The Rock

Rocking the Sustainability Angle on Lake Como

A sustainable A+ passive house that also gets top marks for its natural beauty, this Lake Como view villa takes full advantage of the massive promontory it’s built right into. The rugged backdrop is transformed into a visible architectural feature indoors, where its jagged surface occupies intentionally designed windows. Outdoors, the cliff stands solidly over a svelte swimming pool, and turning your back on the impressive outcropping, all eyes fall on Lake Como’s glinting expanse.

This three-level, solar-powered and energy efficient villa is set along Lake Como’s coveted Golden Mile. It takes luxurious lakeside living to new levels, with its bold, built-into-the-hillside architecture and simple, clean-lined interior aesthetic that puts the focus firmly on the outdoors. A wide green lawn stretches from the cliff-backed pool towards the lake, and above the home, a covered yoga space occupies the garden’s upper level.

AROUND

Once frequented by Italy’s royal families, Lake Como's 30-mile-long footprint has long since become home to celebs, international jetsetters, and glitterati. Gorgeous villas and manicured gardens ooze glamour and exclusivity, while luxury goods and services fill waterfront boutiques. 

One of the best ways to visit the legendary lake is via boat. Its only island, Isola Comacina, stands opposite the luxurious Villa Balbianello, where James Bond and Ocean’s Twelve were filmed. Carate Urio’s boat station makes getting to the water easy, and the villages of Moltrasio and Laglio, situated further along the shore nearby, both offer picturesque waterfronts as well. The lake’s luxurious namesake community, Como, is only 10 kilometers away. 

Carate Urio is named for the two original communities that occupied the area—one (Urio) was the more mountainous enclave, and the other (Carate Lario) was set on the lakefront. Today, the town’s narrow streets are home to two fresco-covered churches and to the ruins of Urio’s Castle, with its garden that extends to the waterfront. 

Gastronomy is at the forefront of lakefront life, both at refined, fine-dining establishments and within simple mountain taverns serving regionally produced charcuterie, cheeses, wines and herbal-infused eau de vies. Abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation are part of the lake’s charms too, including boating, hiking, swimming, fishing, and touring the trails and hillside villages that cling to the slopes reflected in the waters.

LOCATION

Carate Urio, Como, Italy. Nearest airport: Lugano (1½ hours); Milan (2-2½ hours)

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to October