Cycling around Lake Como is one of Europe’s classic rides: dramatic mountains, lakeside villages, famous climbs, and plenty of ferry options if you don’t want to ride every kilometre.
Here are a few ideas.
Como to Moltrasio
For a beautiful and scenic lakeside route you can follow the western shore of Lake Como passing elegant villas, cafés, and waterfront villages.
A great ride is Como → Cernobbio → Moltrasio where along historic lakeside roads you will find many coffee shops and key highlights such as Villa Erba and Villa d’Este. This easy route is perfect for e-bikes or casual riders and is a 15-25km round trip.
Bellagio
For experienced hard-core cyclists, Lake Como has one of Italy’s legendary climbs. The route takes you through rolling hills above the lake toward the famous cycling chapel (Madonna del Ghisallo) where you can also see several biked belonging to world famous cyclists such as Eddie Merckx, Francesco Moser and Felice Gimondi.
This historic Giro d’Italia climb rises above Bellagio, through Civenna and to the iconic Ghisallo mountain pass and cultural hub for cycling in the Italian Alps. This legendary destination for sports enthusiasts has incredible panoramic views of lake Como and hosts a Cycling Museum, rest area and coffee shop.
It is a challenging yet rewarding excursion for serious cyclists and depending on your starting point is a 60-90km round trip.
Como to Brunate
On the eastern side of the lake you can try a short intense workout via a steep climb (46% average gradient) to Brunate with spectacular views over the lake and Alps. This medium to hard ride is about 20 -35 km and Brunate is an excellent stop for refreshments or a meal.
Alternatively you can take your bike on the Como-Brunate funicular which lets you skip the climb while giving you access to breathtaking Alpine mountain biking and trail networks above the lake. The ride down will be easier…
The funicular station is at Via Romeo Rodriguez 1 and the ride to Brunate takes about 7 minutes. Check the Funicolare Como Brunate for latest schedules and tariffs.
Some Practical Advice
Start early. Roads are much quieter before tourist traffic builds up.
Avoid summer weekends if possible; traffic can be heavy on the narrow lakeside roads.
Bring front and rear lights. Some unavoidable tunnels are long and dark.
Consider an e-bike if you’re mainly there for the scenery rather than the climbing. The lake is hillier than it looks.
Ferries generally accept bicycles and can be useful for creating shorter loops.
Best base towns for cyclists
Bellagio – central location, easy access to climbs and ferries.
Menaggio – quieter and good for northern lake routes.
Como – easiest to reach by train from Milan.
Varenna – beautiful base with excellent ferry connections
Easy cycle route from Cernobbio to Moltrasio and back.
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