Lake Como beaches: water quality, site by site

Of the 40 Lake Como beaches that have a page on this site, 34 hold the European classification “Excellent” for bathing water in 2025, three “Good” and three “Sufficient”. The three rated “Good” are the beaches of Colico, of Oro in Bellano and of San Vito in Cremia; the three rated “Sufficient” are the Laghetto di Piona in Colico, the Spiaggetta di Malgrate and the Riva del Tenciù in Laglio.

This guide lists the 40 beaches area by area, with the classification for each year from 2021 to 2025, and explains what that word means and what it does not say. It does not replace a check before you swim: the classification summarises several seasons and does not flag the temporary bans that a storm can cause.

The data are those that Italy reports to the European Environment Agency (EEA), read on 1 October 2026; the eleven beaches added on 5 October use the same extraction. Where a figure is missing or cannot be matched to a beach, we say so instead of filling the gap.

What the water classification means

In Europe bathing water quality is measured with two bacteria, Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci. They are indicators of faecal contamination, which usually comes from untreated waste water or manure, for example after heavy rain. Based on the levels found, each bathing site is classified as “Excellent”, “Good”, “Sufficient” or “Poor”.

The classification is not a snapshot of one day. It is calculated on the current season and the three before it, so the 2025 classification rests on sampling from 2022 to 2025. That is why a site can stay “Good” even after a summer with a worse sample, and why it says nothing about whether there is a ban today.

For a “Poor” site, European rules ask countries to act, for example by banning bathing or advising against it and informing the public. The minimum required by the directive is “Sufficient”.

The classification rests only on the concentration of the two bacteria, because it has a precise aim: to protect bathers’ health from that risk. It says nothing about a beach’s services, lifeguards, lake bed or conditions on a windy day.

For a sense of scale: in 2025, 78.3% of bathing sites on rivers and lakes monitored in Europe were “Excellent”. Among the 40 beaches in this guide it is 34 out of 40, or 85%. The comparison is only indicative, because our 40 are not a sample of the lake’s bathing sites: they are the ones we have written up.

How we built the table

We downloaded from the EEA’s mapping service the 2015 to 2025 classification of the Italian bathing sites around Lake Como: 84 sites. For each beach page on this site we looked for the site with the same name within 500 metres and, when there was none, the nearest one. Those matched by proximity carry an asterisk in the tables.

There are 46 beach pages. For 40 there is a matched site. For 4 (Dervio, Dongo, the Foppa in Dervio and San Giovanni in Bellagio) there is no reliable match, and for 2 (Ontano and Selvaggia in Colico) there is no monitoring site that can be matched: we cover them at the end. Site names are those of the official data and are sometimes generic, like “Campeggio” or “Pontile”.

In the tables “Exc.” stands for Excellent, “Suff.” for Sufficient and “n.c.” for not classified. Each row links to the beach page, where the same classification appears in the “Water quality” section.

Lake Como beaches area by area

Como branch

Four beaches, four different stories. The Lido di Villa Olmo and the Lido di Faggeto are “Excellent” in all five classifications. The Lido di Villa Geno is “Excellent” from 2022 to 2025; for 2021 there is no classification, which usually happens when there are not enough samples.

A clarification that comes from the local press, not from the European data: the classification says what the water is like, not whether you may swim. In 2026, according to EspansioneTv, swimming in the lake was not allowed in front of either of Como’s lidos; at Villa Olmo in particular because the operator, without a definitive concession, could not apply for the one covering the water area and the buoys had been removed. The two lido pages give the details.

The most interesting case is Villa Erba, the former riding ground in Cernobbio. Its site was “Sufficient” in 2021 and 2022, “Good” in 2023 and 2024 and “Excellent” in 2025: in five years it has gained two classes.

Beach	Monitoring site	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Villa Erba (ex Galoppatoio) (Cernobbio)	Villa Erba ex Galoppatoio	Exc.	Good	Good	Suff.	Suff.
Lido di Villa Geno (Como)	Lido Villa Geno	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	n.c.
Lido di Villa Olmo (Como)	Villa Olmo	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Lido di Faggeto (Faggeto Lario)	Lido Riva *	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.

Centro Lago

Thirteen beaches, from Laglio to Bellano, via Argegno, the Tremezzina, Bellagio and Perledo. Nine are “Excellent” in every classification from 2021 to 2025: Argegno, Colonno, Brienno, Punta Spartivento and Rivetto in Bellagio, the Lido di Lenno and Ospedaletto in Tremezzina, the Lido di Puncia in Bellano and the Riva Gittana in Perledo.

The other four have a different classification. The Spiaggia di Oro, in Bellano, is “Good” in 2025 and 2024 and “Excellent” from 2021 to 2023: “Good” is a class above the minimum required by the European directive, so it is not a warning sign, but it is a change worth knowing about before choosing between the municipality’s two beaches. The Parco Teresio Olivelli and the Spiaggia Mila, in Tremezzina, are “Excellent” from 2022 to 2025 and “Good” in 2021. The Riva del Tenciù, in Laglio, is “Sufficient” in 2025, “Excellent” in 2024 and 2023 and unclassified in 2022 and 2021; in July 2024 an unfavourable sample had triggered a temporary bathing ban.

