Lake Como is surrounded by villages, each with its own unique charm. The best way to visit them is by boat, so I’ll begin there.

Menaggio

Menaggio was home base for us during this trip. We rented a spacious apartment tucked into the side of a mountain that was both family-friendly and sleekly modern, with sweeping views of the lake and surrounding area. Menaggio is known for its elegant lake promenade, the Piazza Garibaldi, complete with gelato shops, open-air restaurants, shops selling local products, a grand hotel, boat docks and fishing piers, and a very old-fashioned mini-golf course. And, although we loved going into Menaggio proper, we shared some of the best family time right at the property, swimming, having long dinners on our terrace and twilight bottles of wine surrounded by one of the most beautiful views the world has to offer.

One day, we hiked up a trail to Refuggio Menaggio, about 300 meters vertically, although only about a mile in length. Props to my daughter-in-law for doing so with an 11-month old baby and my son for carrying (at least half of the way up) his four-year-old on his backpack. It was both challenging and rewarding as we got some great photos along with a hearty lunch.

Verenna

We took the ferry over to Verenna on our first full day in Lake Como. If you go, be sure to make a reservation at Al Prato Ristorante Enoteco (and order the squid ink pasta with fruita del lago – amazing!) This village is probably the most scenic. Around every corner is a delightful view of the lake, vine-covered archways, cobblestone pathways, charming shops and outdoor restaurants, and steep, narrow, cobbled alleys waiting to be explored.

Bellagio

Bellagio is slightly larger than either of the other villages with a lot more shopping, so allow yourself a bit more time. We took the ferry over again, explored, shopped a little (expect to pay tourist prices, but the silk scarves and ties that are the specialty are reasonably priced in many of the shops), and had another incredible lunch at Cava Turacciolo. This restaurant in a tiny wine cave built into the side of the mountain is well worth making an advanced reservation. Again, kudos to my daughter-in-law, Emily, and son, Joey, for researching all the best places. Food, wine, service and atmosphere were all superb.

Since we were traveling with young children, we opted to forgo visiting the famous villas of the region. It would be a very unusual four-year-old who enjoyed fine paintings, antique furnishings and history. Instead, we rented a boat and viewed Villa Balbianello (where parts of Casino Royale and Star Wars were filmed), Villa Carlotta, Richard Branson’s Villa and many more by water on what turned out to be the most gorgeous weather of the week. The day before was rainy. We went to Lugano in Switzerland (just a short hour drive from Menaggio) for the day.

Then, suddenly it was our last day. It would be hard to imagine a better last day of vacation. We spent the morning swimming before getting ready to have lunch at a local agritourismo, Ca’ Del Lago, just 20 minutes away from Menaggio.

Agritourismos are all over Italy and are known as being reasonably-priced places to stay, with organic, local cuisine and bucolic settings where children can run and play among olive groves (or lemon trees or another variety). Ca’ Del Lago also had goats and a playground area, so we could relax while the kids played. We came back and had afternoon naps to sleep off the wine with lunch, then went back down to the main piazza for a farewell Aperol Spritz (one of the most popular aperitifs in Italy), a light dinner, a few sunset family pictures and a final gelato.