Lake Monate is the smaller and less-known of the two lakes on Varese's doorstep, about twelve kilometres southwest of the city. It has a reputation as one of the cleanest lakes in Lombardy — the water is exceptionally clear, and swimming from the small beaches along its shores is a genuine pleasure on a summer day.
The lake sits in a quiet valley with wooded hills on all sides and no major town on its banks. The village of Travedona-Monate offers a few restaurants and the atmosphere of a place that tourism has largely passed by. If you want a lake without the coach tours and souvenir stands, this is it.