Beach	Monitoring site	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Fronte Lido (Argegno) (Argegno)	Fronte Lido Argegno	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Punta Spartivento (Bellagio)	Punta Spartivento	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia Rivetto (Bellagio)	Rivetto	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Lido di Puncia (Bellano)	Lido di Puncia	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia di Oro (Bellano)	Spiaggia di Oro	Good	Good	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Parco Pubblico di Brienno (Brienno)	Parco Pubblico	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Fronte Molo (Colonno) (Colonno)	Fronte Molo	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Riva del Tenciù (Laglio) (Laglio)	Riva del Tenciù	Suff.	Exc.	Exc.	n.c.	n.c.
Riva Gittana (Perledo) (Perledo)	Riva Gittana	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Lido di Lenno (Tremezzina)	Fronte Lido di Lenno	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia Mila (Torrente Bolvedro) (Tremezzina)	Torr. Bolvedro (Sp. Mila)	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Good
Spiaggia Ospedaletto (Tremezzina)	Ospedaletto	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia Parco Teresio Olivelli (Tremezzina)	Spiaggia Parco Teresio Olivelli	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Good

Triangolo Lariano

There is only one beach here, the Lido del Segrino in Eupilio, on Lake Segrino, a lake in its own right and not a branch of Lake Como. Its site is “Excellent” in every classification from 2021 to 2025.

Beach	Monitoring site	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Lido del Segrino (Eupilio)	Lido Segrino	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.

Lecco branch

Ten beaches. Nine are “Excellent” in every classification: four between Abbadia Lariana and the border with Lecco, Riva Bianca in Lierna, the Lido di Mandello and Olcio in Mandello del Lario, Limonta and Onno in Oliveto Lario. The exception is the Spiaggetta di Malgrate, “Sufficient” in 2025 and 2024 and unclassified in the earlier years; in September 2024, after bad weather, the ATS had declared it unfit for bathing. In Abbadia two sites are matched by proximity: “Lido Lariano” serves two pages (the Lido and the Spiaggia di Abbadia Lariana) and “Campeggio” the Camping Spiaggia one. The Pradello site has the same name as the beach, but it is registered in the municipality of Lecco (profile on the Portale Acque, ISTAT code 097042 in the European data), while our page places it on the border with Abbadia Lariana.

In the same area there are sites we have not written up. The “Canottieri” site, in Lecco, is rated “Poor” in 2025 (it was “Sufficient” from 2022 to 2024 and “Good” in 2021): this is the case in which European rules call for a ban or advice against bathing. Check the Portale Acque before going.

Beach	Monitoring site	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Camping Spiaggia (Abbadia Lariana)	Campeggio *	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Lido di Abbadia Lariana (Abbadia Lariana)	Lido Lariano *	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Pradello (Lecco-Abbadia border)	Località Pradello	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia di Abbadia Lariana (Abbadia Lariana)	Lido Lariano *	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Riva Bianca (Lierna) (Lierna)	Riva Bianca	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggetta di Malgrate (Malgrate)	Spiaggetta Malgrate	Suff.	Suff.	n.c.	n.c.	n.c.
Lido di Mandello (Mandello del Lario)	Lido di Mandello	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia di Olcio (Mandello del Lario)	Olcio - LC 18	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia di Limonta (Oliveto Lario)	Fraz. Limonta	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia di Onno (Oliveto Lario)	Spiaggia di Onno	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.

Alto Lario

Twelve beaches, the group with the most differences. Seven are “Excellent” in every classification: the Campeggio Europa in Dervio, the Riva del Cantone and the Rivetta in Dorio, the Spiaggia Acquaforte, the Pontile and the Gera Lario beach in Gera Lario, and the Spiaggia La Punta in Sorico. The beach of Camping Miralago in Dongo is “Excellent” from 2022 to 2025 and “Good” in 2021; the Serenella in Gravedona is “Excellent” from 2023 to 2025 and “Good” in 2022 and 2021.

Three others have a lower classification. Colico’s beach is “Good” in all five classifications. San Vito in Cremia is “Good” in 2025, “Sufficient” in 2024 and “Good” in the other years. The Laghetto di Piona is “Sufficient” in 2025 and 2023 and “Good” in 2024, 2022 and 2021.

In Colico there is also the “Inganna – LC 53” site, which has no page: in 2025 it is “Poor” (“Sufficient” from 2022 to 2024, “Good” in 2021). It is another case where the rules call for a ban or advice against bathing: the Laghetto di Piona page warns not to confuse the two places.

