Lake Como Private Speedboat Cruise: Villas & Swimming Stops

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/20

Duration2h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Lake Como by speedboat: villas, stories, and a swim in the water

You board a speedboat at Como pier and cruise the lake's western and eastern shores with a local captain, stopping to swim at Nesso's waterfall and Villa Pliniana, passing George Clooney's villa in Laglio and the five-star Villa d'Este. Drinks and prosecco are included throughout, and the pace is set by the captain's knowledge of the lake, not a fixed schedule.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lake Como private speedboat tour

Depart from pier in Como
Admire The Life Electric sculpture
View Villa Olmo and gardens
Arrive in Cernobbio and see Villa Erba
See Villa d'Este hotel
Admire Villa Le Fontanelle
Pass Moltrasio and Carate Urio villas
Visit Laglio, George Clooney's town
Continue to Argegno fishing village
Cross lake to eastern shore
Admire Nesso ravine and Civera bridge
Swim and dive at Civera bridge
Visit Villa Pliniana and swim
Admire village of Torno
View Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Tour in front of Villa Troubetzkoy
Admire viale Geno di Como villas
End tour and drop off

The Experience

"You know, people come here and they think they've seen the lake because they drove past it," Marco said, cutting the engine as we pulled up to Villa d'Este. "But the lake tells you things from the water — things you can't see from the road." That's the whole point of a Lake Como private cruise with one of the captains — Marco, Stefano, Alice, or Alberto — who know the shoreline the way locals know their own neighborhood. You're not following a fixed route with forty other people; you're on a speedboat that moves at the pace of the stories. The tour leaves from the Como pier in front of Bar Lario and heads west first, past "The Life Electric," the Libeskind-designed structure that rises like a sculpture from the water.

What struck me most wasn't the famous names — though yeah, Villa d'Este is there, one of the world's best hotels, and Gianni Versace's Villa Le Fontanelle sits right on the water, and George Clooney's Villa Oleandra in Laglio is exactly as private as you'd expect. It was the smaller places: Moltrasio and Carate Urio with their villas tucked into the mountainside, Argegno as a working fishing village where the captain might point out someone's boat or a family's house. The western shore gives way to the eastern side when you cross the lake toward Nesso, where a natural waterfall drops into the lake from a rock gorge formed by two streams. There's a bridge — the Civera bridge — and if you want to swim or dive, this is where you do it. The water is cold and clear, and the captain will cut the engine and let you have the moment.

After Nesso, the route continues toward Villa Pliniana, another chance to swim if you want it, then Torno — a village that seems to tumble straight into the water — and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The tour winds back toward Como, passing Villa Troubetzkoy and the viale Geno with its city villas. Bottled water, soft drinks, prosecco, and beer are on board the whole time, so you're not thirsty between stops. The whole thing takes four to five hours, depending on how long you linger at the swimming spots and how many stories the captain wants to tell. It's not rushed, and it's not a bus tour with a microphone.

What’s included

Your tour includes a private speedboat with a local captain, bottled water, soft drinks, prosecco, and beer throughout the cruise.
Swimming at Nesso and Villa Pliniana is included; you view the villas and landmarks from the water.
Hotel pickup is not included, but public transportation to Como pier is available nearby.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by HERCULES

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see Lake Como's villas and shoreline without a crowded tour boat, and who don't mind spending four to five hours on the water — that's what gives you the time to swim, listen to the captain's stories, and actually feel the lake instead of just passing through it.