The lake's only island, with ruins in the woods
Photo: Kaitu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Why go
The island has been a stronghold since Roman times and a political, military and religious centre in the early Middle Ages. In 1169 the people of Como, allied with Frederick Barbarossa, razed it, and it was largely abandoned for centuries. Excavations led by Ugo Monneret de Villard from 1914 and Luigi Mario Belloni from 1958 to 1978 uncovered churches, a baptistery and defensive walls.
Today it is an archaeological and natural park that you walk round in an hour or two, among woods, ruins and views back to the Tremezzina shore. There is no hotel or village: the restaurant, bar and toilets are closed indefinitely, so bring water and plan your visit around the season and the boats. The Greenway del Lago di Como makes a good pairing, as it passes the mainland shore opposite.
Gallery
Photo: Kaitu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: LigaDue · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: LigaDue · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Maurizio Moro5153 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Highlights
The ruins and crypt of the great church lie in the park. A tower base probably served as its bell tower. The excavations show how important the island was as a religious centre before its destruction in 1169, and the path round the ruins is the heart of the visit.
The church stands on earlier structures, including a Roman-era building and an early medieval church destroyed in 1169. It was rebuilt in the 17th century as a three-nave church with a bell tower (1670–75). Restoration ended in 2008, and a Roman marble colonnade is visible beneath the floor.
Designed by the architect Pietro Lingeri in a rationalist style, the houses grew from a project dating to 1920, when the Brera Academy was entrusted with the island. The official site says they were restored in 2009–2010 and now host creatives, exhibitions and workshops. They are a landmark of 20th-century architecture.
The park also has the remains of San Pietro in Castello, Santa Maria col Portico and the church of Saints Faustino and Giovita, a tower house, defensive walls and a baptismal hall. Finds are shown in the Antiquarium on the mainland, at Via Somalvico in Ossuccio, in the Hospitalis di Stabio.
Practical information
From the official website:
Island: May to the end of October, every day, 10:00 to 18:00. Museo Antiquarium (Ossuccio): May to the end of October, Thursday to Sunday, 11:00 to 17:00. The official page gives the season in general terms and does not yet publish a 2026 calendar or 2027 dates, so treat the island as closed from November until the new season is announced. The restaurant, bar and toilets are closed indefinitely.
A ticket is required for the island and the Antiquarium. Official rates (adult): park only EUR 4 (card-only ticket machine on the island); park plus Antiquarium EUR 6; park plus Antiquarium and Museo del Paesaggio EUR 9; Antiquarium only EUR 3. Reduced rates for over-65s and students, a family ticket, and free entry for ages 0 to 5. Visitors without a ticket face penalties.
Information correct as of November 2026. Hours and fees can change: check on the day before you go.
Getting there
Take the C110 bus (Como–Colico) or a Navigazione Laghi boat to Ossuccio, about an hour, then a short crossing to the island. Boats and taxi boats leave near the church of Santa Maria Maddalena in Ossuccio.
Train to Como San Giovanni or Como Nord Lago (Trenord), then bus C110 to Ossuccio; or train to Varenna-Esino and a boat across the lake. Allow about 2 hours in all.
Navigazione Laghi (navigazionelaghi.it) lists Isola Comacina as a stop in its Lake Como timetables, which are published by period: 1 July to 4 October 2026, 5 October to 1 November 2026, and 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027. Check which periods serve the island on the timetable or call 800-551801 (Italy only). Taxi boats also cross from Ossuccio in a few minutes.
ASF line C110 (Como–Colico) serves Tremezzina and Ossuccio. Check current timetables with ASF Autolinee.
Visitors who drive park in Ossuccio and walk to the boarding point.
Insider tips
The island is open from May to the end of October. It is closed in November, and the 2027 dates are not published yet. Check the official site before planning a trip.
You can buy a ticket at the Antiquarium in Ossuccio, which includes the museum, or at the card-only ticket machine on the island. People found without a ticket face penalties.
The restaurant, bar and toilets on the island are closed indefinitely. Carry water and a snack, wear sturdy shoes for the woodland paths, and plan about one to two hours.
The Greenway del Lago di Como passes Sala Comacina and Ossuccio, with views of the island from the chapel of San Rocco. Walk a stage, then cross to the island by boat.
Nearby
From the Lake Como City Guide, each with its own Holiplanet page. Straight-line distances.
Restaurant · 6.9 km
A family-run trattoria in the woods above Bellagio, with a terrace view over the lake and the Prealps and a menu rooted in Lombard tradition.
Discover more →Restaurant · 7.1 km
A stone-and-wood chalet at 1,012 metres, serving polenta with a view over Lake Como and the Alps.
Discover more →Restaurant · 10.2 km
A small family-run pasta place in Varenna where a short menu of fresh handmade pasta is made daily, with sauces meant for the bread.
Discover more →Restaurant · 10.3 km
A village osteria above the eastern shore of Lake Como, serving slow, homemade cooking and the lake view from its terrace.
Discover more →Hotel · 2.6 km
A family-run lakefront hotel on the Bay of Venus in Lenno
View hotel →Hotel · 2.9 km
A modern lakefront hotel in Lezzeno with 13 rooms
View hotel →Hotel · 6.6 km
A family-run hotel on the hillside above Bellagio
View hotel →Hotel · 7.7 km
A neoclassical lakeside villa in Bellagio with gardens
View hotel →All hotels on the Lake Como map → All things to do on the map →
Questions
The official site says the island is open from May to the end of October, every day, 10:00 to 18:00, and the Antiquarium Thursday to Sunday, 11:00 to 17:00. It does not publish a 2026 calendar or 2027 dates, so check before you go. In November it is closed.
By boat from Ossuccio, where public boats and taxi boats leave near the church of Santa Maria Maddalena, a crossing of a few minutes. Navigazione Laghi lists Isola Comacina in its timetables.
The official rates give EUR 4 for the park only (adult), EUR 6 for the park plus the Antiquarium, and EUR 9 with the Museo del Paesaggio. There are reduced, student and family tickets, and free entry for ages 0 to 5. The boat is charged separately.
No. The official site says the restaurant, bar and toilets are closed indefinitely. Bring water and food, or eat on the mainland in Ossuccio or Sala Comacina before or after your visit.
The ruins and crypt of Sant'Eufemia, the church of San Giovanni Battista with its Roman colonnade beneath the floor, other medieval churches, defensive walls and Pietro Lingeri's rationalist artists' houses. Finds are displayed in the Antiquarium at Ossuccio.
