Morcote clusters on a narrow shore at the southern tip of a peninsula on Lake Lugano, its arcaded houses and church terraces stacked above the water. The Church of Santa Maria del Sasso stands high above the village, reached by a long stairway lined with 17th-century frescoes. The view from the church terrace looks across the lake to Italy.
The village is small enough to walk around in an hour, but rewards a slower pace. The lakeside promenade has cafes and restaurants; the lanes behind are quiet and largely unchanged in character. A boat from Lugano makes the trip in about thirty minutes, and the combination of the lake crossing and the village makes for an easy half-day excursion from the city.