath or swim.
Thankfully, you don’t need your own speed boat to get around as the lake also has a great ferry service that links all the main towns. The ferries work like a city bus and only stop long enough to let passengers jump on and off. For those not getting off, the top deck offers a bird’s eye view of harbours packed with yachts. If you have a week, then the perfect way to explore the lake would be to pick a different town each day in which to have lunch and just jump on the ferry. In fact there are so many places to choose from such as Salo, Gardone, Limone, Riva, Malcesine, Garda or Bardolino to name but a few, that you may need to stay longer.
But, if time is short the best way to see the lake quickly is to hire a speed boat and driver/guide for a half day trip. Not that we got around the whole lake - it is far too big - but we got half way up before we crossed over and headed for our lunch destination. Our driver, Virgilio, was in his late 80’s and had an amazing collection of photographs of the famous celebs he has had on his boat such as Winston Churchill and Barbara Hutton. Despite his lack of English, he was a real gent and it was wonderful to share a bit of his incredible life.
Our lunch stop was at San Vigilio, just north of the town of Garda and it turned out to be “the” place to eat on the lake. As you come around the peninsula with its 16th century villa, you will discover a picturesque harbour and lots of speedboats! I’ve never seen so many boats moored in such a tiny place. I counted 20 and they were all there to have lunch in one of two restaurants.
By far the most popular was Bar Taverna with its tables and chairs sitting precariously on the low harbour walls and where either before or after lunch you could slip off your chair and cool off in the lake. For a longer, more formal lunch, you can’t beat the beautiful shady courtyard of Locanda San Vigilio with its long dining room table covered in delicious anti-pasta. It was the most idyllic place to hang out before heading back to hustle and bustle of Sirmione.
Sirmione is the most popular town on the lake. It is swamped daily with tourists who arrive by ferry or stay in one of the many hotels along the peninsula that juts 4 km out into the southern edge of the lake. Unless you are staying in one of the hotels inside the fortress town you have to leave your car outside the ancient walls and walk across the wooden drawbridge. Inside you will find the 13th century castle surrounded by an aqua green moat and beyond a maze of narrow cobbled streets leading to the ruins of a Roman villa and the Caves of Catullus.
the 13th century castle surrounded by an aqua green moat
One of the first things you will notice is that almost everyone is indulging in gelato deliciousness. The narrow main street boasts three enormous ice cream shops and it almost seemed a crime to walk past and not have one. My favourite was a scoop of kiwi and one of strawberry yoghurt!
If you’ve had too much ice cream you may want to recover in the thermal spa – Terme di Catullo – which lies at the end of the town and from the outside looks like a modern public swimming pool. Sirmione has been a spa town for 121 years ever since a Venetian diver discovered an underground hot water source at the end of the peninsula. This underground stream comes all the way from the volcanic mountains in the north and now and again you get a whiff of sulphur especially along the northern shoreline.
The most famous hotel in Sirmione is the Palace Hotel Villa Cortine, built as a private villa in 1870 it stands in four hectares of beautiful gardens. In the 1970’s the villa was transformed into a hotel and if you look closely you can easily make out the concrete extension although its stunning location makes it easy to ignore. From the grounds, guests can exit through gates into a public park and from there it is only a five minute stroll to the centre of town which, sadly, meant the hotel’s formal restaurant was deserted in the evenings.
The dress code is much more casual compared to Lake Como and it’s almost impossible to tell if people are still in their day trip clothes or had changed for dinner. There is also an incredible choice of places to eat from informal garden pizzerias to gourmet tasting menus.
I’m so glad that we chose to spend three nights at each lake although I did expect to come away with a favourite so it was a pleasant surprise to discover that I loved both equally as much. They were both similar but at the same time totally different. They are also both so large that we will need to go back to see what we missed. The next time, however, I will make sure I take two wardrobes with me - elegant outfits for “posing” in Lake Como and holiday beachwear for “chilling” on Lake Garda!