Residence Diaz, Como — our self-catering base on the lake

When we did the Italian Lakes walks in June 2024, Como was our base for the first half of the trip — including the long day up to Brunate and along the ridge to Torno. We stayed at Residence Diaz, a set of self-catering apartments right in the middle of town.

As ever, this is a record of where we stayed and what it was like, not a sales pitch. We mix it up trip to trip — tent, the van, the odd hotel or apartment — and pick whatever suits. For the lakes, self-catering made sense.

Where it is

Central, and that’s the appeal. It’s a short walk from Piazza Alessandro Volta, the bustling square where you can get a bite to eat or a drink, and the whole lakefront is easy on foot from there. No car needed — Como’s a railhead, so you arrive by train from Milan and walk to the door.

The bit that made it work for self-catering: there’s a Carrefour Express more or less on the corner, on Via Natta where it meets Via Diaz. Handy to stock up on groceries without making a thing of it. We usually cook for ourselves on a trip like this, and we’re always mindful of putting at least a little something into the local economy when we stop somewhere — so it was the supermarket for breakfasts and the square for the odd meal out.

The apartments themselves are a lovely little spot — furnished one- and two-room places (mono and bilocali, in the local parlance) tucked into an old building in the historic centre. The most recent room we had hid its kitchen behind a cupboard: fold the doors open and it’s all there, hob, extractor and all — a neat way to fit a kitchen into a town apartment without it taking over the room.

The fold-away kitchen at Residence Diaz, tucked behind cupboard doors in the apartment

From memory there’s more than one building with rooms, so where exactly you end up may vary.

Worth knowing

One honest note on the last room we had: it’s central and close to the road, so you do hear a fair bit of town life — bin trucks in the morning, that sort of thing. It doesn’t bother me, but I know some people find that kind of thing aggravating, so worth knowing if you’re a light sleeper. If it matters to you, it’s worth asking about a quieter room when you book.

It’s open all year, and there’s parking — handy if you’re not arriving by train like we usually do. Rooms and details change, so check directly before you book: residencediaz.it.

Stayed here for the Lake Como leg of our Italian Lakes walks, June 2024.