Where to find ‘little Lake Como’ alternative known for its wine
IF you fancy visiting to Lake Como but can’t face the long airport queues, how about going in the opposite direction?
In the Finger Lakes region of New York State is the quiet village of Hammondsport – and it has been compared to the famous Italian lake.
Both lakes are a Y-shape, but Keuka Lake is smaller than its Italian alternate – it’s just under 20 miles long with over 60 miles of shoreline.
Meanwhile, Lake Como has a maximum length of 29 miles; however, the shoreline length is a whopping 105 miles.
Keuka Lake is much shallower too at 187 feet at its deepest, while Lake Como has a maximum depth of 1,394 feet.
You can swim in both, as well, but Keuka Lake is considered one of the cleanest and warmest of the Finger Lakes too so it’s ideal if you want to take a dip.
It might even be a better option as visitors can swim in Lake Como, but the water quality differs depending on where you enter the water.
Keuka Lake is surrounded by vineyards, much like Italy and is so pretty that one visitor called it “one of the most beautiful lakes in upstate New York“.
The Finger Lakes itself has around 140 wineries, and near Keuka Lake there’s Bully Hill Vineyards, Heron Hill Winery and Divided Sky Vineyard.
For those who really want to learn more about the wine scene, there’s even a dedicated Keuka Lake Wine Trail.
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If you head to the official website, you can pay $45 (£33) and redeem tasting flights at six of the included wineries.
At the very south of Keuka Lake is the small and charming village of Hammondsport.
There’s not too much see with it being a village, but visitors have raved about Verns Bakery, Burgers & Beers, Park Inn restaurant, Crooked Lake Ice Cream Company which is also a 50s-style diner.
A 30-minute drive down the road is Watkins Glen, a charming ‘Hallmark-like’ village.
It’s home to the Watkins Glen International track, where Formula 1 raced for 20 consecutive years from 1961 to 1980 before Nascar took over.
Head to Depot Park for views across the water – and this is the spot if you want to hire out your own boat.
With multiple boats, you can hire them out for the day from $535 (£398) – split between eight (which is the maximum passengers), that’s just under £50per person.
If you want to stay in Hammondsport, check out Park Inn which has just five suites above its restaurant.
Rates start from $150 (£111) per night (with a two-night minimum stay).
Or there’s the Vine Inn & Carriage Houses which is described as a ‘serene retreat’ and is a 10-minute walk from the lake.
If the heat of Italy during the summer is what you’re afraid of missing out on, then rest assured, it will still be just as hot.
In the summertime, the Finger Lakes region can reach temperatures of 28C with it cooling down in the following months.