The Piazzetta, Castello Brown, San Giorgio and the lighthouse, Paraggi and the San Fruttuoso trail: a practical guide to Portofino and arriving car-free.
Portofino, jewel of the Riviera di Levante
Area
Golfo del TigullioRiviera di Levante · Province of Genoa
Ideal for
Couples, walkers, divers and sea loversless suited to travelling by car
Beaches
No beach in the village: Paraggi baypartly free) and San Fruttuoso
Best time to go
May, June and SeptemberFesta di San Giorgio in April; July and August are crowded
By train
Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino station, then AMT bus 782about 20 minutes) or ferry
By car
A12, Rapallo exit, then SP 227 via Santa Margheritaone small, expensive pay car park
Airport
Genoa Cristoforo Colombo (about 45 km)around an hour by car with traffic
How long to stay
Half a day for the villagea full day with San Fruttuoso or Paraggi
Portofino is the most photographed fishing village on the Italian Riviera: a horseshoe harbour, tall painted houses packed around the Piazzetta, Castello Brown above the bay and the green headland all around. It sits at the tip of the Portofino promontory in the Gulf of Tigullio, a few kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure and about an hour east of Genoa.
It is tiny: 2.53 square kilometres, the smallest municipality in the Genoa metropolitan area, with around 360 residents. The Romans called it Portus Delphini, and from 1229 it belonged to the Republic of Genoa. Today it is an international name, with superyachts in the harbour and designer shops under the arcades, but you can still see the village on foot in a few hours.
What makes Portofino worth the trip is its setting: a regional park with trails down to the abbey of San Fruttuoso, one of the richest marine reserves in the Mediterranean, and a coastline best seen from the water. The real challenge in summer is getting there. Leave the car behind and use the train, the bus or the ferry.
By Italian Riviera editorial team·Updated on ·11 min read
Where is Portofino?
Portofino is in Liguria (Riviera di Levante, Golfo del Tigullio, province of Genoa).
You can cover the village in two to three hours: the Piazzetta, the churches, the castle and the lighthouse are linked by one walk that climbs along the headland. Add San Fruttuoso or a swim and it becomes a full day. In high season, arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon, after the tour groups and cruise excursions have left.
The Piazzetta and the harbour
The Piazzetta, officially Piazza Martiri dell’Olivetta, opens straight onto the harbour: cobbles, café terraces, fishing boats moored next to yachts. Above it, the ochre, pink and yellow façades with painted window frames make the picture everyone knows.
You reach it down Via Roma, the main street, lined with fashion boutiques and jewellers, passing the oratory of Nostra Signora Assunta. A coffee on the Piazzetta costs more than anywhere else on the coast: you are paying for the view. For a different angle on the harbour, walk along the quay to the Molo Umberto I.
Church of San Martino
Behind the Piazzetta, in the oldest part of the village, stands the parish church of San Martino, of Romanesque origin. It is a short stop and a quiet one, away from the harbour crowds.
Church of San Giorgio
From the Piazzetta, take the steps of Salita San Giorgio: five minutes later you reach the church of the village’s patron saint, on a terrace overlooking the harbour on one side and the open sea on the other. The first church dates from 1154; it was rebuilt in Baroque style in the 17th and 18th centuries, destroyed by bombing in the Second World War and rebuilt as it was.
Inside are relics of Saint George; tradition says local sailors brought them back from the Holy Land during the Crusades. The view of the harbour from here is one of the best in Portofino.
Castello Brown
Just above San Giorgio is the castle that guards the bay. As the Castello di San Giorgio it was one of the main coastal fortresses of the Republic of Genoa, holding off attacks in the 14th century, a Venetian fleet in the 15th and another assault in 1575. After the Napoleonic period it was abandoned, and in the late 19th century it was bought by Montague Yeats-Brown, the British consul in Genoa, who turned it into a home.
The village council has owned it since 1961. Today it hosts exhibitions and weddings; the highlight is the terrace on the old gun battery, with two maritime pines planted by Yeats-Brown and a view straight down to the Piazzetta. English readers may know it as the setting of “The Enchanted April”, the 1922 novel by Elizabeth von Arnim, filmed here in 1991. Opening times and tickets change with the season: check the council’s page before you climb up.
Punta del Capo lighthouse
From the castle a level path continues along the headland, between villas, pines and stone walls, to the lighthouse built in 1917 on the tip of the promontory. It is a short, easy walk for all ages. From the point you can see the whole Gulf of Tigullio, from Santa Margherita to Sestri Levante. Go in the late afternoon for the best light.
Portofino Regional Park
The village is the gateway to the Parco naturale regionale di Portofino, which covers the headland between Camogli, Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure: holm oak and chestnut woods, Mediterranean scrub, sea cliffs and a dense network of marked trails, many starting in the village.
