How to find the waterfall bridge in Lake Como

Nesso waterfall bridge Lake Como Sarah Latham Copyright

If you’ve been researching Lake Como, it’s likely you’ll have come across the beautiful waterfall bridge. Instagram famous and absolutely stunning, this spot is a must see for those exploring Lake Como and, thankfully, is quite easy to get to with a little bit of pre-planning. Read on to discover how to find the waterfall bridge in Lake Como.

Suggested read: 5 must do spots on Lake Como

Where is Lake Como?

First things first, Lake Como is located at the top of Italy, right near the border of Switzerland. The easiest way to get to Lake Como from overseas is to fly into Milan Malpensa Airport (suggested read: How to spend a stopover in Milan) and then catch the trains to Lake Como. Once we had landed in Milan, we booked our trains on the Trainline app – it was actually two trains with a short 19 minute transfer between them. For us it took less than 90 minutes to get from Milan Malpensa Airport to Como town at the southern end of Lake Como. This was the town we chose to stay in during our time in Lake Como. You can find Como on Google Maps here.

Where is the Lake Como waterfall bridge?

Now you know where Lake Como is, it’s important to find where the Lake Como waterfall bridge is! The Instagram famous waterfall bridge at Lake Como is located on the lakeside town of Nesso. This tiny village is located on the south east ‘fork’ of the lake between Como and Bellagio. You can find it on Google Maps here.

The place itself is actually called Orrido di Nesso and you can find its exact location in Nesso here.

How do I get to Nesso?

There are a few options to visit Nesso. Some of the below are based on arriving in Nesso from Como (which is the town that has the train station connecting to other parts of Italy. Como is where most people arrive when they visit Lake Como and it is where we stayed when visiting Lake Como) but they can still apply to other origins from within Lake Como.

Ferry

Ferry is a popular way to get around Lake Como as it dots across the lake and also gives you a stunning view of the surrounding mountains and of the lake. Personally I found the ferries to be very slow. There were certain fast boats available, but, when we visited, you couldn’t pre-book these tickets other than buying them on the day, and the non-fast boats were SLOW. It took us 2.5 hours to go from Bellagio to Como on our first day so this is something to keep in mind.

To get to Nesso from Como by ferry, on the way there, there wasn’t a fast boat available but luckily as Nesso is not too far away from Como, the journey was just over an hour. There was a returning ferry from Nesso back to Como that was faster at 35 minutes so it does depend on your direction, time of day and a little bit of luck! Please note that the ferries don’t come super frequently to Nesso (or at least not when we visited in May) so you will need to pre-plan your day visiting Nesso and the Lake Como waterfall bridge. The ferry will drop you off right next to the Lake Como waterfall bridge, so be sure to have your camera out on arrival – more on this further down!

You can find more about the Lake Como ferry here.

Bus

Another way to get to Nesso from Como (or other areas on the lake) is by public bus. When I had initially looked up this option online it said the bus didn’t stop at Como but it did. After catching the ferry from Como to Nesso in the morning, we ended up catching the bus from Nesso to Como rather than wait for the returning ferry. The bus did arrive late so keep it in mind it may not run on time and it was quite busy – but other than that it was a very easy and convenient way to travel between Nesso and Como. We paid for our bus tickets on the bus with cash. You can find out more about the Lake Como bus service here.

Car

Another alternative way to travel around the lake and to get to the Lake Como waterfall bridge in Nesso is by car. As we are left road drivers and Italy drives on the right, we didn’t feel comfortable with the option (and were happy with ferries and buses!) but it is an option if you would prefer to travel by car or are combining your Lake Como holiday with a wider Italy or Europe trip. Keep in mind that the roads around the lake are narrow and there are larger buses also using them.

Private boat

A popular way to see the Lake Como waterfall bridge is by private boat. During our time in Nesso we saw lots of boats pull in under the bridge and snap photos of the waterfall before reversing and continuing their tour. You would have to enquire if your boat could stop at Nesso if you wanted to venture onto the bridge or see more of Nesso, but it is a brilliant way to witness the beautiful waterfall bridge in Lake Como.

How do I get a photo of Orrido di Nesso, the Lake Como waterfall bridge?

You have a few options to snap a photo of the famous Lake Como waterfall bridge. The best option is from the water as you’ll be able to capture the bridge, the canyon, the waterfall and the surrounding village in one shot.

Private boat

As mentioned above, hiring a private boat can be the best way to snap a photo of the Lake Como waterfall bridge as you can capture it from the water.

Ferry as it pulls in

If you don’t visit the Lake Como waterfall bridge by private boat, another way to mimic the same experience is to have your camera ready as the ferry pulls into the Nesso ferry stop. The ferry goes right past Orrido di Nesso and if you time it right you can snap a picture. The one below was taken on the ferry as it pulled in, with a private boat also coming in for a look at the same time. The only downside of this approach would be if there was a private boat already under the bridge as this would impact the shot.

Stairs on the side

For those not arriving or departing by water, another fantastic spot to capture a picture is on the stairs leading into the water beside the bridge. Although you won’t be able to capture the waterfall in the same shot, this is still another stunning photo opportunity of Nesso.

On the bridge

Don’t forget about the bridge! While the bridge is normally a feature of photos taken at Orrido di Nesso, if you snap a photo while standing on the bridge, you’ll be able to capture the beautiful waterfall at the end of the canyon.

Can I swim at the Lake Como waterfall bridge?

Yes! Although when we visited it was a tad too cold to want to swim so we didn’t go in or see anyone swimming, but in peak summer it is a popular space for swimming as you’ll see on the many photos and videos of Lake Como waterfall bridge posted online. Just be mindful of the many boats that pull into the area.

Other photo opportunities in Nesso

Other than the most Instagram famous angle of the Lake Como waterfall bridge that I’ve written about above, there are other beautiful angles of this famous spot in Lake Como plus the surrounding Nesso village. These include climbing to the top of the town to take in the views across Lake Como from the top of the waterfall, viewing the waterfall from its top tiered part and even snapping a pic of the above mentioned stairs beside the bridge from the bridge itself.

What else is there to do at Nesso?

While Nesso may be famous for the Lake Como waterfall bridge, there are other things to do in this village. From enjoying a gelato, to dining at restaurants (check opening times before arriving in Nesso), walking around the town and hiking the Nesso-Carvagnana trail. So after you’ve snapped your photos and experienced the beautiful Lake Como waterfall bridge spend sometime enjoying Nesso or continuing onto the other beautiful spots in Lake Como.

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