Italy: Bellagio Rowing Wellness Retreat

Arrive in Bellagio. Enjoy a delicious welcome dinner, meet your guides and support team and get an orientation to the trip.   

Today we see Bellagio from the best possible vantage point: on the water. We start each day with a short health and wellness session where we will set our intentions and receive our action plan for the day. After breakfast a quick ferry ride takes us to Menaggio where our boats will be waiting. The rowing will take us south along the western short of Lago di Como, passing charming Villa Carlotta. Out destination is Lenno. The highlight of the day will be a guided visit to Villa del Balbianello. Adjectives such as “striking, grand, spectacular” are applied, and you will understand why as you see it from both land and water. We will row the boats across the lake to arrive at the rowing club in Bellagio. Back to the hotel and another wonderful dinner.

Today is all about Varenaa! In the morning after our wellness session, we will transfer to the boat club. The row is past Varenna which is a picturesque and traditional village, located on the eastern shore of Lake Como, Italy. Some consider it to be even more beautiful and charming then Bellagio. We will return to Bellagio for lunch. In the afternoon we will visit Varenna, travelling by ferry. There will be time for shopping and wandering the narrow streets and waterside walk. Up we will walk to visit the Villa Monestero, one of the main historical and environmental sites in the area. The villa has been transformed into a museum with a splendid botanical garden that surrounds it and extends for almost 2 kms along the lake shore. Dinner tonight is on your own – perhaps stay in Varenna, catching a late ferry back to the hotel. Or head back earlier and detour from the ferry down to the gardens of Villa Melzi.

The third arm of Lago di Como is called the Lecco arm, for the town at its far south-eastern tip. We consider the scenery quietly spectacular. There are not the big villas of the other arms, but there are lovely towns, green hills with mountains forming a beautiful backdrop. We will look for a most charming boathouse in Limonta! We will row the boats back to Mennagio, loading the trailer before taking the ferry back to Bellagio. Lunch is own your own. Later in the afternoon we will enjoy a guided visit to the gardens of Parco di Villa Serbelloni. Dinner tonight is at Trattoria Baita Belvedere, perched high on the hill above the town – an amazing view and a chance to see where you rowed over the past few days. Much of the menu is grown on their farm or from local suppliers.

Today is a very full day. In the morning we will take the fast ferry all the way down the lake to the city of Como. Our friends in the storied Lario rowing club will welcome us, give us a tour of their club before taking us for a row to enjoy views of Villa d'Este and other sites. Lunch on the rooftop of the club, then the ferry back to Bellagio. There is an option to potentially row from Bellagio to Como, seeing the best of the lake from the rowing seat – decisions will be made a few days in advance, based on several factors, particularly weather. Our farewell dinner means a final opportunity to taste, savour and celebrate the flavours of Italy!

Sadly, all good things come to an end. Departure from Bellagio. You will be taking good memories and an appreciation of Italian wellness with you.