The Sentiero del Viandante is the old communication route along the eastern shore of Lake Como: a walking trail that, in its full length, runs from Abbadia Lariana to Colico. This page describes the central stage from Varenna to Dervio, passing through Bellano: a walk of just under 10 kilometres that fits comfortably into a day, with the option of splitting it at Bellano.
The route runs along the hillside above the lake and alternates between cobbled mule tracks, flights of steps and short stretches of asphalt. Sources classify it as a hiking route (E, “escursionistico”), with no technical difficulty but constant ups and downs. Follow the Sentiero del Viandante waymarks. It can be walked year-round, except when there is snow at low altitude.
The stage is done in one direction, from south to north, returning by train: the Milan–Tirano railway stops at Varenna-Esino, Bellano and Dervio, so it is easy to get back to the start or to your car. Varenna is also served by the Lake Como ferries.
From Varenna to Castello di Vezio
The walk starts in the centre of Varenna, from Piazza San Giorgio, where the Chiesa di San Giorgio stands — the parish church of the village, with its 14th-century Lombard architecture and 13th-century frescoes. Before leaving the village it is worth going down to the lakefront: the Passeggiata degli Innamorati links the ferry pier to the old centre along a walkway cantilevered over the water, and on the lakefront are the gardens of Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi.
Just south of the village, along the road towards Fiumelatte, is the Sorgente del Fiumelatte: a watercourse about 250 metres long, one of the shortest in Italy, which flows intermittently from late March to October. From here the path climbs to Vezio, site of the Castello di Vezio, a medieval watchtower with a 360-degree view over the central lake. Official trail notes place Vezio at about 358 metres: it is the point where the half-stage linking Bellano to Varenna reaches the village.
From Vezio to Bellano
From the castle the path continues north, towards Regoledo, a hamlet of Perledo. In the hamlet, on the track climbing from the lake, stands the Chiesa di San Lorenzo, which holds a statue of San Fermo and a 17th-century altarpiece by the painter Giovanni Battista Fumeo, a native of the hamlet.
The path then descends to Bellano. According to the official notes, the Bellano–Varenna half-stage is about 4.8 kilometres and takes about 1 hour 40 minutes; walked from Varenna towards Bellano the gradients are reversed (the notes give, in the Bellano–Varenna direction, about 370 metres of ascent and 250 of descent). At Bellano the route passes right next to the Orrido di Bellano, the gorge carved by the Pioverna torrent, visited on a system of walkways anchored to the rock. At the entrance to the Orrido, on the same square, stands the Chiesa dei Santi Nazaro e Celso, with its 14th-century façade in bands of black and white marble and a large rose window in glazed terracotta.
From Bellano to Dervio
The last section climbs from Bellano towards the sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime at Lezzeno, built after the event held to be miraculous in 1688 and set in a panoramic position above the lake. From here the path continues to Oro and drops down to Dervio. The Dervio–Bellano half-stage is likewise about 4.8 kilometres, for about 1 hour 30 minutes of walking.
At Dervio the landmark is the Chiesa dei Santi Quirico e Giulitta, the old parish church with its Romanesque bell tower. Those with time can carry on north on foot to Corenno Plinio, a medieval village on a rocky headland, with the castle of the Andreani family and the church of San Tommaso di Canterbury; there is no public transport to Corenno, so you have to reckon on walking back at least as far as Dervio.
Practical information
- Length: just under 10 km in total (two half-stages of about 4.8 km each, according to the official notes of Le Vie del Viandante).
- Duration: about 3 hours’ walking (about 1h40 Varenna–Bellano and about 1h30 Bellano–Dervio), excluding stops and visits.
- Difficulty: hiking (E), no technical difficulty, with constant ups and downs.
- Elevation: the official notes give, for the half-stage in the Bellano–Varenna direction, about 370 m of ascent and 250 m of descent, and for Dervio–Bellano about 250 m of ascent and 240 m of descent; walking the stage from Varenna towards Dervio the values are reversed accordingly.
- Waymarking: Sentiero del Viandante trail markers.
- Season: year-round, except when there is snow at low altitude.
- Return: train (Milan–Tirano line, stops at Varenna-Esino, Bellano, Dervio); Lake Como ferry at Varenna.
- Castello di Vezio, Orrido di Bellano, villas and sanctuaries: opening times and tickets are seasonal — check the official websites.