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Ah, Portofino — a coastal Italian city that defines luxurious. Beyonce, Princess Diana, and Madonna have all vacationed on this gem of the Ligurian coast.
The precise city of Portofino is kind of small — shockingly small, if you get there. As soon as a quiet Ligurian fishing village, Portofino rose in reputation and now attracts tons of vacationers with its colourful homes, slim streets, and picturesque harbor.
Since Portofino is definitely fairly small, I feel it makes extra sense as a day journey vacation spot. You possibly can simply go to Portofino in just some hours, or longer in order for you some seashore time. Rapallo, Camogli, and Portofino’s next-door neighbor of Santa Margherita Ligure are higher Italian Riviera cities to base your self in.
One necessary factor to learn about Portofino is that it’s fairly costly. My husband and I acquired two affogatti (espresso poured over gelato) at a restaurant, and we have been charged a whopping 30 euros — I assumed it will be possibly 10 euros, and that might be costly in comparison with the remainder of Italy!! However exorbitant costs apart, it’s value visiting this picture-perfect coastal city.
Prepared to find Portofino? Let me present you the most effective issues to do on this iconic Italian Riviera vacation spot.
This submit was printed in January 2025 and was co-written by Adventurous Kate and Dale Peterson.
Finest Issues to Do in Portofino, Italy
Go on a strolling tour
When you’re visiting Portofino on a day journey from Santa Margherita Ligure, this tour is the right method to get acquainted with the city. You’ll start in Santa Margherita and take the ferry down the coast to Portofino.
Then you definately’ll discover the city on a strolling tour, making a cease for a focaccia tasting at a neighborhood bakery. For lunch, you’ll have a pesto-making class and luxuriate in your lunch overlooking the water.
That is adopted by free time to discover Portofino earlier than catching your return ferry.
Take within the fancy boutiques
You wouldn’t anticipate it for such a small city, however Portofino is stuffed with luxurious boutiques. It might need the best ratio of luxurious boutiques to sq. footage of a city in Italy!
You’ll discover the shops of iconic Italian designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, and Pucci, in addition to small luxurious manufacturers Italians love.
(My husband Charlie was amused by this. “Why would anybody purchase a bag that claims Celine on it?…This city wants an Apple Retailer. And a high-end bike store.”)
Even should you don’t have the price range to splurge at one among these shops, it’s all the time enjoyable to walk down the principle road of Portofino and window store.
Go to the church buildings
Take a while to discover Portofino’s church buildings, notably the Chiesa di San Giorgio and Chiesa del Divino Martino. Whereas neither of those church buildings is among the many most spectacular you’ll see in Italy, they’re each value a go to.
Chiesa di San Giorgio is a historic church providing spectacular views over Portofino and the harbor, which is all the time full of yachts and different boats.
Chiesa del Divino Martino is a fairly church with a singular striped facade that’s proper within the middle of city.
Go to Castello Brown
Castello Brown is a historic citadel perched excessive above the harbor of Portofino. This strategic location was used for army protection since Roman occasions. Nevertheless, the citadel fell into disrepair after being deserted within the nineteenth century, till it was restored by an English couple who bought it within the Nineteen Fifties.
Now, you’ll be able to go to the citadel and benefit from the panoramic views it presents over Portofino. To achieve the citadel, it’s a simple however uphill 10-minute stroll from the middle of city.
Entrance to the citadel and grounds is 5 EUR ($5.50 USD) for many guests and free for youngsters aged 12 and underneath.
Stroll to the Faro di Portofino
When you’re already at Castello Brown, you’ll be able to preserve strolling for one more 10 minutes to achieve the Faro di Portofino, a working lighthouse on the sting of the peninsula. From the lighthouse, you’ll be able to absorb sweeping views of the ocean.
There’s additionally a cocktail bar referred to as La Portofinese on the lighthouse if you wish to seize a drink or some gentle snacks whereas having fun with the view.
Go to the Museo del Parco
Museo del Parco is a small open-air sculpture museum in Portofino. There’s not a ton to see right here, however if you wish to spend a while strolling round admiring the distinctive installations, this can be a good exercise to do in Portofino.
The doorway payment to the museum is 5 EUR ($5.50 USD.) Along with the sculptures, you’ll be able to absorb fabulous views of the harbor from right here.
