Where is the quiet end of Lake Como?

The quiet end of Lake Como is the northern tip, around Colico , where the mountains drop straight to the water and the ferries still carry locals with shopping bags rather than wedding photographers. It sits well away from the famous celebrity stretch near Bellagio and Laglio, yet it is connected to the rest of the lake by train and ferry.

Is Colico a good base for exploring Lake Como?

Yes. Colico sits at the top of Lake Como with a train line running down the eastern shore and ferry connections across the water. From a village house near Colico you can reach Bellano in a few minutes by train, take a ferry to Varenna or Bellagio, and head up the valley to Chiavenna, all while paying less than you would at the glamorous southern end.

Can you visit Lake Como without a car?

Easily. A weekly train pass covers the towns along the eastern shore, and the lake ferries link Varenna, Bellagio and the smaller villages across the water. Basing yourself near a station at the northern end means one town a day by train or ferry, and back to base before the light goes.

Which towns are day trips from the north of Lake Como?

From the Colico end you can do Bellano (a few minutes by train), Varenna and Bellagio (a ferry ride away), and Chiavenna , which sits up a valley to the north. Each works as a comfortable day trip with an easy return to base in the evening.

Is northern Lake Como less touristy than Bellagio?

Yes, noticeably. The northern end around Colico is village Italy rather than postcard Italy. The ferries are half full of locals, the cobbled lanes are quiet, and accommodation is cheaper than in Bellagio or Varenna. You trade the boutique shops for mountains that come right down to the water, and you can still reach the famous towns whenever you want.

North of the Postcards: Making Camp at the Quiet End of Lake Como

July 6, 2026

Skipping the glamorous end of Lake Como, an artist sets up a travelling studio in a village house near Colico, planning a week of daily sketching trips to Bellano, Varenna, Bellagio and Chiavenna.

Everyone knows the glamorous end of Lake Como. George Clooney’s end. The end with the wedding photographers hanging out of boats. I am not staying at that end.

I have set up camp in a village house near Colico, at the top of the lake where the mountains come down to the water like they mean it and the ferries are still half full of locals with shopping bags. A week here, a weekly train pass in my pocket, and a host who welcomed me like a returning cousin. This is base camp for the next stretch of the trip, and honestly, I think I got the better deal.

A grey speckled dog lying on mossy cobblestones between terracotta pots — The welcoming committee. No English, no Italian either really, but we understood each other perfectly.

First order of business was unpacking the travelling studio. It is a humble operation: sketch pads, the pen roll, business cards (yes Mum, I packed business cards, this is a working trip), and the iPad with a small portfolio of works in case a gallery conversation happens. It all fits in one daypack, which after years of hauling a market stall around south-east Queensland feels like cheating.

Second order of business was meeting the neighbours. The village dog inspected my setup, approved it, and flopped down on cobbles that have been polished by about six centuries of exactly this. I did a slow page of him while he slept. Dogs are the best life models… they hold a pose like professionals and never ask to see the drawing.

The plan from here is simple and a little bit greedy. Bellano is a few minutes down the line, Varenna and Bellagio a ferry ride away, and Chiavenna sits up a valley to the north with a story I have been saving. The week has two jobs written at the top of its page: build the subject library, and start the artwork. Movement in water, movement in people, photographs turned into line. One town a day, one set of pages a day, and back to base before the light goes… that is the shape of a working week out here.

The light this evening was ridiculous. The kind of gold that makes you swear off drawing indoors forever. Tomorrow, Bellano, and a painter I have wanted to meet on his home ground for a long time.