Lake Varese is a shallow glacial lake about four kilometres west of the city centre, ringed by low hills and reed beds. It is quieter and less visited than Como or Maggiore — no ferries, no luxury hotels, no crowds — which is exactly its appeal. A cycle path runs much of the way around the lake, and the flat terrain makes it easy going even for casual cyclists.
The lake has been designated a nature reserve, and the reed beds along its southern shore shelter a variety of waterbirds. Isolino Virginia, a small island in the lake, contains the remains of a Neolithic pile-dwelling settlement and is now a small archaeological museum — one of the oldest inhabited sites in the Alps.
Rowing is permitted on the lake and small boats can be hired at the waterfront at Gavirate, the main village on the northern shore.