Apartment with breathtaking view over the lake, no car needed

We absolutely love Vareena and the apartment

We had a great time ! The view from the balcony is AMAZING! Such a pleasure to have a coffee there every morning (even though there is space for 2 persons only). The apartment is nicely renovated and modern. However I can’t put a 5/5 because in my opinion it misses a comfortable living-room with coaches and a coffee table to gather with your family/friends. We recommend this nice place!

the apartment is very nice, the view from the main bedroom and balconies from living/dining room is amazing. the pictures are mostly accurate, but keep in mind it’s on the top floor so you have to climb 3 flights of stairs to get into the apartment then another flight after you get in to reach the bathroom and bedrooms.. two of the bedrooms are conjoined together and faces the street so it’s a bit noisy.

Perfect location, fabulous apartment - highly recommend. (Be aware if visiting in summer, as stated in the listing, has fans rather than a/c.) Suited our family of 5 perfectly!

Just the most amazing location. Close to everything and easy to walk in each direction. If you want the view of the lake, this apartment has it. We would happily stay here again.

It was our first time at Lake Como. The lake is beautiful, and Varenna was our favorite village on the lake. This property has some great views over the lake. The apartment was clean and in good condition. There are beds to sleep 6, but the third bedroom is only accessible through the second bedroom. There is also not much of a living area. But we spent most of our time outside in awe of the lake and doing some hiking in the area (the hike up to the castle and paying a small fee to get in is worth it for the views). We ate at Cafe Varenna, La Vista, and Bar Il Molo. All of them were fantastic. We had a small issue with the keys at check in, but they were available for communication and did what they could to help resolve.

Loved our stay in this comfortable apartment. Walking distance to some beautiful eateries, ferry and train station. There are stairs within the apartment and inside the apartment, but they are worth it for the view

We were intimidated by some of the reviews about the stairs, but this was NOT a problem for us! There are stairs up to top of apartment building but lots of landings and hallways so it was not bad. The entry to the building was easy to find by using the map in relation to the town plaza. The apartment was very clean and had everything we needed for small meals and cooking. The bed linens were very nice and everything was just as appears in the pictures. The views from the living room and master bedroom were magnificent! We left and drove to Milan airport at 7am on a weekday from apartment and it took about 1.5hrs with traffic. The payment through trasferwise was easy and the fees were minimal compared to a bank transfer. I only wish we would have stayed longer in Varenna.... so much to enjoy on and around the lake. Again, views were amazing!!!

We loved our stay there. The view to wake up to is absolutely worth every penny. A downside is there's no air conditioner so it got super warm at night so we had to open the windows which could be extremely noisy when a car or a motorbike passes by. Also, the host only accepts bank transfer so the total cost was higher due to the wire transfer fees. Other than those 2, it's a GREAT place!

We stayed three nights in Casa dell 'Arco in the beautiful and charming hillside town of Varenna overlooking central Lake Como. After entering the building, a climb of 50 stairs brings you to the apartment's entrance. The apartment has two levels at the top of the building. The living / kitchen area are on the main level in an open floor plan, and the three bedrooms and the bathroom are upstairs. The moment we entered the apartment we were thrilled with the views. The living area faces the lake, and has two small decks overlooking the red tile roofs of the buildings below, with a 180 degree view of the tops of neighboring buildings, and of the lake and the mountains rising from its far shore. Upstairs a door separates two of the bedrooms. Access to the back bedroom is through one of the other bedrooms. The front bedroom has a great view. The apartment's interior is sparsely but adequately furnished. The kitchen includes stove, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator, cookware, dishes, silverware, etc. (There is also an automatic coffee maker, but you need to bring your own filters. A small percolator is also available.) The apartment's location in Varenna was absolutely ideal for us. It is located between the train and ferry stops at one end of town and the main town plaza. The town is very walkable, with mostly pedestrian-only passages and stairways between the buildings. I counted 69 stairs from this apartment building's entrance down the narrow passageway to a very pleasant collection of shops and waterfront restaurants at the edge of a cove on the lake's shoreline. The only reason I haven't rated it with 5 stars was the requirement to prepay in two installments using wire-transfers. They resulted in an extra $70 fee charged by my credit union for the wire transfers. I wish there were a better way to pay the rental, and avoid those added charges. Our gracious host, Luciana, helped me understand the process and kept me informed on the payments' progress. She was also provided good instructions on how to find and get into the apartment when we arrived. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Casa dell'Arco, in the completely charming town of Varenna.

