Camogli

Camogli’s “palazzata” is a wall of six- and seven-storey houses facing the beach, painted in yellow, ochre and red with green shutters. Look closely: many of the windows, frames and balconies are fake, painted in trompe-l’oeil in the Ligurian tradition.

The seafront promenade, Via Garibaldi, is the main stroll, lined with cafés and restaurants above the pebble beach. It is quiet early in the morning; at sunset the whole town gathers here.

The harbour is small and still very much in use: fishing boats, sailing boats, nets drying on the quay and the ferries leaving for Punta Chiappa and San Fruttuoso. From here you climb to the basilica and get the best view of the painted houses, especially in the afternoon light.

The basilica stands on the “Isola”, the small headland where the town began, once joined to the mainland by a wooden bridge. You reach it by a flight of steps from the harbour. The first church dates from the 12th century; today’s building is the result of 16th- and 19th-century enlargements and was consecrated in 1826. It became a minor basilica in 1988.

The interior is Baroque, with three naves, gilded stucco and marble. The side chapels hold works by Francesco Semino and Nicolò Barabino, and the high altar is by Andrea Casareggio. The relics of San Fortunato, the patron saint celebrated at the Fish Festival, are kept here.

Next to the basilica, on a rock dropping straight into the sea, the Castello della Dragonara (also called Castel Dragone) is the medieval fort that defended the town from pirates. It was attacked by the Visconti and Fieschi in 1366 and by the Duchy of Milan in 1438, and the townspeople enlarged it in the 15th century. Later it served as a prison and warehouse, and in the 1970s it housed a small aquarium.

Today it opens for exhibitions and events. If it is open, go in for the view over the houses and the gulf; if not, admire it from the basilica steps.

To understand why Camogli was a town of tall ships, stop at the Civic Maritime Museum near the station. It covers three centuries of local seafaring: ship models, navigation instruments, 168 paintings of sailing ships, logbooks and documents, plus a section on the Risorgimento with items linked to Garibaldi. The collection was donated to the town in 1938.

Opening times published by different sources do not match (it usually opens in the morning and closes on Mondays), so check the museum website or call before you go.

On the hill above Camogli, at about 220 metres, San Rocco is a small village with a church and a square that is one of the best viewpoints over the Golfo Paradiso: on a clear day you can see the coast all the way to Genoa. Walk up a long stepped path between houses and olive groves, or take the bus.

San Rocco is the trailhead for Punta Chiappa, the Batterie and the summit of Monte di Portofino. Even if you are not hiking, the view is worth the trip.

Punta Chiappa is the tongue of rock that closes the Golfo Paradiso towards the promontory. There is no sand: you lie on flat slabs of stone and swim in deep, clear water. On the way you pass the Romanesque church of San Nicolò di Capodimonte, from the 12th century, and Porto Pidocchio, the tiny landing where a traditional tuna net is still set from March to September.

Get there by boat from the harbour or on foot from San Rocco: the path is all steps, about half an hour down and an hour back up. It is also one of the best places to swim; all the details are in our guide to the beaches of Camogli.

On the far side of the promontory, in a bay you can only reach on foot or by sea, stands the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, with the Doria tower and a small pebble beach. Offshore, on the seabed, lies the Christ of the Abyss, the bronze statue that draws divers from all over the world.

A scheduled boat runs from Camogli all year; on foot the crossing takes about two and a half hours on park trails.

The Benedictine abbey hidden in a cove on the Portofino promontory, reachable only on foot or by boat.