Two daysA winter weekend
Como's churches, architecture and theatre, then Brunate by funicular.
Public transport
Practical guide
What is the best time to come?
What the lake offers in each season, from the gardens in flower in spring to the Christmas markets.
The short answer
Late April and May for the gardens in flower, September for the weather and the light. July and August are the hottest months; from November to March the villas cut back to a few days or close: check each villa's days before setting out.
In short
- Flowering: azaleas and rhododendrons between mid-April and mid-May.
- Warm water: mid-July to early September. Earlier it is cold even when the air is not.
- Closures: from November to March the villas cut back their opening or close, each on its own calendar.
- Boats: peak frequency in summer, much reduced in winter, with some routes suspended.
The right time depends on what you are coming for. The gardens are in flower for only a few weeks.
Summer is the season for swimming, spring and autumn the seasons for walking. In winter the air is clearer, but check beforehand what you will find closed.
The lake's four seasons
Spring is the garden season: between mid-April and mid-May Villa Carlotta's azaleas and rhododendrons are in flower. Summer is the season of the water, of wind on the upper lake and of village festivals.
In autumn the sun sits lower, the paths dry out and the olives come in. In winter some villas close (their dates are on their pages), the air is clearer, and Como and Lecco remain lively cities.
The light, and how much of it reaches the ground
The shortest day of the year at this latitude lasts eight hours and forty-three minutes. How much sunlight actually reaches the ground depends on the village: the lake lies between mountains, and the ridge hides a different share of it in each place. In December Brunate, which stands on the ridge seven hundred metres up, keeps eight and a half hours; Dongo, under the Bregagno, keeps four.
This is why some villages feel shut in winter and the one opposite does not. And it is not only the length that changes but the hour: in mid-September the sun leaves Dongo at 15:57 and Brunate at 19:27, on the same evening.
In summer the spread narrows without disappearing: in June the day lasts fifteen hours and forty-three minutes, and ranges from fourteen and a quarter hours at Brunate to eleven hours forty at Nesso. Every village page carries a drawing of its own skyline, with the time the sun comes out from behind it and the time it goes back.
The climate, month by month
Average highs and lows at the lake's three ends, rainy days and hours of daylight: the four figures that help you choose when to visit a garden, swim or walk.
| Comomean high / low | Leccomean high / low | Upper lakemean high / low | Raindays · mm a month | Daylight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9° / 3° | 9° / 2° | 9° / 0° | 7 · 74 mm | 9 h 03 |
| Feb | 12° / 5° | 12° / 4° | 12° / 3° | 7 · 78 mm | 10 h 24 |
| Mar | 16° / 6° | 15° / 6° | 15° / 5° | 7 · 97 mm | 11 h 54 |
| Apr | 19° / 9° | 18° / 8° | 18° / 8° | 8 · 81 mm | 13 h 33 |
| May | 24° / 14° | 23° / 13° | 23° / 13° | 14 · 203 mm | 14 h 58 |
| Jun | 30° / 19° | 29° / 18° | 28° / 17° | 7 · 84 mm | 15 h 44 |
| Jul | 32° / 21° | 31° / 20° | 30° / 19° | 8 · 159 mm | 15 h 23 |
| Aug | 32° / 21° | 30° / 20° | 30° / 19° | 5 · 132 mm | 14 h 08 |
| Sept | 26° / 17° | 25° / 16° | 24° / 15° | 9 · 225 mm | 12 h 33 |
| Oct | 20° / 13° | 19° / 12° | 19° / 11° | 8 · 158 mm | 10 h 57 |
| Nov | 14° / 7° | 13° / 6° | 13° / 4° | 8 · 87 mm | 9 h 27 |
| Dec | 10° / 4° | 10° / 3° | 9° / 1° | 5 · 51 mm | 8 h 40 |
Averages for 2021–2026 from the stations at Como, Lecco and Colico: mean daily high and low, and days with at least 1 mm of rain; millimetres a month are measured at Como. Daylight is computed for the 15th of the month at the centre of the lake. Data: ARPA Lombardia, CC0.
Frequently asked
Is the lake open in winter?
The cities are. The villas cut back to a few days or close, each on its own calendar, which you will find on its page. The boats move to the winter timetable, with fewer sailings.
When does Villa Carlotta flower?
Azaleas and rhododendrons flower roughly between mid-April and mid-May, varying from year to year with the season. The villa publishes flowering updates.
When can you swim?
The water is comfortable from mid-July to early September. In June it is still cold, and it remains a deep Alpine lake in every month of the year.
