Firstly, let me describe the area. The mountains around Lake Como plunge vertiginously into the lake giving the area is character and the lake much of its beauty. As such, all the local towns perch on a road that runs around the lake. Houses tend to be above or below the road. As such there is always some climbing to be done. Villa Gabriella is set above the road and is quite a hard walk up the hill - hence the strong suggestion that guests should have a car. Once you get to know the place BTW, there are shortcuts through the village down to the road to the lovely Peppo's bar (with its staggering views) and the (very good) shop with its incredibly friendly people. You can even continue via the shortcut down to the Beach Resort. On arrival, the sense is that Villa Gabriella is at the top of the hill in a small village of a few houses. This isn't the case - there are many more houses above the villa and to the left and right. You are in a populated area, full of charming houses and polite and friendly people. The villa itself is beautifully done and has everything that you could possibly need. The views are simply stunning. I have never stayed anywhere that had a better vista. The photographs that accompany the entry on Home Away and on this site are absolutely representative on the place. Any drawbacks? Well if I was to be picky, I would say that the attic room is difficult to keep cool – and has no wardrobe storage. But that’s it. I cannot think of anything else that’s negative about the villa. Some might find the bells of the local church annoying –since they commence their pealing at 7AM. We didn’t. The facilities at Lake Como beach report are really impressive with a beautiful garden, a cool indoor area with a TV and books (and a super honesty bar fridge). The small lido has about 8 comfy loungers with covers and brollies and access to the lake is via a jetty that is great for diving into the cooling waters. Access to the resort from the road is via a steep hill – navigable by car but quite hair raising the first time – and then via a very handy lift, down through beautiful gardens to the resort buildings. The best way to reach the ferry Imbarcadero is via the resort and its lift. The path from the road down to the ferry is quite arduous – however you’ll meet plenty of older local people making pretty short shrift of it so it’s not impossible. The ferries are a great way to get around – they are good value and you can hop on and off which allows you to visit the other side of the lake and other local villages. It would be great if they were more frequent but we found that we just needed to plan. As useful are the superb, air-conditioned buses that go between all the major settlements and even up into the mountains. These are cheap and very reliable. If you find you need transport out of hours, speak to Eric – he can recommend you a driver who is quite a character and offers great value journeys. Don’t miss dinner at Bella Vista in the mountains – you’ll see why it’s called this once you are there. Paulo the chef studied under Gordon Ramsay and accommodated a vegan in our party with a couple of off menu choices. Superb. There is a terrific ristorante and the bottom of the hill : “La Meridiana” where the hosts and staff are welcoming and willing to cook off the menu, to show you local dishes and customs. We ate there many times during our 10 day stay and it was always a great experience. The garden is stunning, with a splendid view over the lake. Now for the ace in the hole : Eric, Robin and Jennifer made our stay so comfortable and their kindness and concern for our enjoyment went above and beyond anything I’ve ever experienced in years of holidaying. Nothing is too much trouble. They have endless suggestions for things to do and places to see because they live there too. As Anglophones, we found it really useful to speak to other people whose first language is English too. We travelled with two 19 year old girls who found enough to do in and around Pognano Lario but popped down to Como for a bit more nightlife when then felt then needed a break from tranquillity. Como itself is a typical Italian town – but with a waterfront on the lake. It’s quite beautiful and you need to visit. In conclusion: It’s a beguilingly beautiful area because of its position in the world. Any gripes that you may have read about steps and climbing come from failure to listen to advice and also from not understanding the area itself. Some climbing is inevitable – if you can’t or don’t want to do this, then this isn’t the place for you. If you decide to come, you’ll have fantastic experiences and find wonderful views, people and food. I doubt that you’ll find many better places to holiday than this. We haven’t. We will return without doubt.

