Lake Como Beyond the Obvious: Private, Local and Discreet Experiences

Lake Como is the world’s most beautiful paradox. A quintessentially Italian slice of paradise with a global fan club. Home to a disproportionate share of the world’s natural and manmade charms, yet just a handful of sights draw the crowds. A place beloved by so many that you crave it all for yourself. 
Going beyond the obvious on and around Lake Como is rare but not impossible; the trick, as so often in life, is knowing the right people. At Passalacqua, we pride ourselves in providing the unexpected, both on our seven-acre estate and outside our wrought-iron gates. We make sure you have bragging rights to the kind of private, local and discreet experiences that most visitors never even know to ask for.

Join us for a journey that goes beyond the obvious. Where will Passalacqua take you?

A lake suspended in time—why Lake Como rewards generations of travelers
A hidden hamlet by the water—how Moltrasio keeps its secrets for those in the know
Take to the lake—where Lake Como reveals its true essence
Dining like a local—how a meal can bring you closer to culture
Personalized moments—what experiences Passalacqua has up its sleeve

A lake suspended in time 

Lake Como has cast a spell with its timeless beauty for centuries. And as stewards of this unparalleled place, the locals have always found innovative ways to honor their heritage while also reinventing its appeal for each new “golden age” of travel. Everyone in the De Santis family believes that building a legacy is about tending the flames rather than worshipping the ashes. We put all our passion into restoring Passalacqua to its former glory, keenly aware of the needs of today’s travelers and bold enough to make it fun. 
In our vision for Passalacqua, every guest can embrace their inner Italian and live the Lake Como lifestyle far from the madding crowd. They become part of the family the moment they drive through the gates, greeted by a quintessentially Italian welcome. By sharing our family’s own rituals and passions—from bocce to theater to contemporary art—guests gain a deeper sense of place and belonging. An invitation to create their own private Lake Como, if you will, rather than sharing it with tutti gli altri.

A hidden hamlet by the water

Our home village of Moltrasio is one of those places you have to really want to visit. Its narrow streets are crisscrossed by pedestrian alleys barely wider than your arm span. To get from the shore to the upper village, there are hundreds of stairs paved in the unforgiving stone from this area known as pietra moltrasina. This is not a place that performs for tourists. It’s a real, workaday village where for centuries the locals have enjoyed the joys of Lake Como life as well as its challenges, weaving a community out of struggle, love and beauty. 
And once you finally arrive, Moltrasio could not be more welcoming. It rewards visitors with genuinely Comaschi charms and real-life encounters, whether you are enjoying a meal at quaint restaurants like Crotto Valdurino or a cone at our award-winning gelateria Le Giuggiole. It’s an experience that feels more authentic than what you find in the main tourist towns: the church bells announcing mass, the waterfalls coursing through town, the generations of footsteps that have polished the stone stairs. Moltrasio invites you to forget you are a tourist and take your place in its timeless rhythms. And Passalacqua is your gateway to discovering this hidden place.

Take to the lake 

Lake Como has a cheeky way of hiding some of its most spectacular sights behind tall hedges and imposing gates (not unlike our own!), so ironically the best way to experience the lake is… from the lake. Thanks to our fleet of boats and a team of local captains who know every curve of this 100-mile shoreline, guests can cruise the breadth and length of the lake, speeding past the crowded hotspots to admire the multi-color villages and stately villas from the water and linger in lesser-known places whenever the fancy strikes. 
That might mean finding a secluded cove for a quick dip or an out-of-the-way trattoria for fresh-caught perch. Or your captain might stake out the perfect spot to pop the cork as the sunset paints the peaks of the Grigne mountains in a pale, warm coral. With no gridlock, no waiting in line and nothing between you and the view, a custom boat tour is the ultimate private experience on Lake Como.

Dining like a local

Lake Como has literally thousands of restaurants, from hole-in-the-wall trattorias to Michelin-starred meccas, and it can be daunting to choose just one. As a family-run property, Passalacqua has deep roots in the region and the insider insight that comes with it. We help our guests go beyond the obvious and dine like our own friends and neighbors. That might mean taking a boat to a lesser-known lakeside village after the day-trippers have cleared out: Vapore in Torno or La Tirlindana in Sala Comacina. Or it might mean rising above the mainstream hotspots and heading for the hills, where the views of the lake vie with the traditional dishes on the plate for your attention: La Fagurida in Tremezzo, for example, or Trattoria del Glicine in Cernobbio. Of course, it might also mean that you score a table at one of the coveted spots in our culinary family: La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo or the Michelin-starred Kitchen in nearby Como. Membership in this family clearly has its privileges.

Personalized moments

Enjoying Lake Como beyond the obvious tourist spots is wonderful, but some experiences are too special to share with anyone else. Passalacqua has a range of thoughtfully curated moments tailored to your personal bucket list. Indulging in some we-time in our Spa? Let the Aahs begin under the vaulted stone ceiling in our subterranean Hammam and continue with a massage made for two, either at the alfresco treatment tent in our orchards or in the couple’s spa suite in the Palazz. Planning an unforgettable secret rendezvous? Our Dimmidisì private dining service makes your special moment even more magical, whether it is a proposal in the park or a candlelight dinner under the fanciful frescos. Seeking a once-in-a-lifetime thrill? Take to the skies in a private helicopter flight or get behind the wheel of a vintage Giulietta and cruise the lake roads. 

The Passalacqua version of villeggiatura welcomes you as one of the family in a home away from home that is as laid-back as it is luxurious. Knowing how to make your Lake Como experience anything but obvious is the greatest luxury of all. And at Passalacqua, family is not just a word—it comes with privileges. Whatever the occasion, whatever your whim, the lake’s the limit…