Cadenabbia's innate tranquillity and natural beauty has long
made it a favoured resort for visitors and holiday makers, and
particularly for those from northern Europe, but before the
nineteenth century little existed on the site of the current
village except for an inn called the Ca' dei Nauli (the 'Boatmen's
House) from which the modern name reputedly derives. The inn, which
originally catered for the tradesmen who delivered their wares by
boat to Como's lakeside villages, eventually became a hotel for
visitors for the area. Many early travellers were British and
settled in Cadenabbia, forming a community and founding Italy's
very first Anglican Church, consecrated in 1891.
For today's visitors the peaceful village of Cadenabbia is an
excellent base from which to explore the highlights of Lake Como;
the town of Como itself, for example, is a delightful fifteen-mile
cruise away. But for those who appreciate the simple pleasures of
unforgettable scenery, leisurely mountain hikes and messing about
on - and in - the water, Cadenabbia offers much to enjoy.