Discovering Lake Como with a Private Boat Tour… From the water, Lake Como is best appreciated. From a boat, you undoubtedly get the finest view of the lake’s beautiful shores. You can’t get any closer to the breathtaking villas with magnificent botanical gardens or the lesser-known residences of the wealthy, often second-home owners. You can also discover the colorful villages along the shores one by one, until you can list them all in order. Charming bars and restaurants with cozy terraces and lake views immediately catch the eye from the water.
There are many options for sightseeing on the lake. You can use the public ferries, which travel in straight lines back and forth between villages on opposite sides of the lake. Renting your own boat is another possibility. There is a wide range of rental companies offering boats of all sizes, with or without a boating license required. Prices vary depending on demand and season. During the busy summer months, booking in advance is always recommended.
Or you can choose a private boat tour with a skipper who takes you around the lake. Check. Today, we are enjoying a private boat tour with Il Medeghino – Lake Como Boat Tour, and we have plenty of positive things to say about the experience.
A few days ago, we booked a boat tour through the website. Today, we’ve only just landed in Milan when we receive a message from Claudio asking where we’d like to be picked up. Oh, we can choose? We arrange to meet at the public pier right in front of our hotel, La Locanda del Cantiere in Laglio, where we’re staying this weekend. Claudio then sends us the contact details of Captain Marco, who in turn provides us with the coordinates of the pier. Smooth and proactive communication that we truly appreciate. Right on time, we’re standing on the pontoon, wearing a cap and a streak of sunscreen on our noses, waiting. In the distance, a beautiful black boat is approaching us. Ciao Marco!
We take our seats in the boat’s red leather chairs and are warmly welcomed by Marco. If we have a question, a special request, or feel like having a refreshing drink, we only need to ask, he assures us. Before we set off, we quickly add our signature next to our names, because the Guardia Costiera sul Lago di Como also likes to know who is out there floating on the water.
The Cranchi E26, a stylish motorboat produced in Lombardy, starts moving with a soft hum.
Our first stop takes us to Villa La Punta, owned by Russian banker Igor Kogan. Villa La Punta is sometimes described as the twin brother of Villa Oleandra, the famous villa of George Clooney.
Marco tells us about the tense relationship between Russian billionaires and the Italian authorities, a situation that has also led to several properties around Lake Como being confiscated. Some research later tells us that Villa La Punta is currently for sale, price on request.
We sail past Brienno, with its colorful houses that look like a LEGO construction set. Passing through Argegno and Colonno, Marco briefly stops the engine near Villa Balbiano. Another magnificent stately villa once again in Russian hands, now available for high end and exclusive weddings and events, complete with a matching price tag.
What a contrast once again… This morning, we were stressing in traffic on the Brussels Ring trying to make our flight on time, and only a few hours later, we are sailing carefree across Lake Como in the spring sunshine. Along the shores, heavy clusters of beautiful wisteria are in bloom. Blossoms and flowers brighten terraces and facades. There is a wonderful feeling of awakening and tranquility hanging over Lake Como.
We continue sailing toward the bay of Sala Comacina, passing Isola Comacina. This part of Lake Como is an absolute must to discover! On weekends, many boats from locals often drift here, as people come to sunbathe, swim, and socialize.
This bay lies just in front of the Lenno peninsula, where Lenno and Isola Comacina together keep the wind and waves away, creating a wonderfully calm and flat water surface. This characteristic stretch of water is known as Zoca de l’Oli, or the bay where the water is as smooth as oil.
A little further on, Villa Cassinella comes into view, gleaming in the distance. An elegant and refined villa, recognizable by its slender cypress trees, meticulously pruned by hand. Villa Cassinella is accessible only by water. The ochre-yellow villa with dark green shutters is framed by a lush garden. It is a perfectly composed landscape, designed for both privacy and a seamless connection with Lake Como. It almost feels too perfect to be real, like an image generated by AI. In early 2026, Villa Cassinella was reportedly sold to a wealthy Russian buyer for over €90 million, setting a new record for a real estate transaction on Lake Como.
The next stop is, of course, the famous Villa del Balbianello. This former monastery on the tip of the Lenno peninsula is world famous for its photogenic location, elegant terraced gardens, and spectacular views over Lake Como. Many visitors also recognize the villa as a filming location from the Casino Royale James Bond film and from Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. We zigzag between the other boats in search of the perfect photo of this iconic place.
Through the bay of Lenno, with its charming boulevard and lively promenade, we continue sailing toward Tremezzo.
Along the way, we pass Parco Civico Teresio Olivelli, a lovely park right by the water where palm trees, blooming flowers, and elegant fountains create a peaceful setting. It is a favorite place for locals to take a walk and, during the warm summer months, to enjoy the sunshine.