The classic destinations are San Fruttuoso, Pietre Strette and the hamlet of San Rocco above Camogli. Before setting off, check the notices on the park authority’s website: some sections are closed because of landslides or local ordinances.
Abbey of San Fruttuoso
Hidden in a cove reachable only on foot or by boat, on the Camogli side of the headland, is the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, with its Doria tower and a small pebble beach. From Portofino it is about two hours on foot: everything you need is in our guide to the Portofino–San Fruttuoso hike. By boat it takes a few minutes.
Christ of the Abyss
On the seabed of San Fruttuoso bay stands the Christ of the Abyss, a bronze statue by Guido Galletti placed in 1954 in memory of the diver Dario Gonzatti and dedicated to everyone who has lost their life at sea. You can see it on a guided dive with one of the local dive centres.
Marine Protected Area
The sea around the headland has been a Marine Protected Area since 1999: seagrass meadows, walls covered in gorgonians and coral, and some of the best-known dive sites in the Mediterranean. Fishing, anchoring and boating are regulated by zone, so if you rent a boat, check the rules with the Portofino Marine Protected Area.
Sea
Beaches near Portofino
Portofino has no real beach in the village. For a swim, the two options are Paraggi and San Fruttuoso.
Paraggi
Beach clubs
the bay on the road to Santa Margherita (and part of that municipality), with clear green water. Most of it is taken by beach clubs with high prices, but there is a very small free section: arrive early in August. The Portofino bus stops at the entrance to the bay.
San Fruttuoso
PebblesAccess on foot
a pebble beach in front of the abbey, reachable only on foot or by boat. Lovely in the morning, crowded at midday.
Off the rocks
there are swimming spots along the headland, but access is often steep or private. Respect the marine reserve’s rules.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Portofino
Hotels in the village are few and almost all at the luxury end, along with a handful of apartments and rooms. Staying here makes sense if you want Portofino in the evening and early morning, when the Piazzetta is quiet and the boats have not yet arrived. Book well ahead for summer.
For everyone else, the best base is Santa Margherita Ligure: a wide choice for every budget, a railway station, and buses and ferries to Portofino every day. Good alternatives are Rapallo, larger and cheaper, with good train links to Genoa and the Cinque Terre, and Camogli, handy for the park trails.
Portofino sits at the end of a single road, the SP 227 from Santa Margherita, narrow and scenic. In summer and on spring weekends it is often congested and the car park fills early. The easiest way in is the train to Santa Margherita, then the bus or the ferry.
By car
Take the A12 Genoa–Livorno motorway and exit at Rapallo; follow signs for Santa Margherita Ligure and then the SP 227 along the coast through Paraggi. The village centre is pedestrian and open only to authorised vehicles. At peak times traffic towards Portofino may be held back when the car park is full: in that case leave the car in Santa Margherita and continue by bus.
By train
The station is Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino, on the coastal line between Genoa and La Spezia, served by regional trains and several Intercity services. From Genova Brignole or Piazza Principe it takes under an hour; from the Cinque Terre the same line runs west along the coast. Buses to Portofino leave from outside the station.
By bus
AMT bus 782 runs from Santa Margherita station to the Piazzetta in Portofino, stopping at Paraggi; the ride takes about 20 minutes. Buses run frequently from morning to evening, but in summer they fill up and at peak times you may have to wait for the next one. Buy your ticket before boarding and check times and fares on AMT Genova.
By ferry
Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio ferries link Rapallo, Santa Margherita, Portofino and San Fruttuoso all year round, with seasonal timetables; in high season they also sail from Chiavari, Lavagna and Sestri Levante. From the Genoa side, Golfo Paradiso runs boats to San Fruttuoso and Portofino from Genoa, Recco and Camogli, mainly from spring to autumn. All sailings depend on sea conditions: timetables on Traghetti Portofino and Golfo Paradiso.
On foot
From Santa Margherita to Portofino is about 5 km along the coast via Paraggi, partly on pavement and partly on a footpath, with views of the seafront villas. Allow a little over an hour, and take the bus or ferry back.
By plane
The nearest airport is Genoa Cristoforo Colombo, about 45 km away: around an hour by car with traffic, or take transport to Genoa station and the train to Santa Margherita. Pisa and Milan airports are further away.
Parking
The village has one covered pay car park in Piazza della Libertà, open 24 hours, a few hundred metres from the Piazzetta. Spaces are few and the hourly rate is expensive; in summer it is often full by mid-morning. Out of season and on weekdays it is easier. For a day trip, park in Santa Margherita and continue by bus or ferry.
