Where to stay on Lake Como: the best towns and hotels

Bellagio sits on the tip of the promontory where Lake Como splits in two, so it gets water views in almost every direction. The village is all steep stepped lanes, silk shops and cafés under arcades, with the formal gardens of Villa Melzi a lovely stroll along the shore. Across the water, Villa Carlotta is one short ferry hop away.

This is where the lake keeps its grandest hotel, a palatial lakefront residence with a spa and pools, along with a family-run Art Nouveau mansion right on the water. For peace and a view over all three branches, look at the hillside hotel just outside the village, a short drive or a pretty half-hour walk from the centre. Bellagio is busy with day-trippers by late morning, but it empties out beautifully in the evening, which is the best reason to stay overnight.

On the eastern shore, Varenna is a tumble of ochre, rose and lemon houses spilling down to a tiny harbour. A walkway clings to the water's edge, the gardens of Villa Monastero run along the lake, and a steep path climbs to the medieval Castello di Vezio for the view of the whole central lake.

Hotels here are small and characterful: 19th-century buildings with lake-view terraces a couple of minutes from the pier, one with gardens, a pool and a little wellness area, and simple rooms in the old hamlet of Vezio up near the castle. Varenna is also the only one of the central trio on the railway, which makes it easy to reach from Milan without a car.

Menaggio is the central lake's most down-to-earth base. It is a real town, with a broad lakefront piazza, a lido for swimming and a good spread of shops and restaurants, and the ferries to Bellagio and Varenna leave from the jetty. Walkers love it too: trails head up into the hills behind.

The landmark is a grand Liberty-style hotel from 1890, restored with its chandeliers and gilded staircase intact and set in a garden of century-old trees right on the lake, with a newer concept and spa wing alongside. Smaller three-stars in the old centre and on the hillside offer pools and lake views for less.

Cernobbio sits on the western shore just north of Como town, at the start of the lake's south-western arm. It is a polished little place with a lakeside promenade, grand villas behind high gates and some excellent restaurants, and it makes a smart base for a short break: Como's cathedral and lakefront are a few minutes away, and Milan is close enough for a day trip.

Most hotels here are friendly, family-run places a short walk from the water, several with gardens or terraces, plus a four-star with a seasonal pool and a rooftop terrace. It's also a sensible pick if you're driving: several hotels have parking, which is gold dust on the lake's narrow shore roads.

Lecco is where the eastern arm of the lake narrows into the River Adda, under the jagged peaks of the Grigne. It is a working city rather than a postcard village, which keeps prices down, and it has a literary claim to fame: Manzoni set his classic novel The Betrothed here, and the town is proud of it.

Stay for good-value hotels, a riverside four-star and easy access to the mountains, with cable cars and hiking trails close by. It is on the railway to Milan, so it works without a car. Lecco sits apart from the villa towns of the central lake and suits walkers and climbers more than garden-hoppers, but Varenna is a short train ride up the eastern shore.

At the northern end of the lake, Colico trades villas for wide-open views of water and mountains. The afternoon breezes make it popular with windsurfers and sailors, there are beaches for swimming, and the old Forte Montecchio is a short drive away.

Hotels are small, modern and well priced, from a new-build with rooms facing the lake and mountains to a six-room locanda with a garden terrace. You'll need a car or the train to reach the central lake.