Beach	Monitoring site	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Laghetto di Piona (Colico)	Laghetto Piona	Suff.	Good	Suff.	Good	Good
Spiaggia di Colico (Colico)	Lido di Colico	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good
Spiaggia di San Vito (Cremia) (Cremia)	S. Vito	Good	Suff.	Good	Good	Good
Spiaggia Campeggio Europa (Dervio)	Campeggio Europa	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia Camping Miralago (Dongo)	Camping Miralago	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Good
Riva del Cantone (Dorio) (Dorio)	Riva del Cantone	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Rivetta (Dorio) (Dorio)	Rivetta	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia Acquaforte (Gera Lario)	Spiaggia Acquaforte	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia del Pontile (Gera Lario) (Gera Lario)	Pontile	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Spiaggia di Gera Lario (Gera Lario)	Pontile *	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.
Serenella (Gravedona) (Gravedona ed Uniti)	Serenella	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Good	Good
Spiaggia La Punta (Sorico) (Sorico)	Loc. La Punta	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.	Exc.

Comparing the areas

Side by side, the five areas look more alike than you might expect. Twenty-eight beaches out of 40 are “Excellent” in every classification from 2021 to 2025, that is 70%. The other twelve have at least one year with a different classification, or a year with no data.

Area	Beaches covered	“Excellent” in every classification	At least one different classification or missing figure
Como branch	4	2	2
Centro Lago	13	9	4
Triangolo Lariano	1	1	0
Lecco branch	10	9	1
Alto Lario	12	7	5
Total	40	28	12

The Alto Lario is the area with the most variation: five beaches out of twelve are not “Excellent” in every classification, and the Laghetto di Piona is “Sufficient” in 2025. The other two “Sufficient” sites of 2025 are outside the Alto Lario: the Spiaggetta di Malgrate, in the Lecco branch, and the Riva del Tenciù, in Laglio. The Lecco branch has nine beaches out of ten always “Excellent”, with the exception of Malgrate. In the Como branch the two beaches with a different classification are special cases: Villa Geno, with no classification in 2021, and Villa Erba, which has improved over time.

Beaches with no matched classification

Four pages have no site matched with confidence, so they have no table: the Spiaggia di Dervio, the Spiaggia di Dongo, the Spiaggia della Foppa in Dervio and the Spiaggia di San Giovanni in Bellagio. There are monitored sites nearby, but not close enough or with the same name to say they are that beach.

For Spiaggia Ontano and Spiaggia Selvaggia in Colico there is no monitoring site that can be matched in the European data. That does not mean the water is bad, it means we cannot give a classification. The nearest monitored site to both is “Inganna”, which is “Poor”.

What the data do not say

An “Excellent” classification does not guarantee that you can swim today. Temporary bans, for example after a heavy storm, do not appear in the classification, which summarises four seasons. They must be checked on the Ministry of Health’s Portale Acque, on the website of the municipality or of the health authority (ATS), and on the signs at the beach.

The classification does not describe the beach either. It does not say whether there are bars, showers or a lifeguard service, whether the lake bed drops steeply or whether you need a long staircase to get there. That is why the place pages have other sections, and water quality is just one.

One last caution concerns the matching. When a table shows a site with an asterisk, the site does not carry the beach’s name but is the nearest monitored one. It is an approximation, and the beach page says so.

Frequently asked questions

Can you swim in Lake Como?

Yes, at the monitored bathing sites. In 2025, 34 of the 40 beaches with a page are classified “Excellent”, three “Good” and three “Sufficient”. Before getting in the water it is always worth checking temporary bans on the Portale Acque or at the beach.

Which beaches have the best-classified water?

Twenty-eight beaches out of 40 are “Excellent” in every classification from 2021 to 2025: two in the Como branch, nine in Centro Lago, the Lido del Segrino, nine in the Lecco branch and seven in the Alto Lario. The tables list them one by one.

What does “Sufficient” mean?

It is the minimum required by the European bathing water directive. A “Sufficient” site meets the limits, but it is the lowest class that does not require action. In 2025 the Laghetto di Piona, the Spiaggetta di Malgrate and the Riva del Tenciù are “Sufficient”, and so are other sites we have not written up.

Where can I check bathing bans?

On the Ministry of Health’s Portale Acque, on the website of the municipality or of the competent health authority (ATS), and on the signs at the beach. They are the sources that report temporary bans, which the European classification does not contain.

Why does a beach’s classification change from one year to the next?

Because every year it is recalculated on the last four seasons: the new one comes in, the oldest drops out. If the worst samples of an old season leave the calculation, the class can go up; if worse ones enter, it can go down. The bacteria measured usually come from waste water or manure, for example after heavy rain, which is why a rainy season weighs on the result.

How often is the classification updated?

Once a year, at the end of the season. This guide uses the classifications up to 2025 and will be updated with the 2026 one when it is published.

Before you go

If you are choosing a beach, start from the area, then read the page: besides the water classification it gives the address, the services the sources document and, where needed, cautions. You can see all the beaches on the site map and browse the pages in What to see.

To get there by train, boat or car read Getting to Lake Como; for rainy days there are the museums of the lake.