We loved Varenna and the apartment. The views are truly amazing as are the sunsets. It was a great jumping off spot for everything we needed.

We went to Varenna with our three small children. It is just a very nice place, and Luciana's apartment is perfect! Newly renovated, everything works, beautiful views from the balconies and all windows. Two of Varenna's best restaurants are literally just downstairs, and the best pizza take-out in town next to them. The lakefront is 30m down the charming, cobblestone alley. All in all a perfect base for a visit to Como, and Varenna is really the best spot; most charming and least overrun - with the other nice locations (Bellagio, Menaggio etc) just 15mins away by ferry.

This apartment is simply amazing. It is a relatively short walk from the train station to the apartment and yes, there are lots of stairs to the front door of the apartment, but once you open that door, you quickly forget the stairs because the views are amazing. All I wanted to do was sit on the balcony and look at the lake. Every window has a view. Truly spectacular. The kitchen is great. We didn't do much cooking, mainly breakfasts, but everything we needed was there. The bedrooms are clean and the beds are comfortable. There are several down comforters available as it was very cold the day we arrived. The bathroom is beautiful and such a big for shower and a rain shower head to boot. There are some great restaurants within easy walking distance as is the ferry to several cute towns across the lake. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and wish it could have been longer. Luciana was very responsive to our problem with the faucet handle in the shower.

We couldn't have been happier with our stay in Luciana's property. Varenna is a beautiful town and away from the hustle and bustle of Bellagio but with easy ferry access to the rest of Lake Como. And the location of the apartment couldn't have been more ideal in Varenna: Just a minute's walk from main piazza, where there's a small grocery store, pharmacy, ATM, butcher; cheap pizza and more upscale dining options within a block, gelato just down the hill, ferry and train station ~10 minute walk. As every reviewer has mentioned, the view is absolutely stunning. The apartment is furnished very practically, and Luciana was very responsive. We had a few hot days in Varenna and being on a high floor, the apartment can get quite hot, but even on the hottest days, Varenna cools down quickly once the sun goes down and Luciana provides a number of fans to help cool off.

We were delighted with the apartment, immaculate & good amenities. We dealt with the daughter who had limited english & wasn't particularly friendly or helpful. Great memories of champagne on the deck while watching divine sunsets over the lake. Handy to fabulous cafes & restaurants, the best dinners were had at the charming 'ristorante borgovino' on the closest corner part way down the steps. great coffee & free fast wifi in the town piazza @ '28m2'. No air conditioning made for a very hot & sleepless few nights as the temperature soared! Kathy's mother was travelling with us & found the steps up to the apartment a challenge with her arthritic hips. I recommend the picturesque walk to Fiumelatte for lunch @ Hosteria del Platano, delicious! Suitable for maximum four adults as there is only one bathroom & the two single rooms are connected & share the same exit door. We would love to return one day

My husband and I stayed in this apartment, and were joined by a couple of friends. It is amply big enough for four adults, although with more people, the one bathroom / loo probably would not suffice. It is immaculately clean with modern fittings and interior, yet set within a lovely old building. The most fabulous views and the proximity to all amenities - ferry, restaurants, lido etc, make this a fabulous holiday home for anyone not wanting to drive. It might not be suitable for older / less able bodied people as there are three flights of steps to get to the apartment, plus Varenna has plenty of steps too! Luciana, the owner, was also extremely helpful when we had a small crisis during our holidays, which we were really grateful for. We would definitely go back and would not hesitate to recommend to other groups like ours or families with older kids.

I stayed at casa dell'arco 27 - 31 May 11 with my family of 4 adults, though slightly difficult to find at 4 o’clock in the morning in the pouring rain, once we did we were pleasantly surprised. The villa was ultra clean and is well equipped throughout, clearly it has been modernised recently. The views of the lake change at least 3 times a day and are spectacular! Believe me you will not ever get bored of them. To access the villa there a lot of stairs to climb and once outside the ancient pathways are cobblestones which can be difficult underfoot. That said each time I climbed the stairs I felt my efforts were well rewarded by the standard of the accommodation and the views! The position of the villa is excellent with or without car; nearby are quaint cafes, shops, restaurants, and bars. I would definitely recommend this villa to families or parties who are seeking a memorable break