A lakefront village and ferry hub with trails behind it
Photo: sara karbal · Unsplash License · source
Why go
Menaggio feels like a working town with a lake in front of it. Piazza Garibaldi, at about 200 metres above sea level, is the starting point for a stroll along the lakefront past a small harbour, the Lido di Menaggio and the Largo Cavour, where a panel of historic photographs shows how the town used to look. Along the way a monument to a weaver by Francesco Somaini recalls the silk mill on the river Sanagra.
The setting is practical as well as pretty. Boats of the Como-Colico line stop here, the car ferry connects Menaggio with Bellagio, Varenna and Cadenabbia, and the hills behind the town carry marked footpaths. You can spend an easy afternoon on the water and still have time to walk up to one of the hamlets above the town. Boat tickets can be bought online or at the Navigazione ticket office in the town.
Gallery
Photo: sara karbal · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Mateo Krossler · Unsplash License · source
Photo: NHN · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Christopher Politano · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Emmanuel Mavely · Unsplash License · source
Highlights
Along the Lungo Lago you pass a small harbour, the Lido di Menaggio, dating from 1934 and described as rationalist in style, and Largo Cavour. A monument to a weaver by Francesco Somaini, donated by the Mantero family, who had a silk mill on the river Sanagra, stands on the promenade.
Menaggio's medieval castle stood near Largo Fossato, where a moat once ran. In 1523 the Grigioni attacked the town and the castle was destroyed and dismantled. Large walls along Via Fabbri survive, and the church of San Carlo was built on the castle ruins. The remains are a short detour from the lakefront and give a sense of the medieval town that stood here.
A loop of about 11 km, marked with yellow arrows and taking around three hours, starts and ends at Piazza Garibaldi and links three hamlets. Croce is the highest, with a 17th-century square. Loveno has noble villas, including Villa Mylius Vigoni. Nobiallo is a fishing village on a stretch of the Antica Strada Regina.
The Greenway del Lago di Como runs about 10 km from Colonno to Cadenabbia and ends at the Cadenabbia ferry landing, a short crossing from Menaggio. Path 2 of the Via dei Monti Lariani, 26 km from San Fedele Intelvi, ends at Croce in Menaggio's commune. Both are walks to plan separately.
Practical information
The village, lakefront and lanes are open all year. Individual sights, the Lido and the Navigazione ticket office keep their own hours.
Free: the town, the lakefront and the marked footpaths are public.
Checked in November 2026. Hours and fees can change: check on the day before you go.
Getting there
By ASF bus line C110 Como-Menaggio-Colico, about 1 hour 10 minutes to Menaggio, or by lake boat on the Como-Colico line (check the Navigazione Laghi timetable for the journey time).
Trenord train from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni, about 40 minutes, then the C110 bus or the lake boat to Menaggio. Or train to Varenna-Esino, about an hour, then a short ferry crossing to Menaggio.
Navigazione Laghi (navigazionelaghi.it): lake boats on the Como-Colico line call at Menaggio, and the car ferry links Menaggio with Bellagio, Varenna and Cadenabbia. The winter timetable is valid from 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027. Boat tickets can also be bought at the Navigazione ticket office in Menaggio.
ASF Autolinee line C110 Como-Menaggio-Colico (the old C10, renumbered on 9 June 2025), about 1 hour 10 minutes from Como to Menaggio.
Insider tips
The car ferry links Menaggio with Bellagio, Varenna and Cadenabbia, so you can combine the western and eastern shores in one day without going back round by road. Boat tickets are sold online at navigazionelaghi.it or at the Navigazione ticket office in Menaggio, so you can buy before you board.
The marked loop through Croce, Loveno and Nobiallo is about 11 km with 280 m of ascent, and takes around three hours. Start from Piazza Garibaldi and carry water. The route is marked with yellow arrows, and the extra detour to Monte Crocetta lengthens it to 13 km.
The detour to the Belvedere la Crocetta is a steep climb of about 30 minutes, with First World War trenches on Monte Crocetta. The route description recommends sturdy boots. With the detour the loop is about 13 km and 411 m of ascent, so allow roughly half an hour more.
The winter timetable runs from 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027. Check the Navigazione Laghi page for Menaggio departures before planning a crossing, especially on holidays. Holidays on 8 and 26 December 2026 and 1 and 6 January 2027 have their own timetables.
Nearby
From the Lake Como City Guide, each with its own Holiplanet page. Straight-line distances.
Restaurant · 4.0 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 · 4.9 km
A village osteria above the eastern shore of Lake Como, serving slow, homemade cooking and the lake view from its terrace.
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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 · 8.3 km
A lakefront restaurant in Lierna with a big terrace facing Bellagio, relaxed service and simple, modern cooking built on local ingredients.
Discover more →Hotel · 3.8 km
A neoclassical lakeside villa in Bellagio with gardens
View hotel →Hotel · 4.4 km
A scattered hotel in the hill village of Vezio above Varenna
View hotel →Hotel · 5.4 km
A family-run lakefront hotel on the Bay of Venus in Lenno
View hotel →Hotel · 5.7 km
A family-run hotel on the hillside above Bellagio
View hotel →All hotels on the Lake Como map → All things to do on the map →
Questions
By ASF bus line C110 Como-Menaggio-Colico, about 1 hour 10 minutes to Menaggio, or by lake boat on the Como-Colico line, which calls at Menaggio. Check the Navigazione Laghi timetable for boat times, which change by season. Check ASF Autolinee for the current timetable and fares.
By the Navigazione Laghi car ferry, which links Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna and Cadenabbia, or by the lake boat on the Como-Colico line. The winter timetable is valid from 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027. Crossings take roughly 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the route, according to the published ferry tables.
Not on the route itself. The Greenway runs about 10 km from Colonno to Cadenabbia, and Cadenabbia has a ferry landing and bus stop, a short crossing from Menaggio. Plan the walk and the crossing separately. Menaggio is not one of its stages.
A marked loop of about 11 km, taking around three hours, links Croce, Loveno and Nobiallo from Piazza Garibaldi. A detour to Belvedere la Crocetta adds about 2 km and a steep 30-minute climb. The loop is marked with yellow arrows and climbs about 280 m in total, or 411 m with the detour.
A lakefront with a 1934 rationalist lido, the ruins of a medieval castle destroyed in 1523, silk-mill history on the river Sanagra, and its role as a ferry stop on the western shore. Large stretches of the old walls still survive along Via Fabbri.
