Italy / Tuscany, the Cinque Terre & Portofino / Portofino (Santa Margherita Ligure)Portofino (Santa Margherita Ligure)
The Riviera's Most Famous Harbour, and the Abbey in a Cove
The Italian Riviera's best-known harbour: Portofino's painted houses round a tiny cove full of yachts, Castello Brown and the lighthouse path above it, and the Portofino Regional Park, whose trails lead to San Fruttuoso, an abbey in a cove reached only on foot or by boat. Stay in Santa Margherita Ligure, 5 km away on the railway, with a seafront promenade and hotels at most prices; Portofino itself has only a few, all very dear. ATP bus 82 runs between the two every 20-30 minutes (about 20 minutes), and boats cross in about 15. Camogli's fishing harbour is two stops up the line, Genoa about 40 minutes by train and the Cinque Terre about an hour. Pesto and focaccia come from this coast.
Highlights
- Portofino's harbour from Castello Brown
- Lighthouse path to Punta Portofino
- Hike or boat to San Fruttuoso abbey
- Camogli's fishing harbour
- Aperitivo on the Piazzetta
- Focaccia and trofie al pesto
- Santa Margherita's seafront promenade
Things to do
- Portofino harbour, the Piazzetta and Castello BrownMorning · 2h 30m
- Lighthouse path to Punta PortofinoAfternoon · 1h
- Hike through the Portofino park to San Fruttuoso abbey, back by boatMorning · 5h
- Camogli fishing harbour and its seafrontAfternoon · 2h 30m
- Beach afternoon on the Santa Margherita seafrontAfternoon · 3h
- Aperitivo on the Portofino Piazzetta at sunsetEvening · 2h
- Focaccia and trofie al pesto dinner in Santa MargheritaEvening · 1h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: April – June, September – October
Worth knowing
August Peak: Italians on Holiday
August, and the week of Ferragosto (15 August) above all, is the busiest time on the coasts, lakes and islands: rooms cost the most of the year and sell out, beaches and beach clubs fill, ferries and trains to the coast are booked solid, and roads jam. Book rooms, ferries and trains months ahead, or come in June or September.