Our Family Friendly Week In Bellagio, Lake Como

In April, we drove three hours south of Zürich to meet up with family and friends in Bellagio, on Lake Como. The drive was absolutely beautiful. As we passed through Lugano, I made a mental note to book our next holiday there, as it had the most stunning lake and sharp green mountains. Once we arrived at the lake, we took a ferry to Bellagio and headed for our hotel, Hotel Belvedere. We booked a large lake view room so that we could fit a few guests, as we were a party of ten. After a welcome apero, we headed straight for the pool, which had a wall of gorgeous purple wisteria in full bloom. As we were the first ones to arrive, we ate dinner at the hotel’s terraced restaurant, which was very good and child friendly with boxes of colored pencils and paper coloring placemats for the girls. We tested the tiramisu and gelato since we were in Italy, of course.

We had a tour guide for two days which was a wonderful way to see and do more than exploring on your own. Our local guide, Giusi, was wonderfully kid friendly, finding interesting facts and fun for the girls along the way. Our day began with a walking tour of Bellagio. Then we boarded a private boat for Villa Balbianello, one of the most beautiful mansions on Lake Como, also the location of James Bond’s Casino Royale and Star Wars! The villa was so spectacular and the history behind it was fascinating. The girls enjoyed see all the hidden staircases and nooks, as the owner of the villa was always ready to quickly escape into Lake Como if he was ever invaded. The panoramic view of the mountains and lake were outstanding.

After the villa tour, we hopped back on the boat for an amazing pre fix lunch at Isola Comacina. This private island was a gorgeous setting for an absolutely outstanding meal with a panoramic view of Lake Como. We had the most fabulous assortment of vegetables to start with. I have never eaten such fantastic vegetables in all my days. Then we ate fresh fish, chicken, and an elaborate final cocktail to ward off the evil spirits from Lake Como. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are ever in Lake Como. Plus, there is a playground hidden away outside behind the restaurant for when your children are all pre fixed out.

Our second and final day with our lovely tour guide Giusi, we boarded a one hour ferry boat to Como for a walking tour of the city. We walked through the Duomo and ate lunch right outside in the beautiful square. As we walked back to the lake from our tour, we treated ourselves to some gelato as we waited for our ferry. On our ferry ride back to Bellagio, Giusi gave us a star tour of all the famous villas she knew on Lake Como, including many famous opera singers and composers from years gone by. It was so interesting to hear the rich history of the lake and all the different people who have lived here then and now.