Chill out on the seashore
Though Portofino is on the coast, it’s not a typical seashore vacation spot with huge, sandy seashores. Nevertheless, there are a couple of seashores in and round Portofino the place you’ll be able to swim within the clear, refreshing waters of the Ligurian Sea.
Baia di Paraggi is the most effective seashore close to Portofino, and it’s situated about 20 minutes from the middle of city on the highway towards Santa Margherita (you can even take a five-minute bus journey on the 782 bus). This pebbled seashore has solar loungers for lease and is surrounded by cafes and eating places.
Baia Cannone is only a five-minute stroll from Portofino, and it’s accessible by steep, slim steps main all the way down to a small seashore. Nevertheless, it’s an awesome spot for swimming!
Hike to the San Fruttuoso Abbey
When you’re up for an lively journey, you’ll be able to’t miss the hike to San Fruttuoso Abbey. This Tenth-century abbey in a secluded cove is just accessible by boat or by foot.
The hike from Portofino takes about two hours, however when you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with superb historical past and an awesome seashore the place you’ll be able to chill out and funky off with a swim.
There are a couple of eating places across the abbey, primarily serving seafood. I like to recommend packing your individual snacks for the hike, and possibly bringing your individual picnic lunch, too.
Take pleasure in a ship tour
You possibly can’t go to Portofino with out getting out on the water not less than as soon as. Among the finest methods to do that is with a ship tour.
This small group tour is the right method to end off a day in Portofino as you watch the sundown whereas having fun with a glass of prosecco and a few gentle snacks.
For a very particular expertise, you can even constitution a ship in Portofino. This boat constitution contains snorkeling gear and drinks onboard, and you’ve got management over the place you go and the way lengthy you cease.
Go coasteering
When you’re up for an adrenaline-pumping exercise, you’ll be able to attempt coasteering in Portofino. This combines climbing, leaping, and swimming alongside the rocky shoreline. With assist from an skilled information, you’ll be scaling and leaping off seaside cliffs prefer it’s nothing.
This coasteering tour contains virtually every part you’ll want, together with all security gear, a helmet, a life jacket, and a full-body wetsuit. The one merchandise it’s essential deliver is water resistant footwear with an excellent grip because you’ll be scaling moist, rocky surfaces.
Hike by Portofino Pure Park
If the thought of mountaineering two hours every method to San Fruttuoso Abbey isn’t sufficient for you, there are much more choices! Portofino Park is a nature park spanning a lot of the peninsula, and it incorporates almost 50 miles of mountaineering trails.
There are many scenic treks you are able to do inside the park. You possibly can even hike from Portofino to a different village like Camogli or Santa Margherita Ligure taking the scenic route by the high-elevation hills of the peninsula.
Go kayaking or paddleboarding
One other enjoyable method to get out on the water in Portofino is by going kayaking or paddleboarding. This paddleboarding tour lets you see Portofino from a special perspective as you paddle by the Baia di Paraggi. You’ll get a more in-depth view of the city from the water than you’d should you have been on a ship.
Another choice is this kayaking tour which helps you to discover the Portofino Marine Protected Space. You’ll additionally get to entry small inlets and caves that aren’t accessible by boat. You can too select to ebook a kayaking plus snorkeling tour, or get pleasure from a sundown kayaking tour.
Take the ferry to Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita is a big city close to Portofino that’s effectively value a go to. It has numerous the identical appeal as Portofino, however there’s much more to it than a tiny village. Whereas nonetheless an upscale place (with BOATS on BOATS on BOATS), Santa Margherita feels extra for “common individuals” than Portofino.
You possibly can take a 15-minute ferry journey from Portofino to Santa Margherita, take a 15-minute bus journey, and even stroll. From Portofino to Santa Margherita, there’s a coastal path that could be a good, straightforward stroll of roughly 3.2 miles.
Go to Camogli
One in all my favourite locations to go to on the Italian Riviera is Camogli, and it’s so near Portofino! That is one other quaint Italian Riviera city that was as soon as a quiet fishing village and is now a well-liked resort vacation spot. It’s additionally fairly small, so you’ll be able to discover it in a couple of hours.