We had a one week stay and it was our first trip to the lakes area after three months European travel. We had a car and it is essential if staying here. We are confident drivers but if not it's not for the faint hearted. There is a restaurant down a steep drive but it was not the best meal we had while staying here. We should have looked more closely at the position of the apartment to the places we were wanting to see. The apartment is clean and comfortable, really lovely. We did have issues with local noise and messaged the owner who was prompt messaging back and apologised. It is the perfect place if you have already explored the region and just want to relax, or you are happy to do day trip and head back at night

This was our first time to staying at a private residence and our first time to Italy. We were not sure what we were going to find but had a general idea given the reviews (except for one seemingly crazy person) and history Eric and Robin have renting their properties. We had good communication with Robin from the time we received the reply to the day before we left. Their instructions were clear but if we had any questions they always answered. If you drive as we did make sure you get navigation as Italy seems to forget most street signs and without it life is almost impossible. Eric showed up at the door soon after we arrived to fill us in on how things work. Everything was pretty much excellent: clean, ample space, wifi, and quality linens. Villa Gabriella was beautiful and very comfortable. The views are something we will never forget. The locals are so friendly and the food is to die for. Eric and Robin went above and beyond to make us feel at home. Thank you Eric and Robin for allowing us to share your wonderful piece of world! PS - Recommend buying trip insurance as the other couple we began the trip with had to cancel.

My wife and I spent a magical week on Lake Como and in Villa Gabriella. We found the villa by looking at the photos online and reading the reviews. Eric and Robin we very prompt, informative and patient with our many questions. The roads on the lake are narrow but was expected as explained by Eric. After the long drive we stopped at the local bar for Gelato and espresso. The owners pointed the way up the hill. Villa Gabriella was a wonderful sight. It was clean, furnished with all of our needs and decorated tastefully, with a bottle of wine on the table. Eric came the following day again answered questions and helped with directions. We love to walk and found the location perfect for exploring. Also we loved being able to drive or take the ferry to Bellagio or Como but also coming back to our little home to relax on the balcony watching the sunset. The experience is better than the pictures! Only negative was having to say goodbye!

The Villa Gabriella is as described, very clean and comfortable with everything you need for a trip to Lake Como. The bedrooms and bathroom are very spacious and there is plenty of hot water. The main room/kitchen is very comfortable, spacious and fully equipped for your visit. We were very happy and relaxed we could happily have stayed longer. The owners Robin and Eric were very helpful right from our first enquiry right to our checking out. Eric came over to advise us on the area, and point out George Clooney's villa across the lake, which was very helpful ( but no invitation from George LOL). We could have used the lakeside resort that Eric and Robin also own but as the weather was mixed when we were there we didn't get a chance. If it had been sunny all week it would have been great to have a swim. The only negative is that the villa is up a very steep road and then there are two flight of steps up to the door. The owners did point that out when we made our first enquiry and recommended a car to get around. BUT the views are tremendous, you can see for miles and its well worth the climb. In fact most villas/apartments in the Como are are up steep hills there are very few that are on a flat area, and it is lovely eating your breakfast on one of the two terraces watching the boats on the lake. ( It was also very enjoyable to sit on the terrace with a glass of wine late in the evening and watch a summer storm on the lake) There is a good local shop in the village and the local people are very friendly and helpful. There are plenty of groceries/ supermarkets/ bars/ restaurants within a few miles of the villa and Como itself is a good shopping area.The villa is also in a perfect location for visiting any of the sights/ restaurants etc in the area. Eric will soon explain how to get there and what to see. He will also book restaurants, boats etc for you. I would recommend this villa and its owners, as the house itself and the location is a super place to visit the Como area.

