Known as the pearl of the lake, Bellagio sits on the spike of land dividing Lake Como into its two legs and is best reached by boat. Russet-roofed houses in pastel colours spill through a maze of cobbled streets bright with geraniums. The gardens of two famous villas can be visited. Villa Serbelloni, now owned by the Rockefeller Foundation, stands on the site of a house owned by Pliny the Elder. Villa Melzi sits on the lakeshore.
