Amorielli
The Stay Magazine Vol. 2 · No. 07 · July 2026Vol 2 · 07
This is the current issue, and it stays close to home for us — Lake Como, the long Y-shaped lake in the Italian pre-Alps that has been drawing travellers for as long as travel has been a thing you do for pleasure. In July the lake is at its fullest, and the only real question, as ever, is which town to sleep in.
Get that right — the right shore, the right ferry pier — and Como is one of the easiest beautiful places in the world. Get it wrong and you spend the week waiting for boats. This issue is about getting it right.
— The Editors, Amorielli
The contents
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On the cover
Where to Stay on Lake Como: Towns, Villas, and When to Go
A straight-talking guide to choosing where to base on Lake Como — Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, the western villa towns, or the city of Como — plus when to come, how to get around by boat and train, and the gardens worth planning around.
Read the guide →
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The Room
Which town
Bellagio sits where the three arms meet and gets the postcards; Varenna is smaller and has the trains; the western shore holds the grand villa-hotels. Pick for how you'll travel.
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The Arrival
By boat
Base near a ferry pier and use the boats rather than the one-lane lake roads. The getting-around becomes the pleasure instead of the chore.
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The Detour
The gardens
Villa del Balbianello on its promontory and Villa Carlotta across the water are the two gardens worth planning a boat day around.
Never miss an issue.
One considered letter when a new issue lands — a new destination, where to base, and when to go.