Luxury rental apartment Lake Como Italy The Local Area

The Local Area

Colonno, which is named after an ancient Greek settlement, remains a traditional Italian lakeside village and it situated 3 km north of Argegno and immediately adjacent to Sala Comacina, with Ossuccio, Lenno and Menaggio a few kilometres further north. It is 20 minutes from the lovely historic city of Como and about one hour to Milan airports (Malpensa and Linate) and the stylish metropolis itself. Como is one of Italy’s most important centres for the production of silk.

The apartment is situated at the beginning of the famous Greenway di Lago, a beautiful walk through the lakeside villages from Colonno to Menaggio. For the really energetic a 2 ½ hour hike will take you to the peak of the Alpe di Colonno at 1319 metres above sea level.

Local Amenities

The village of Colonno itself has a very small village shop (bread,milk and basics), two bars and the Trattoria Chegal which although modest looking is acknowledged as one of the best restaurants for fresh lake fish in the area. It has a charming terrace overlooking the lake. The restaurant is 500 meters from the apartment with a pleasant walk through the village and down some steps - very good for the digestion on the way back. A much wider choice of bars and restaurants is available in Argegno which is 4 minutes away by car (3.2km). Bar Ristorante Barchetta is particularly good. Argegno also has banks with cash machine, pharmacy, pastry shop and a wonderful little bakery. 2 km further south towards Brienno finds the Crotti dei Plantini, with a beautiful lake side terrace and views to die for. It has been operating as a restaurant for 150 years and in the same family for 40 and serves superlative food. At about the same distance going north, the next village Sala Comacina boasts two excellent restaurants, La Bleu Taverna and Locanda La Tirlindana, both with beautiful views of the lake and in the Isola Comacina is situated the famous Locanda dell'Isola Comacina which has been serving the same set menu of 6/7 courses for over 60 years. The place is a lake institution and a visit is a must. Small boats run regularly from the village to the island or you can get a ferry from Argegno. For more extensive shopping including a good quality Supermarket (SASA) you need to visit Lenno which is 10 minutes away by car (5.2km). Lenno also has an amazing hardware store that sells almost everything you could possibly need as well as banks, florist, haberdashery, pharmacy and a truly excellent pizza restaurant , Il Cris.

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The coastal strip from Argegno to Menaggio enjoys a unique sub-tropical microclimate with mild winters and an average summer temperature of 29 degrees C, thus escaping the excessive heat of Milan and elsewhere. It is the only area on Lake Como where you will see olives, banana trees and bougainvillea growing. This is largely due to the south east facing coastline which is unique to this area and the one further south from Cernobbio to Laglio (where George Clooney has his villa) and makes these lakeside areas the most sought after on Lake Como.

Lake Como is blessed with some truly beautiful Italian Villas and stunning gardens. The famous Villas Balbianello and Carlotta are 10 minutes away and offer a genuinely memorable visit.

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The border with Switzerland is very close to Como and just 20 minutes over the border you will find the ultimate in retail therapy; the famous Foxtown Centre which houses dozens of designer outlets.

There are many beautifully located restaurants just a few minutes away that serve divine Italian food. Three favourites in Sala Comacina are Hotel Ristorante Taverna Bleu, Locanda dell’Isola Comacina (located on the island) and Locanda La Tirlindana.

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