Varenna vacation apartment - casa la Fonte in Perledo

Our visit to Casa la Fonte was very special. If you enjoy popping to the ancient village shop for some fresh bread or croisssants or to collect some local cheese for a picnic for an energetic walk from the apartment or perhaps a coffee or a prosecco in the local bar downstairs with the old gents. This is the place for you. It was far enough away from the bustle of the tourist trail but close enough to drive to or walk to via the wonderful old cart tracks. It's an energetic walk back uphill. (25minutes) via an old village and well stocked allotments. From 8 until 11 it has a buzz. Church bells, dogs howling in tune, scooter horns and the chatter of villagers. From 11 until 8 in the morning it's silent apart from the owls.
Perledo is perfect for exploring the area. The obvious favourites of Varenna, Menaggio, and Bellaggio are possible without even taking the car. A 20 minute walk to the ferry landing and you can leave the car in the village. If you want to visit smaller villages around the lake or go further afield the car ferry is a good choice and reasonable. We walked down to the train station one day and got the train into Milan. (1hour 10 minutes) A great day. Our favourite days included a trip to Villa Balbianello, a scenic drive over the top to see Lake Lugano and . we discovered some wonderful sleepy villages north of Varenna and Menaggio. Como is worth a visit too.
It's perfect for those who want to see the famous Como triangle but also want to explore some hidden gems. A car isn't a necessity but you would need to enjoy walking uphill. There are some buses.
Andrea and all in the village made us feel welcome. For a little bit of the real Italy Casa la Fonte is perfect.

Nice apartment with fantastic views. Andrea the owner was very helpful. Perledo is a lovely village and well situated. Really enjoyed our stay.

We are a family of 5 including 3 children aged 12, 9 and 6. The two bedroom apartment was clean, comfortable, bright and airy with a balcony overlooking the terracotta roofs of Perledo village and the castle Vezio and lake below. There is a small local bar beneath the apartment frequented by the villagers. Noise was not a problem, in fact, the reverse, it was quite pleasant listening to the conversations of octogenarian Italians. The bar serves good beer and gelato and closed by 10-ish. The village of Perledo with two churches, feels very Italian. It was nice to try out your Italian with the ladies who run the one small village shop, asking for fresh bread, milk, fruit and veg, as well as other basic food items, however, a bigger shop can be done at the supermarket in nearby Bellano. We visited in the peak season, and we found a parking space every night (mostly, we parked next to the tennis courts or next to the Bar Milano and walked a couple of minutes up to the apartment). Andrea, the owner, speaks good English, Italian and probably other languages too. He was very courteous, kind and informative.
In our opinion, nearby Varenna is one of the prettiest towns on the lake with good ferry links to the other parts of the lake. It has those enchanting old ochre-coloured buildings and narrow cobbled streets leading down to the lake. There are enough traditional pizzerias and restaurants to indulge in for the week, without feeling overcrowded. For those who want swim, we found small free beaches in Varenna (down from the Victoria Hotel), but a bigger and better beach (with nice pizzeria) was in the next village south in Lierna (free parking weekdays). For those who prefer something a little more energetic like alpine style walking, try the walks from the village of Elsino Lario a few miles above Perledo.
George Clooney and his italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis have a little villa on the lakeside. If you’d like a chat with him then i recommend that you entice him out gently with something his mama may have cooked him.....Try setting up a peanut butter sandwich stall on the lakeside; he may stop his Harley Davidson and have a chat.
Overall, if you are a couple, or a family looking for a clean, comfortable apartment in an excellent location near the lake (without paying Clooney prices) then i would highly recommend apartment Casa la Fonte. Ciao!