Appartement - Varenna

Hello I'm Carmel married to Paul owners of Casa Caterina. We are Irish and live in N Ireland with our 4 children. I am employed part time in Healthcare, working with disability. My husband Paul runs his own transport company which imports Italian goods, mainly tiles, to Ireland and the UK . This is the main reason we came about owning a property here as we travelled to Milan on business quite a lot.

We first discovered this area 15 years ago with our young family when we decided to take a break from our usual 2 week child orientated camping holiday and headed Como direction. We knew a little about the Como area but were not prepared for the sheer magnitude and beauty of the place. Maybe it is the mountains, the lake, the climate or a combination of all 3 but the general atmosphere seemed to nourish and revitalise the soul instantly.
That summer holiday was the best ever holiday with the hiking, the touring and the children having endless fun jumping from a platform into the lake.
When we decided to buy out holiday apartment we knew we wanted it to be in the Varenna/Perledo location but had to wait almost 8 years to find a place that captured the magic of the area. Casa Caterina is that spot!
I choose our apartment because its situation give the best views of lake Como and because of its large private garden. I love the outdoor life and spend endless hours gardening with the back drop of the mountains and lake, gaining inspiration from visiting the magnificent Italian villas nearby.
There is so much to do close to the property. We spend a lot of our time now hiking in the local area regularly going to Bellano, an hours trek away, have lunch and return by train or bus.The property is a great base to explore the wider Como area also. A popular destination by ferry is Menaggio, and Bellagio is situated on the famous golden triangle area of the lake just a 15 minute crossing away. It is always lovely, however, to return home again just to relax on our patio enjoying the beautiful Italian wines and delicious simplicity of the local food.
The options are endless.

The unique benefits has got to be the truly spectacular views from the apartment
This is a hikers paradise and we spend a lot of our time now discovering the area, walking along the various paths to the local mountain villagers. Sentiero della Viandante (path of the wander) goes right past our apartment complex.
Staying in this area is like going back in time, old Italian tradition remain intact, yet in one hours drive you can reach Milan the world capital of fashion and general sophistication