You may get to Camogli from Portofino two methods. Probably the most scenic possibility is taking the ferry. But when it’s not operating, you’ll be able to take a 15-minute bus journey to Santa Margherita Ligure, after which hop on the practice one cease to Camogli.
Learn Extra: 11 Enjoyable Issues to Do in Camogli, Italy
Spend a day in Cinque Terre
Probably the most well-known place alongside the Italian Riviera is Cinque Terre. With a reputation that means “5 Lands” in Italian, Cinque Terre is a string of 5 colourful coastal villages.
If you will get your self Santa Margherita Ligure by bus or boat, it’s only a 40-minute practice journey to Monterosso al Mare, the biggest of the 5 cities. From there, you’ll be able to then hop between cities on the regional practice — it doesn’t take greater than 5 minutes to go between any of the cities.
Monterosso is house to the one respectable seashore in Cinque Terre, however Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are all impossibly charming and picturesque. I like to recommend heading to Manarola simply earlier than sundown. You possibly can go to all 5 in a day, however if you wish to skip one, skip Corniglia.
Learn Extra: Information to the 5 Cities of Cinque Terre
How A lot Time to Spend in Portofino, Italy
How a lot time do you want for Portofino? I feel Portofino works greatest as a day journey vacation spot.
When you’re simply dropping in for a go to, two hours or so is all you want – however if you wish to do extra of the issues on this checklist, you can also make a full day of your go to.
Easy methods to Get to Portofino, Italy
How will you get to Portofino? You might have a number of choices for reaching Portofino. There are buses and ferries from the encompassing cities locations. Santa Margherita Ligure tends to be extra of a hub on this area because it has a practice station, and from there, it’s a 15-minute bus journey to Portofino. You can too take a scenic 3.2-mile stroll alongside the coast to get to Portofino.
There’s additionally a ferry from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino, which takes about quarter-hour, and there are ferries from different locations like Rapallo, Camogli, and Genoa. Remember that ferries typically don’t run in case of inclement climate.
The closest airports are in Genoa and Pisa. Genoa is nearer, however is a really small airport with a handful of flights round Europe; Pisa is a bigger airport and serves many extra European locations, totally on price range airways.
From Genoa, there’s a 20-minute quick practice to Santa Margherita Ligure, whereas from Pisa, it’s a 2-hour practice journey.
The place To Keep in Portofino, Italy
Questioning the place to remain in Portofino? Though it’s a small city, there are a selection of lodging choices in Portofino, starting from opulent luxurious motels to easy albergos, which usually consult with primary native motels in Italy.
When you can definitely go to Portofino on a day journey, it may also be used as a base to discover the Italian Riviera.
Staying in Portofino additionally lets you benefit from the quiet city within the mornings earlier than the day journey crowds arrive, and within the night as soon as they depart.
These are the most effective locations to remain in Portofino:
Discover offers on locations to remain in Portofino right here.
Finest Time To Go to Portofino, Italy
What are the most effective occasions to go to Portofino? Summer season is THE time of 12 months for the Italian Riviera, however don’t overlook the spring or fall, which may also be a beautiful time to go to!
Many small cities on the Italian Riviera, together with Portofino, are roughly shut down within the winter months, so I’d keep away from this time of 12 months. (Actually, I’m modifying this submit in January, and Google Maps is roofed with “Briefly Closed” companies throughout Portofino.)
When you’re seeking to go to in summer time climate however barely off-peak, I’m an enormous fan of early June, which is earlier than the crowds actually begin to are available in, or late September, when the crowds have dropped off.
Portofino can get extraordinarily crowded in the course of the summer time, particularly when giant cruise ships are docked in close by Genoa. When you go to from mid-June by early September, you may encounter large crowds and extremely popular climate in Portofino.
Is Portofino Price It?
I’ll be sincere — I wouldn’t make Portofino the middle of my journey to the Italian Riviera. (And yeah, possibly these 30 euro affogatti had one thing to do with it.)
However I feel it’s a superb day journey vacation spot, particularly if you pair it with the encompassing cities of Santa Margherita Ligure and San Fruttuoso, and even broaden to Camogli and Rapallo.
I hope you could have a beautiful time in Portofino!
Extra on the Italian Riviera:
Planning a Journey to Italy:
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Have you ever been to Rapallo, Italy? Share your favourite experiences!
