Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

Cart 0

No more products available for purchase

Products
Pair with
Is this a gift?
Add order notes or ask for an invoice
Subtotal Free

Shipping, taxes, and discount codes are calculated at checkout

Your Cart is Empty

Hotel Souvenir
Home Decor
Fashion
Beauty
Food

Life on the Lake

July 30, 2026

Life on the Lake

How Lake Como became Italy's enduring capital of boating culture

Lake Como and boats go hand in hand. Spend a day by the water and you'll see polished wooden runabouts gliding past grand villas, sailing boats catching the afternoon breeze and ferries weaving between lakeside towns. Whether it's a leisurely crossing to Bellagio or a private launch hugging the shoreline, life here is best experienced from the water.

But boating isn't just part of Lake Como's history: it's still very much part of its present. Throughout the year, the lake hosts a series of events celebrating every side of life on the water, from lovingly restored vintage boats and adrenaline-fuelled powerboat races to the latest innovations in electric navigation.

Photo credits: ©Villa d’Este S.p.A. 

Among the highlights is Villa d'Este Style – Vintage Yachting, held each spring on the shores of the iconic hotel in Cernobbio. Organised in collaboration with ASDEC (the Italian Historic and Classic Boats Association) and the Museo Barca Lariana, the event brings together beautifully restored wooden boats from across Europe. Visitors can admire classic Rivas, racing boats and historic launches while meeting the owners and craftspeople helping to preserve Lake Como's rich boating heritage.

Photo credits: ©Villa d’Este S.p.A. 

Looking ahead rather than back, Villa d'Este Style – Electric Yachting focuses on the future of sustainable navigation. The event brings together designers, shipyards, engineers, universities and industry leaders to showcase the latest developments in electric boating, with demonstrations and discussions exploring how cleaner technologies are reshaping life on the water. It offers a glimpse of where boating is heading, while remaining firmly rooted in the lake's long-standing maritime tradition.

Of course, Lake Como isn't only about polished mahogany and quiet cruising.

Photo credits: ©Giuseppe Pinna, Centomiglia del Lario

For more than 75 years, it has also been home to one of Europe's most iconic offshore powerboat races. First held in 1949, the Centomiglia del Lario sees competitors race 100 kilometres across the lake at breathtaking speeds. Held each autumn, the event attracts international teams and thousands of spectators, adding a welcome shot of adrenaline to an otherwise tranquil landscape.

Photo credits: ©Museo Barca Lariana 

To dive deeper into the region's boating history, make time for the Museo Barca Lariana in Pianello del Lario. One of the world's largest museums dedicated to recreational boating, its collection spans more than 400 vessels and two millennia of nautical history. Alongside elegant Rivas and racing powerboats, you'll find traditional fishing boats, Venetian gondolas and rare prototypes that trace the evolution of Italian boatbuilding.

Truly, though? The best way to understand Lake Como's boating culture, isn't through an exhibition or a race. It's by getting out on the water.

Hop aboard a ferry between Bellagio and Varenna, charter a classic wooden launch or simply watch the boats drift past from one of the lakeside villages. The perspective changes completely: from deck, the lake begins to feel less like a backdrop, and way more like the main attraction. 

Recent products

Related articles

Discover

Home Decor
Fashion
Beauty
Hotel Souvenirs
Food
Travel
Gift Guides
Issimo In Stereo

ISSIMO Company

About
Pellicano Hotels
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Accessibility

Customer care

FAQ
My Account
Contact
Withdraw from the contract here

Connect with us

Instagram
Spotify
Facebook
Youtube