SENIORS BEWARE this place is DANGEROUS. Not for Couples with Young Children or People with Disabilities. YOU ABSOLUTELY NEEED A CAR!!!! 30 minutes away from Como. This is an isolated town with one bad restaurant and a coffee shop. It doesn't offer anything. There are so many better places to stay in Lake Como. This place is DANGEROUS, located on a Steep Cliff. You must walk down a dangerous walkway to get to your apartment. It is extremely dangerous especially when it rains which is often, rocks become extremely slippery. I had three people who injured their knees from falls, one was me. If you hurt yourself, there is NO way for you to get up the cliff. There are no available wheelchairs. You have to walk at your own risk. STAY AWAY If you're afraid of heights. My daughter had to close her eyes when she took the elevator. You have to go down a cliff in a glass elevator. If you enter from street be careful of the driveway, I got stuck. If you walk, you have to go down a steep uneven stone staircase for around 200 feet. Afterwards, you have to take a glass elevator. When you arrive below, you have to walk even further to get to your destination. Around another 200 feet to some 50's style apartments. THIS IS NOT A RESORT, it's just an old apartment building converted into vacation rentals with a fake beach. NOT Romantic, except for the lake. BEWARE of larger apartment. The room for four people is a bedroom on the second floor with a sofa bed below. To get to the bedroom you have to go up a a small metal spiral staircase. Bathroom is on the second floor. Not recommended for two couples or strangers since you have to enter bedroom to go to bathroom. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! Owner trying to strong arm me into paying money for rooms not used because people refused to stay there.

My husband and I stayed at Villa Gabriella for 5 days in April.The views from this apartment overlooking Lake Como are breathtaking and we shall always have fond memories of sitting on the balcony with our cheese and wine. The apartment is well equipped and the owner Eric made the stay even more enjoyable by assisting us with local knowledge and even rang the phone company when I had problems recharging my ipad. The little bar in the village (Peppo's ) makes a great cup of coffee and we always stopped off there in the morning before our trips up and down the lake. As we are a couple of "oldies" we found the narrow roads and fast Italian drivers somewhat challenging however you do tend to get used to it after a few days. A delightful experience.

Villa has one double bedroom and a further bedroom up in the roof -clean , well presented with lots books and DVDs . Just about big enough for us ( two adults and two teenagers) for a week . Great views over lake from two balconies -be aware that its around 900+ steps down to the lake front beach club but the exercise offsets all those pizzas ! Eric the host was friendly and helpful -lots to do and see around Como by car and ferries -a great week .

Villa Gabriella is a wellkept, beautiful house in the middle of the village of Pognana Lario. We also had nice contacts with the local people who are very friendly. It is located upon the hillside, so you have to climb up by the steps or take your car. The advantage is of course the stunning view from the balcony, almost a dream ! If you want to have a swim in the lake you can go down to the lido at Lake Como Beach Resort where Eric and Robin will welcome you with a big smile :-) It is very enjoyable down there.

My husband and I planned for 8 months our trip to Lake Como and Villa Gabriella. We were attending a wedding of the daughter of some very good friends. After researching and reading reviews, I picked Villa Gabriella for its excellent location on the lake. It is halfway between Como and Bellagio. Eric greeted us at the door and spent time getting to know us and showing us around the villa as well as explaining transportation around the lake. He was very nice and helpful and as the week went on, checked on us to make sure we did not need anything. The Villa is very self-sustaining. The full kitchen, living room, bedrooms and bathroom were comfortable and had everything we needed. It was very clean and neat with quaint furnishings befitting an italian villa. The two balconies had the best views.! We had great weather so spent a lot of time on them drinking in both the scenery and local wines. The church was amazing and we now miss the bells chiming and the local kids playing soccer there each evening. We spent several nights at the local bar/restaurant/gelateria called 'Peppos'. It had very good pasta, wine and beer and gelato. The owner was very friendly and helpful. The local grocery store was convenient and had most everything we needed for our week stay. The roads through these old, quaint Italian villages which are built on the side of the mountains, are windy and narrow. The locals are quite used to taking the turns quickly, but at times, it was a little nerve wracking for us. Overall, I highly recommend Villa Gabriella for your stay at Lake Como. Eric and Robin will make sure you have everything you need. The villa is wonderful and relaxing and the views of the lake are exquisite. We hope we have made friends for life with the Arcio's. Jackie and Joe