Porlezza suits couples and small families wanting an Italian lake town, with Lugano a 25-minute bus ride and Lake Como over a low pass. Few homes here have a pool and most are sized for about four, so a bigger group will find the choice thin.
Porlezza is a small town of around 5,000 people at the northern end of Lake Lugano, in the Italian province of Como and about 25 km north of Como itself. The comune also takes in the hamlets of Agria, Begna, Cima and Tavordo. The town lies at 275 metres, and behind it the Val Menaggio runs about 10 km to Menaggio on Lake Como, rising only to 399 metres at the Sella di Croce and passing the Lago del Piano. Until 1939 a narrow-gauge railway followed that valley, meeting steamboats that crossed Lake Lugano to Ponte Tresa. Our homes are grouped in and just around the town. About half have a garden, a fair number have a fireplace, and some have air conditioning, which is worth filtering for in midsummer.
The Swiss city that gives the lake its name, around 25 minutes by the C112 bus from Piazza Matteotti, or under 20 minutes by car.
Lake Como town at the far end of the Val Menaggio, about 10 km away over a pass of just 399 metres.
Lake of alluvial origin in the Val Menaggio, just before Porlezza, lying at 276 metres.
The provincial capital, on Lake Como, lying about 25 km south of Porlezza.
Milan Malpensa is the practical airport, around an hour and a quarter by car. Public transport from Malpensa takes over three hours, so hire a car. Trips to Lugano cross into Switzerland, so keep passports with you.
Summer brings the heat, and only some homes have air conditioning, so check before you book July or August. Spring and autumn suit walking the Val Menaggio and city days in Lugano and Como without the heat. In winter the homes with a fireplace make the most sense, and it pays to check what is open in town before you travel.
Italian. Porlezza is a comune in the province of Como, Lombardy, at the northern end of Lake Lugano. The lake takes its name from the Swiss city of Lugano, which lies across the border.
Take the C112 bus from Piazza Matteotti, which runs about 50 times a week and takes around 25 minutes. Driving is a little quicker, at under 20 minutes. Either way you cross into Switzerland, so carry passports.
Close. The Val Menaggio links Porlezza with Menaggio on Lake Como in about 10 km, and its highest point, the Sella di Croce, is only 399 metres above sea level. Menaggio itself sits at the far end on the lake shore.
A few do, but most do not. Porlezza homes are mainly sized for about four people; around half have a garden and some have a fireplace or air conditioning. Families who need a pool should filter for one first.
Yes, but it is slow. The quickest public transport route is a train from Milano Centrale to Lugano and then the C112 bus, taking around three hours. By car the trip is about an hour and a quarter.
Written by the TrustedVillas team. Last reviewed October 2026.
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