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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Isola Comacina
Half-day trip from the Lake Como shore: 2–3 hours on the island, plus ferry time. Skip if you want a full day of hiking or villa visits.
Isola Comacina is Lake Como's only island, a small wooded outcrop with the ruins of seven Byzantine churches, a single restaurant and a cafe. The ferry ride from Sala Comacina takes 2 minutes. Most visitors spend 1–2 hours walking the paths and eating at the fixed-menu Locanda dell'Isola Comacina, then return to the mainland. It is a quiet detour, not a destination.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (ferry service reduced or suspended)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Day trip €15–50 (ferry + meal + coffee) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 113 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118 · General emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Return ferry Sala Comacina → Isola Comacina | €5 (check) |
| Fixed-menu lunch at Locanda dell'Isola Comacina | €45 (check) |
| Coffee at the island cafe | €2–4 |
| Parking in Sala Comacina (day) | €5–10 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MXP · Milan Malpensa
- About 1.5 h by car or train + ferry to Sala Comacina
- LIN · Milan Linate
- About 1.5 h by car or train + ferry
- BGY · Bergamo Orio al Serio
- About 1.5 h by car or train + ferry
Typical fares
- Return ferry Sala Comacina → Isola Comacina
- about €5, cash only (check)
- Ferry Sala Comacina → Varenna
- about €8–12 one way (check)
- Parking in Sala Comacina, day
- €5–10 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot only: the island is about 200 m across. The ferry from Sala Comacina runs every 30–60 min in season.
See and do
Known for
- Only island on Lake Como
- Byzantine church ruins
- Locanda dell'Isola Comacina's fire ceremony
- Secluded wooded paths
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Varenna | Ferry from Sala Comacina to Varenna, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Bellagio | Ferry from Sala Comacina to Bellagio, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Como | Ferry from Sala Comacina to Como, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Esino Lario | Ferry to Varenna, then bus, about 1 h total | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Sala Comacina (mainland)
- The closest village; a few B&Bs and apartments, 2 min by ferry.
- Tremezzina area
- Larger towns like Lenno and Tremezzo, 10–15 min by ferry or car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye | Ciaochow |
| Thank you | Graziegraht-see-eh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?kwahn-toh koh-stah |
| Where is the ferry? | Dov'è il traghetto?doh-veh eel trah-get-toh |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favoreeel kohn-toh pehr fah-voh-reh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- No overnight accommodation on the island.
- Ferry service is seasonal: check the schedule before planning a winter trip.
- The Locanda's fire ceremony is theatrical; some find it kitschy.
- No shops or ATMs on the island.
Very safe. The only risks are slippery paths after rain and the steep stairs at the Sala Comacina pier.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Isola Comacina yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Only island on Lake Como
- Byzantine church ruins
- Locanda dell'Isola Comacina's fire ceremony
- Secluded wooded paths
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Isola Comacina, revision 4624939 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4624939
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Isola Comacina
Al molo di Sala Comacina, per favore
To the pier at Sala Comacina, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The nearest major consulates are in Milan. Check /italy/visa-requirements for details.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/isola-comacina). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.