A little further on rises the aristocratic Villa Sola Cabiati, a magnificent eighteenth century palace that once served as the summer residence of noble families from Milan. Its stately façade, graceful gardens, and proudly waving Italian flag give the villa an impressive presence.
Another villa? Absolutely: Villa Carlotta in Tremezzina. This elegant villa is especially famous for its lush botanical garden filled with azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and exotic plants that create a spectacular display of color in spring. Inside, a treasure of art and history awaits, making Villa Carlotta one of the absolute highlights of Lake Como.
The majestic Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Tremezzo is, of course, the final stop along the western shore, and then the bow of the boat turns toward the opposite side: elegant Bellagio.
Depending on the boat tour you choose, Il Medeghino – Lake Como Boat Tour continues from here either toward Bellagio or toward Varenna. There are two and three hour boat tours available, or four hours if you would like to sail all the way to Varenna. Several standard packages are offered, including boat tours combined with dinner. Il Medeghino also creates tailor made experiences for those with special wishes or requests and who are willing to spend a little extra. The name Il Medeghino may refer to the notorious warlord from the Lake Como region, but today Il Medeghino – Lake Como Boat Tour provides unforgettable boat tours across Lake Como with its different boats, without needing to raise a pirate flag.
In the colorful contrasts that the sun and nature offer us today, Bellagio is buzzing with life and fully deserves its nickname, the pearl of Lake Como. Along the waterfront, with its beautiful historic façades and atmospheric terraces of hotels, bars, and restaurants, both tourists and locals are enjoying the moment. But when we notice the long queues at the ferry ticket offices, we are secretly quite happy to be waving goodbye to Bellagio from the comfort of a private boat.
We continue sailing past Villa Melzi, with its famous public gardens, and begin exploring the eastern shore.
As you may know, this side is less built up and feels much wilder. There are more forests and steep shores that are difficult to access. Even the sun seems to struggle a little more to warm this side of the lake, and the breeze is clearly stronger here. Still, there are many beautiful places to discover along this side as well.
From Lezzeno, we sail toward Nesso. Meanwhile, we chat endlessly with Marco. His English is perfect, so no need for Italian hand gestures if you want to learn something about the region. Born and raised in Como, he is more than happy to share both his knowledge and his love for Lake Como with us. Marco is a great guy, and of course we also ask him about his favorite local spots.
Nesso is famous for the Ponte della Civera. This bridge dates back to Roman times, was extensively rebuilt during the Middle Ages, and connects the two old districts of Coatesa and Riva del Castello. The bridge was designed as an almost perfect arch to better withstand flooding. So many years later, locals still happily jump from the bridge into Lake Como and the Orrido di Nesso below. It makes Nesso one of the most photographed places on Lake Como.
We sail past the historic Villa Pliniana, built around the Fonte Pliniana, a natural spring. Today, Villa Pliniana is a luxury estate belonging to Sereno Hotels. The Il Sereno hotel in Torno lies a little further on, but we notice very little activity. According to Marco, for this time of year, Lake Como is still relatively quiet when it comes to VIP visitors.
Although, at Villa Matilda, we do spot fashion influencer and media personality Chiara Ferragni. From Torno, we cross over toward Moltrasio, and this time, we do not need our swimsuits.
Near Moltrasio, we sail past Villa Fontanelle, built during the first half of the nineteenth century. The villa only became truly famous when Gianni Versace bought it in a neglected state and fully restored it to its neoclassical grandeur in the 1980s. International stars from Madonna and Princess Diana to Jennifer Lopez wandered through its magnificent botanical park garden. Today, Villa Fontanelle belongs to Russian millionaire Arkady Novikov, who paid not 33 million lire, but rather 33 million euros for the property.
And now that we are casually talking in millions, that brings us to the final famous highlight of Lake Como, which is of course Villa Oleandra, owned by the charming coffee loving gentleman George Clooney. And because Mr. Clooney often says in interviews that he misses privacy at Lake Como, we will gladly grant him that peace. He is one lucky bastard with that stunning villa in the bay of Laglio, and we will leave it at that.
And so, the private boat tour with Il Medeghino comes to an end. We’re neatly dropped off where we started. What a wonderful experience. Three hours truly flew by. We relaxed and fully enjoyed everything Lake Como has to offer. We experienced its diversity and the many faces of the lake. A beautiful memory to cherish, captured in stunning photos. The added value of a private boat tour with a local captain turns out to be remarkably significant. Our getaway to Lake Como couldn’t have started better. Grazie Claudio e Marco!
