VILLA GIADA

Life in Como truly happens on the lake. Commuters cross by hourly ferry, while merchants deliver supplies to restaurants and hotels along the water’s edge. Boats filled with friends gather for laughter and fun, while the occasional pair of star-crossed lovers meet from opposite shores of the lake.

Among the villages dotting the shoreline is Torno, a pretty spot with cafés, simple restaurants, and a small marina offering boat charters. Located on the edge of Torno, accessible via a short pathway, sits Villa Giada, an impressive eight-bedroom villa sleeping up to 16 guests. Spread across several levels and surrounded by rose-bordered gardens and terraces, the villa offers a spacious, comfortable base, perfectly positioned for discovering the very best of the lake.

During high season, the services of the villa’s chef are included three days a week, covering two meals a day — one of which can be arranged as a cooking class, where guests can learn to create their own authentic pizza or pasta. The gate house, located just as you enter the property, is home to Villa Giada’s two permanent custodians, always on hand and available throughout your stay. Excellent facilities include a heated pool, Technogym equipment, table tennis, and billiards, alongside direct lake access via a private jetty — perfect for swimming or catching a water taxi. Villa Giada’s spacious summer terraces, comfortably furnished with loungers and chairs, offer a ringside view of all the lake’s activity, with views stretching across the water to the villages of Cernobbio and Moltrasio, framed by a dramatic Alpine backdrop beyond.

Accessed from the road above, a private driveway passes the gate house — home to the two full-time custodians — before arriving at parking for up to four cars. From here, a luggage lift conveniently descends to the ground floor of the main residence, home to the principal living areas and gardens, along with five bedrooms enjoying lake views. An upper floor within the main house offers two further bedrooms.

A separate guest house, known as the “Boat House,” accommodates two adults and three children across a double bedroom and a twin room with pull-out bed, the latter accessed via a spiral staircase. The property also benefits from a private path leading directly into the village of Torno, with its cafés and restaurants, along with regular ferry connections to the other villages around the lake.