Lake Como, in northern Italy, conjures images of glistening blue water, opulent villas and villages where celebrities like Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and Amal and George Clooney try to dodge the paparazzi.
But you don’t have to be Hollywood royalty, or a billionaire, to enjoy the famous, mountain-ringed lake.
In the decade that my family has been visiting Lake Como in the summers, we’ve discovered a range of ways to save money: Stay farther away from the water, for example, and take advantage of free or low-cost activities like hiking, visiting museums and riding bikes.
Here’s how to sample the sparkle of Lake Como without breaking the bank.
Avoid A-list destinations
Lake Como, a one- to two-hour drive north of Milan, is shaped like an upside-down Y. To get a sense of distance, consider that the drive from the town of Como, at the southern end of the western branch, to Colico, at the northern end of the lake, takes a little over an hour.
Prime lakeside destinations include Lecco, a small city at the southern end of the eastern branch; the town of Bellagio, in the fork of the Y; and Varenna, a village on the eastern shore. These towns tend to have the priciest accommodations and restaurants, so you’ll get more bang for your buck if you look to other villages and towns instead.
Stay at guesthouses and farms
Guesthouses, a less expensive option than hotels, may lack certain amenities, but make up the difference with authenticity and welcoming hosts.
About an hour’s drive north of Como, Le Radici Agriturismo offers comfortable accommodations on a hillside farm that grows much of the food served by its on-site restaurant. Rooms, available April through October, start at €90, about $98, a night with breakfast.
In the mountains between the branches of the lake, a 40-minute drive from Como or Lecco, you’ll find Da Mara, Lago di Como, where an apartment with a living room, bedroom and kitchen, breakfast included, starts at €40 a night.
Agriturismo La Vecchia Chioderia, a property that raises its own pork and trout near the midlake town of Menaggio, also offers double rooms, with breakfast included, starting at €60. It’s also near Parco Val Sanagra, a local park where you can take an easy, scenic hike and return for a lunch of freshly caught fish.
In Colico, a cozy double room with a water view at Rosina House e Chalet starts at about €98, and rooms at the chic bed-and-breakfast Foresteria Ca Di Nadin start at €110. Both are within walking distance of Spiaggia Ontano and Spiaggia di Piona, two public beaches.
Float away from the masses
Avoid the crowds in Como, Lecco, Varenna and Bellagio by hopping on a ferry to a postcard-worthy destination like Tremezzina. An adult ticket for a ferry will set you back €6 to €13, depending on distance. Remember, the lake, mountains and piazzas look just as beautiful from a ferry as they do from a yacht — and there’s sometimes a bar on board, too.
Once you’re there, walk along the Greenway, a six-mile path that winds from the village of Colonno, around farms and over creeks, past gelaterias, cafes and cobblestone alleys, to the village of Griante. Alternatively, rent a regular or an electric bike from the many shops nearby and pedal at your own leisure.
Go jump in the lake
You don’t need to stay at a five-star hotel to get access to a five-star beach. Many towns, including Bellagio, Lenno and Lecco, have their own municipal beaches — just ask locals to direct you to a spiaggia libera, or free beach.
Spiaggia di Lierna, in Lierna, among the top public beaches on the lake, is a 30-minute train ride from Lecco. There, you can enjoy the cool, crystal clear water or rent a catamaran. A nearby cafe, Riva Bianca Bar Pizzeria, serves pizzas for as little as €6.
In Colico, you’ll find the bucolic Spiaggia di Piona, a grassy beach on a secluded bay. Nearby are hiking paths of varying difficulty with views of the lake, the 1,000-year-old Piona Abbey and the Del Risti winery, which offers tours and tastings paired with local cheeses and cold cuts. Book your tour online for €48 per person; the winery has a minibus that picks up visitors near the beach.
Head for the high country
Though the lake is the region’s main attraction, the surrounding mountains offer hikes of varying difficulty, altitude and length.
Sentiero Spirito del Bosco, or Spirit of the Woods Trail, in Canzo, near Lecco, is an easy, entertaining trail that takes about an hour and is lined with quirky wooden sculptures of animals and mythical characters, like elves and gnomes.
Along the trail, two farms, Agriturismo in Valentina and Rifugio Terz’Alpe, offer hikers a chance to refuel with a rustic meal of homemade cheese and salami, polenta and a flat local buckwheat pasta called pizzoccheri. Two main courses and a cheese plate at either place will set you back a total of €25 to €30.
For those who would rather skip the sweaty walk and cut straight to the views, the lake abounds with funiculars and cable cars, including one that ascends about 1,600 vertical feet from the town of Como to Brunate every 30 minutes until midnight and costs €6.60 round-trip.
In Lecco, the Piani d’Erna Funivia cable car takes visitors about 2,600 feet up to a grassy mountaintop with panoramic views of the water. Nearby, the adventure park Parco Avventura tempts thrill seekers with ropes courses, zip lines and more. Tickets for the cable car start at €12 round-trip, and entry to the park starts at €12 (depending on how many adventure routes you want to try).
Explore a grand villa and gardens
The Villa del Balbianello and its surrounding gardens, in Tremezzina, have a rich history going back hundreds of years. Built for a cardinal in the 18th century, the villa was once owned by Guido Monzino, a count who led the first Italian expedition to the summit of Mount Everest. Art and objects that he collected on his travels adorn the glamorous Neoclassical building, including an 18th-century Venetian globe, a collection of Inuit ivory carvings and the sled in which the count reached the North Pole in 1971. Now run by the National Trust of Italy, it has been a setting for movies like “Casino Royale” and “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones.”
Entry includes a 45-minute tour and costs €24 for adults. You must book online — and well ahead of time. The villa is one of Lake Como’s most popular attractions.