For example, there is at least one attraction that can only be reached by water – the restaurant La Locanda dell’Isola Comacina. The only building on the only island in the Lake, it boasts a ‘who’s who’ list of customers. The public ferry service does call at the island but the last one of the day will come and go before you can finish your first course.

Another major attraction, the spectacular Villa del Balbianello near Lenno, is more easily reached by water than by land, but is not served by public ferry. A trip there and back in a water taxi can be combined with a guided tour of the Villa, which has featured in a number of films.

The Abbey at Piona, with its serene atmosphere, delightful frescoes and shop full of ‘own make’ alcohol, is also easier to get to by boat – but very few public ferries call in there.

A water taxi can also be a convenient way of touring Lake Como with a small or large group, giving you the chance to ‘drop anchor’ for a while at a particular location – for example, near George Clooney’s Villa Oleandra at Laglio. Or it can be a key element in a romantic wedding by the Lake, carrying bride and groom away in a white boat.

Water taxi services available at Lake Como include:

• The Taxi Boat Service, based in Bellagio, runs five boats. Two of them – the Villa Serbelloni and the Carlotta – carry up to eighteen passengers each and are finished in pale wood and cream leather, for special occasions such as weddings. The largest boat – Nino Di Loppia – seats forty under cover, for Lake tours, while the smallest – Porto Felice – is used for transfers and waterskiing. The fifth boat – Venezia – carries fourteen passengers.

• Bellagio Water Taxis runs two boats providing a cruise plus tour of Villa del Balbianello and a short ‘pre-dinner’ cruise.

• The Boat Service is based in Sala Comacina, a short distance from Isola Comacina, with an office in Cadenabbia. But it will pick passengers up from any suitable docking area, including Como and the Villa D’Este in Cernobbio. It runs three general purpose taxi boats – the Larius for up 78 people, the Freccia Dell’Isola for up 44 people, the Zoca De L’Oli for up 20 people. They provide transfers from Sala Comacina to Villa del Balbianello, customised guided tours of the Lake and excursions to locations for hire of self drive motorboats (up to 20hp without a licence) and for waterskiing. A fourth boat, the Lucia, is used for transfers to the restaurant on Isola Comacina.

• Service Boat Menaggio runs one large boat – Freccia azzura – which seats seventy five passengers (forty covered) and a smaller boat – Taxi Venezzia – which seats fourteen. Services include transfers from Menagggio to Villa del Balbianello and back, combined with a guided tour of the Villa.

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