Argegno – Touring the Towns of Lake Como
August 13, 2026
Argegno is in a bend on Lake Como. A stunning spot, where the town enjoys a lake-side front with houses climbing up the hill into the valley.. It’s one of the few places on the Como leg where you can in fact venture inland and up into the Intelvi Valley, through villages and mountains, eventually coming out on Lake Lugano.
Quick pronunciation lesson. Argegno – Are-jen-yo (the final sound is like the “gn” in Gnocchi). Good luck. It’s a tricky one that trips up many a tourist.
What to do in Argegno
Argegno is another town that has tiny cobbled streets hidden behind its bustling lakefront. It’s always lovely to wonder the streets and see what delights are hidden down the myriad lanes. It’s a bit of a maze, but when wondering does it really matter if you have to back-track or go slightly out of your way? Absolutely not, it’s part of the explore. We wound our way up through the small alleys popping out on a minor road. We then followed it down for a couple of minutes before finding another cobbled path back to lake level. What did we see? Along with the lovely cobbled lanes we crossed over an old bridge with views up the gorge-like river. We had amazing views of Lake Como as we climbed and descended and then the lake-front promenade and piazza lined with cafes, restaurants and a few small shops.
Lunch in Argegno
Slightly away from the lake-front and piazza we found our lunch spot by the river, La P’Osteria.. This is our favourite eating spot in Argegno and one we have visited several times. The food is simple and delicious; starters of lake-fish or Bresaola with Schiatt, followed by pasta dishes of fish stuffed raviolini and a beautiful ragu pasta. Sat in the shade of an umbrella with views of the river and ancient bridge in one direction and views of Lake Como in the other, this is a very pleasing spot. Glass of wine? Well, why not?
Cablecar to Pigra
Just outside the town there is something rather unexpected….a cable car. It’s destination, in 6 minutes no less, is the village of Pigra some 1130 meters above the lake.
The views alone are reason enough to venture up the mountain. From the top of the cable car, you get the most open and spectacular views of Argegno and down Lake Como stretching towards Como city. Did I mention the cooler air? At a slight altitude the air up here is cooler by about 5 degrees, not to be poo-pooed on a searingly hot day.
Once up, there are quite a few options for walking, so we are now in our element. It can go from a short 20-minute walk to get more spectacular views, to proper hikes which take you up mountains, to a self-guided village walk. Having been up several times now, we have explored a few of the options:
Persorso Pigra da Scoprire (Discover Pigra walk)
The town of Pigra feels like a world away from the busy, touristy lake front towns. There are a couple of places to grab a drink or something to eat near the cable car station, but once in the main village time slips to the past and another era. Delightfully, they have provided a suggested walking route through the village to experience the oldy-world charm….and cats. The village is also an open-air gallery for beautiful photos of cats. It sounds odd, but as we weaved around the small, cobbled streets, we were delighted each time we turned a corner to find another glorious photo of a cat. I believe photos (of the photos) and the lovely town are needed to show its charm.
Hiking to Alpe di Colonno
Continuing the walk, we went down to the Refugio Alpe di Colono. How fortuitous, they serve food, and delightfully (for Clark), they served one of his favourites; a local dish called Pizzoccheri. This is a pasta dish where the pasta is made from buckwheat. It is then served with cabbage, potatoes and a local cheese called Bitto. It sounds very odd and quite carb-heavy, but it is a truly delicious plate of food. And very satisfying…great after a hike. Our path back to Pigra was along a narrow and very quiet mountain-side road. Nice easy walking, which was very welcome with a rather full belly of Pizzoccheri!
Balcone d'Italia (The balcony of Italy)
It sounds very grand, doesn’t it? It is, in fact, a high point on the Italian/Swiss border between Lake Como and Lake Lugano. We have cycled up (an exceptionally difficult climb; long and steep) but it is possible to drive up too. From Argegno there’s a road that heads up the Intelvi valley and from here the Balcone can be reached. The views over Lake Lugano are magnificent and there is a small bar selling drinks and light snacks. Spritz with a view. Lovely.
Talking of Spritz....a Spritz menu in Argegno
Continuing our Spritz mission. On the harbour in Argegno there is a bar with a substantial Spritz menu. Well, I thought I’d experienced all the Spritzes. However, there are apparently more…
Oh well, a good excuse to do more research! Let’s start with a Royale Spritz! Kind of like the Mojito of Spritzes.
