The Art of Slow Travel on Lake Como

Depth, in our fast-paced, fear-of-missing-out culture, is no longer the virtue it once was. We have far too many tabs open, more followers than actual friends and a little bit of knowledge about a great many, often nonessential things. Living life “a mile wide and an inch deep” used to be something to avoid; today it is often celebrated. But not for everyone. A lot of us are reclaiming our attention spans, digitally detoxing and seeking genuine human connection. This is also true in slow travel, a movement that rejects the hop-on-hop-off style of tourism and champions instead an unhurried approach, one that makes space for awe and authenticity. Passalacqua was literally built for this lost art of travel. Around here, we call it “villeggiatura”, less an escape than a full immersion, where doing gives way to being.

In this article, discover why Lake Como is the ultimate slow travel destination:

Villeggiatura—how Italians invented slow travel centuries ago
A day at Passalacqua—seven acres of dolce far niente
Spa & wellness—switch off and stop time
Out on the lake—slow travel doesn’t mean staying still
Live like a local—slower seasons and longer stays

Villeggiatura

The Romans did it. Noble families of the Renaissance did it. And during the postwar economic boom, not only the jet set did it; the government made sure Italy’s working families could do it, too. What is it? Villeggiatura: An annual summer vacation, where families would decamp to the seaside or the mountains long enough to establish new rituals, to embrace local traditions and to truly rest. Today, this lost art of travel is having a moment, as the antidote to the frenetic pace of our daily lives and as a counterpoint to homogenized destinations dominated by all the same big-name brands. When Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua commissioned our beautiful villa in the late 18th century, he envisioned precisely this sort of escape—and we are determined to keep that tradition alive.

A day at Passalacqua Villeggiatura

At Passalacqua, alarm clocks are not really our thing. Here, in your home away from home, it’s always the weekend. You may be reluctant to emerge from our silky-smooth wood-fiber sheets, and we get it. That’s why we keep breakfast going almost through to lunch. You can wander in and out of the open kitchens, with a vast collection of homemade bread and pastries, endless array of cold cuts, fruit and yogurt, and bottomless coffee the way only an expert barista can deliver. Once you’ve had your fill, the estate offers an embarrassment of riches, none of which ask too much of you. After all, we Italians know that idleness can be so sweet, particularly when practiced in an olive grove, or lazing by the pool, or curled up with a book (open or not) in the library. You may want to challenge your loved one to a round of bocce or tennis. You may want to take a dip in the pool or a cooking class. But then again, you may not. And nothing would delight us more.

Spa & Wellness

There is nothing quite like a spa day at Passalacqua to sever any ties with the real world that remain. Our range of rituals, relying on the herbs and botanicals of the Seed to Skin line and the deft hands of our spa practitioners, are as healing for the soul as they are for the body. And when you descend into our subterranean sanctuary with its steam bath, heated pool and heavenly relaxation space under an ancient stone ceiling, you lose all sense of time (and phone signal). We focus on wellness not as an item on your to-do list, but as an extension of the relaxation you came here for. That might mean an alfresco yoga class under soaring magnolias. It might mean a spin on the stationary bike in the glasshouse gym. And it might mean a deep tissue massage under the gazebo in our orchards, as all your cares drift away on the lake breeze.

Out on the lake

Just because we like our travel slow doesn’t mean staying still. We have a fleet of boats bobbing by the dock, waiting to whisk you away. And by whisk, we mean put-putting along the shore to watch the stately homes and lush gardens go by until the spirit moves you to stop. There are out-of-the-way crotti for the local specialties, buzzy beach clubs for the aperitivo hour and hidden coves perfect for a dip. A starfish float on Lake Como, gazing up at the spot where the wooded hills melt into a perfect blue sky, is a small and perfect thing. For a special treat, you could throw on a muumuu and stop at our sister hotel Grand Hotel Tremezzo for the slowest of lunches at Da Giacomo al Lago. With vintage riviera vibes under the orange-and-white striped parasols, you will want to linger over lunch that starts with the raw bar and ends with the chef’s famous “Bomba”. And with our boatman at the helm, you can sample all the signature cocktails you like.

Live like a local 

Slow travel, particularly during the slower seasons, offers you a version of Lake Como most people miss. Let others contend with the crowds on Bellagio’s Salita Serbelloni or stand in line for gelato—you know better. In the early spring, late fall, and even (or especially) at Christmas, the locals really come out to play. In spring, there are Easter markets, the Lake Como International Music Festival kicks off and camellias, wisteria and azaleas are all in full bloom. The hills explode in color in autumn, just in time for the annual food festivals and start of the opera season at Como’s Teatro Sociale. Winter brings the Città dei Balocchi in Como town, just one of many Christmas markets along the lake, along with an impressive fireworks display to ring in the New Year. Planning your visit outside the summer means the lake is quieter, the locals are more present and there is every reason to stay a little longer. Adding that fourth night or booking a full week—no matter what time of year—changes everything. You take your place among the colorful cast of local characters and enjoy age-old rituals and treasured customs alongside real Comaschi. 

The best souvenir of slow travel is the feeling it leaves behind. A deeper sense of a place and its people. A profound love that comes from inhabiting, rather than just passing through. An eagerness to come back to this place that now feels like home. At Passalacqua, we aspire to send all of our guests home with exactly this feeling—and an open invitation to return. ost art of travel. Around here, we call it “villeggiatura”, less an escape than a full immersion, where doing gives way to being.