A12, Rapallo exit, then SP 227 via Santa Margherita; one small, expensive pay car park
By train
Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino station, then AMT bus 782 (about 20 minutes) or ferry
By sea
Boats from Genoa, the Golfo Paradiso and the Tigullio
By plane
Genoa Cristoforo Colombo (about 45 km); around an hour by car with traffic
The guide
Things to do in Portofino
Arrive by sea: seeing the bay open up from the ferry is the best first view of Portofino.
Hike in the park: the trail to San Fruttuoso, the lighthouse walk and the routes towards Pietre Strette and San Rocco.
Dive or snorkel: with the authorised dive centres of the Marine Protected Area, including the Christ of the Abyss.
Boat trip round the headland: on the scheduled ferries or with a boat rented in Santa Margherita or Camogli.
Festa di San Giorgio: on 23 April a huge bonfire is lit in the Piazzetta, followed in the next days by a procession with the relics. In 2026 the festival ran from 23 to 27 April.
What to eat in Portofino
The food is that of the Genoese Riviera di Levante: fish, pesto and herbs. On the Piazzetta and the harbour, prices are resort prices; in the lanes behind Via Roma and in Santa Margherita you will spend less.
Pasta alla portofino: pesto and tomato sauce together, often with trofie or spaghetti.
Lasagne al pesto: thin pasta sheets layered with pesto, a classic of the gulf.
Pansoti with walnut sauce: herb-filled ravioli, typical of this stretch of coast.
Focaccia: the classic Genoese one and the cheese focaccia, whose home is nearby Recco.
Local fish: anchovies, octopus, fritto misto and the catch of the day.
Day trips from Portofino
Santa Margherita Ligure (about 5 km): the nearest town, with its seafront, Villa Durazzo and the railway station. Reach it by bus, ferry or on foot.
Camogli: the fishing town on the other side of the headland, with tall houses on the water. Linked by boat and by trails across the park.
Rapallo: a castle on the sea, a long promenade and the cable car to the Montallegro sanctuary. Linked by ferry.
Sestri Levante: the Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fables, on the same railway line as Santa Margherita.
Chiavari: arcaded old town and markets, a short train ride east.
Genoa: the old town, the Aquarium and the Porto Antico, under an hour by train.
Cinque Terre: from May to September, ferries from the Tigullio also reach Monterosso and Portovenere, an easy way to combine Portofino and the Cinque Terre in one trip.
Weather
Weather and best time to visit Portofino
May, June and September; Festa di San Giorgio in April; July and August are crowded
☁️
20°CNow · wind 9 km/h
Sat 10🌙20° 18°
Sun 11🌦️22° 15°1 mm
Mon 12🌦️22° 15°1 mm
Tue 13☀️21° 14°
Wed 14⛅21° 15°
Thu 15🌤️23° 16°
Forecast: MET Norway (Yr), CC BY 4.0 licence. Updated hourly.
Portofino and its harbour from abovePortofino harbour with its colourful housesParaggi beach near PortofinoPortofino harbour lit up in the eveningBoats and colourful houses in PortofinoThe Portofino Park headland seen from aboveChurch of San Giorgio above Portofino
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Portofino
How do I get to Portofino without a car?
Take the train to Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino, then AMT bus 782 (about 20 minutes) or the ferry. In the warmer months there are also direct boats from Rapallo, Camogli and Genoa.
Can you park in Portofino?
Yes, in the covered pay car park at the entrance to the village, but spaces are few and expensive. In summer and at weekends, leave the car in Santa Margherita.
How long do you need in Portofino?
Two to three hours for the Piazzetta, San Giorgio, Castello Brown and the lighthouse. A full day if you add San Fruttuoso or a swim at Paraggi.
How long is the walk from Portofino to San Fruttuoso?
About two hours on the trail marked with two red dots, with ups and downs through the woods. You can come back by boat.
Is there a beach in Portofino?
Not in the village. The nearest is Paraggi bay on the road to Santa Margherita, partly free and partly beach clubs; the other is San Fruttuoso.
What are Portofino's summer rules?
In recent summers the council has issued ordinances banning groups from stopping in some areas of the quay and banning swimwear, bare chests and bare feet in the centre. Check the rules in force before you go.
Can you visit Castello Brown?
Yes, it belongs to the council and is open to the public with a ticket. Hours and prices change with the season and it can close for private events, so check first.
Where is the Christ of the Abyss?
On the seabed of San Fruttuoso bay, inside the Marine Protected Area. You can see it on a guided dive with a local dive centre.
Can I combine Portofino with the Cinque Terre?
Yes. The train from Santa Margherita runs along the coast to the Cinque Terre, and from May to September ferries from the Tigullio sail to Monterosso and Portovenere.
When is the best time to visit Portofino?
May, June and September for the sea and the trails with fewer crowds. The Festa di San Giorgio is in April; July and August are the busiest months.
