Como Lac - Lake Como Travel Guide
Where to Stay on Lake Como: Musso & Sala Comacina
Everyone knows Bellagio and Como town. Fewer people know the quieter stretch of shoreline around Musso, in the north, and Sala Comacina, near Lenno on the western shore, five minutes from Villa del Balbianello and a fraction of the crowds. Here's what it's actually like to stay there, what there is to do, and which houses to book.
Why is it recommended to stay outside Bellagio and Como town?
Bellagio, Varenna and Como town are beautiful and look just like the postcards, they're definitely worth a day trip. But they also get the mass tourism in high season and the lakefront promenades and ferry queues fill up fast. Musso and Sala Comacina sit further along the same lake, close enough for an easy ferry or drive to the famous spots, but quiet enough that you can actually enjoy a morning coffee without a crowd.
Sala Comacina, part of the village of Ossuccio, faces Isola Comacina, the lake's only island and sits five minutes from Villa del Balbianello, the villa used in Casino Royale and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Musso is further north, a working lakeside town rather than a resort, with a historic centre and open water views that stretch up the lake toward Gravedona.
Five houses, five kinds of Lake Como trip
With Como Lac we restore and rent a small number of houses directly, no agency markup, no anonymous apartment block. Each one is different enough that the right choice really depends on who's travelling and what kind of holiday you like. Every house has been thoughtfully renovated with its own character, from a modernist lakefront villa with a private pool to a tiny, colourful studio just steps from the water, so the right choice really comes down to who's travelling and what kind of Lake Como holiday you're after: a big family reunion with room to spread out, a quiet couple's escape, or a base for exploring Bellagio, Varenna and Villa del Balbianello by ferry. Compare all five below and book your perfect holiday.
What to do around Musso and Sala Comacina
Near Sala Comacina & Lenno
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Villa del Balbianello (Lenno) — one of Lake Como's most photographed landmarks, built in 1787 on the Dosso d'Avedo peninsula, and familiar from Casino Royale.
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Villa Carlotta (Tremezzo) — a 17th-century villa with an art collection and botanical gardens holding more than 150 varieties of rhododendron.
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Isola Comacina — the lake's only island, dedicated to the arts since 1919, with resident artists' studios.
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The Greenway del Lago — a 10km scenic walking trail along the shore to Griante.
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Kayaking, paddleboarding or renting a small boat; e-bike hire for the hills or the lakeside road.
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Ferries to Varenna, Bellagio or Como town for a day trip.
Near Musso
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A walk up to the Chiesa di San Eufemia for lake views.
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The Museo della Fine della Guerra in nearby Dongo — an interactive museum on WWII and the 1945 arrest of Mussolini.
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The Lungolago promenade, roughly 3.5–4km between Domaso and Gravedona.
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Kitesurfing and windsurfing — this stretch of the lake is known for reliable wind.
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Kayaking, paddleboarding, cycling, and ferries to Varenna, Bellagio or Como.
