Lake Como in northern Italy has it all. It has breathtaking natural beauty, quintessential Italian villages, elegant villas and tony estates, picturesque green forested steep hills that come right down to the lake, it is uncrowded and peaceful, and you can navigate easily by boat to explore the lake and visit the many villages.

Varenna is another traditional old village on the lake shore, accessible by boat. It is easily walkable and has a promenade along the lake that leads to Villa Monastero, a patrician residence that has a gorgeous botanical garden, and another villa called Villa Cipressi with terraced gardens down to the lake shore.

Bellagio is a small lakeside village. You can walk the historical center along the colorful and picturesque streets, and hike above the town for fantastic views. From the lake, walk along the lakeside park to the magnificent botanical gardens of Villa Melzi. Then continue on to the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni and visit the beautiful gardens there, but you can only have access to the gardens through a guided visit, so be sure to book in advance of your visit.

The town of Como is located at the southwestern end of the lake and is a great base for a boat excursion along the lake, or to spend a night or two for a more leisurely visit. Como has a nice town center with loads of shops, cafes and restaurants, along with the spectacular Gothic and Romanesque Como Cathedral that dates back to 1120. For a fabulous city view, you can take the Como-Brunate cable car up to the top of the mountain above Como, and visit and walk through the old village called Brunate, then stop for a drink and enjoy the splendid views or better — sunset.