Lake Como: a walk above Moltrasio
A quieter corner of Lake Como — the bus down the western shore, a walk in the hills above Moltrasio past a tall waterfall, and the hydrofoil home. First-hand notes and the GPX.
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Elevation profile
Getting there
Start: Moltrasio (Lake Como western shore)
End: Moltrasio
Bus/Train: Bus (ASF C10) down the western shore from Como to Moltrasio; the fast hydrofoil back to Como at the end.
Before you go
Prices and times — worth a quick check before you travel
Bus — Lake Como western shore (ASF C10)
The C10 runs the western lakeside road from Como up through Cernobbio, Moltrasio and Argegno to Menaggio, and on towards Colico at the north end — the way to reach the west-shore villages and the top of the lake by public transport. It is a long, winding ride right along the water, and watching the drivers thread a full-size coach through the narrow lakeside streets is a small marvel in itself. Roughly hourly with seasonal variation — check before you travel.
ASF timetables · checked June 2026
Boat — Lake Como fast service (hydrofoil)
Navigazione Lago di Como run both slow ferries and a faster hydrofoil (servizio rapido) on the lake. The hydrofoil costs a bit more but saves a good chunk of time over the conventional boats — handy for the trip back to Como at the end of a walk. Stops and times are seasonal, so check the board before you rely on it.
Lake Como timetables · checked June 2026
Moltrasio is one of those Lake Como villages most people only ever see from the water — a cluster of houses tipping down to the shore on the western side, a few miles up from Como itself. We came for a short walk in the hills behind it, and it turned out to be a lovely, low-key day.
This one, like most of our Italian Lakes walking, came out of Gillian Price’s Walking the Italian Lakes (Cicerone) — a guidebook well worth having if you’re doing this sort of thing.
Getting there: the bus down the lake
We took the bus down the western shore from Como — the C10, which runs the lakeside road through Cernobbio and Moltrasio and on up the lake. It takes a while, and it’s worth every minute, partly for the views and partly for the driving.
I always marvel at the bus drivers here. They thread a great hulking coach through the very narrow streets of these lakeside villages, inches to spare on either side, and make it look routine. It’s a genuine skill. Going round, you could also see new road tunnels under construction — clearly an attempt to take some of the strain off the Como region’s traffic, which can be heavy on these single-thread lakeside roads.
Up into the hills
From Moltrasio the walk climbs up off the lake into the woods behind the village. It’s not a big day — a couple of hundred metres of up over six-odd kilometres — but you gain height quickly and the lake opens up below you as you go.
The highlight is a tall waterfall, dropping down a cliff face in the trees. After rain it’s in full flow, a proper ribbon of white against the green, and a good spot to stop and take it in.
The path winds back down through the woods and the edges of the village to the waterfront.
The hydrofoil home
Rather than the slow boat back, we caught the hydrofoil from Moltrasio — the fast service, which costs a little more but saves a lot of time over the conventional ferry. It had turned into a bit of a grey day by then, as you can see from the shot of the boat coming in, but a fast ride back across a moody Como is no hardship.
Practical notes
The C10 bus down the western shore and the fast hydrofoil back are both in the Before you go box above. Times are seasonal — check before you set off, especially the last fast boat back.
The walk is short and not technical, but it climbs steadily, so decent footwear and water are worth having. The GPX above is our track from the day.
Part of our Italian Lakes walks — five days around Lake Como and Lake Maggiore.