{"id":53964,"date":"2026-09-30T17:28:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T17:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darkseagreen-rook-345411.hostingersite.com\/liguria\/santa-margherita-ligure\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T07:01:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:01:03","slug":"santa-margherita-ligure","status":"publish","type":"localita","link":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/en\/riviera-di-levante\/santa-margherita-ligure\/","title":{"rendered":"Santa Margherita Ligure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Santa Margherita Ligure is the elegant small town of the Gulf of Tigullio: a harbour with fishing boats and sailing yachts, a long palm-lined seafront with period hotels, aristocratic villas on the hill and, just a few kilometres away, the bay of Paraggi and Portofino. It sits on the Riviera di Levante, about 35 km east of Genoa, on the eastern side of the Portofino promontory.<\/p>\n

It is a real town of about 8,200 people, with shops open all year and a life that does not stop when the season ends. It grew from two villages, Pescino and Corte; under Napoleon it was briefly called Porto Napoleone, and its current name became official in 1864. It has been a holiday resort since the 19th century, and it shows: painted fa\u00e7ades, gardens and hotels facing the sea.<\/p>\n

The practical reason to stay here is simple: it is the best base for Portofino, San Fruttuoso and the Tigullio coast without a car. The town has the railway station, the bus to Portofino and boats along the whole coast, with far more accommodation and less extreme prices than its famous neighbour. Two or three days work well: a villa or the beach in the morning, a boat trip in the afternoon, dinner by the harbour.<\/p>\n

What to see in Santa Margherita Ligure<\/h2>\n
\"Harbour<\/figure>\n

You can cover the centre on foot in half a day: Villa Durazzo and San Giacomo share the same small hill, the castle is below them and the basilica is just behind the harbour. The Cervara Abbey needs a booking and San Lorenzo della Costa a short trip. Paraggi and Portofino are a separate outing.<\/p>\n

Villa Durazzo and its park<\/h3>\n
\"Villa<\/figure>\n

The town’s most important villa overlooks the harbour. It was rebuilt in 1678 on the ruins of an old castle, passed to the Durazzo family by marriage and in 1821 to the Centurione princes, which is why you will also see it called Villa Durazzo-Centurione. The town has owned it since 1973. Inside are the princes’ apartments, a museum dedicated to the writer Vittorio Giovanni Rossi and the Bellometti collection, with paintings and frescoes by 17th- and 18th-century Genoese artists such as Domenico Piola. Look for the Camera Umbertina, where Queen Margherita slept in 1904, left exactly as it was.<\/p>\n

The park, about three hectares facing the gulf, is the reason most people climb up: a citrus grove on the sea terrace, a 19th-century Italian garden, palms, magnolias and camellias, and paths in risseu, the traditional Ligurian pebble mosaic. In 2026 the villa opens daily 9.30am\u20131pm and 2pm\u20136pm and the park 9am\u20136pm, with late openings on summer Tuesdays. Tickets and events at villadurazzo.it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

San Giacomo di Corte church<\/h3>\n
\"Baroque<\/figure>\n

Just below the villa entrance stands the church of the Corte quarter, one of the town’s two historic cores. Its marble Baroque fa\u00e7ade, reached by a flight of steps, faces the sea. In the Middle Ages it belonged to the abbey of San Fruttuoso, a link documented as early as the 12th century. The churchyard is one of the best viewpoints over the harbour.<\/p>\n

Basilica of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia<\/h3>\n

On Piazza Caprera, behind the harbour, is the main church, also known as the sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Rosa. It was begun in 1658 on the site of a 13th-century church; the fa\u00e7ade and right-hand bell tower date from the mid-1700s. Inside you find three naves, a dome and rich Baroque decoration in gilt and stucco.<\/p>\n

Above the high altar is a wooden statue of the Madonna and Child holding a rose: according to tradition, sailors brought it here in the Middle Ages. The feast of Our Lady of the Rose falls in May, on the Sunday before Ascension, when residents bring roses to be blessed.<\/p>\n

The 16th-century castle<\/h3>\n
\"16th-century<\/figure>\n

The small castle on the seafront was ordered by the Republic of Genoa in 1550 to defend the coast against Barbary pirates. It lost its military role in the 18th century, twice came close to demolition in the 19th, and after the First World War was restored and dedicated to the fallen. Today it hosts exhibitions and events; opening times vary with the season, so ask in town if you want to go inside. Next to it is the Capuchin church, built in 1608.<\/p>\n

Harbour and seafront<\/h3>\n
\"Santa<\/figure>\n

The harbour is the heart of town life: fishing boats and nets on one side, pleasure boats and the ferries to Portofino on the other. The promenade follows the coast through the whole town, past gardens, palms and Belle \u00c9poque hotels. The best walk is at sunset, from the harbour to the castle and on towards Portofino.<\/p>\n

Early morning, when the boats come in, is the moment to see that Santa Margherita is still a working fishing port. Its signature catch is the local red prawn, fished in these waters: you will find it on the menus of the harbour restaurants, priced as a premium seafood.<\/p>\n

Cervara Abbey<\/h3>\n

On the road to Portofino, above the sea, stands an abbey founded in 1361 by Benedictine monks and dedicated to Saint Jerome. In 1525 King Francis I of France was held prisoner here after his defeat at Pavia, before being taken to Spain; Pope Gregory XI also stopped here in the 14th century. It has been a national monument since 1912 and is privately owned.<\/p>\n

Visits are guided only and must be booked: in 2026 on two Sundays a month from March to October, with tours at 10am, 11am and noon (afternoons on some dates). The tour covers the crypt, chapter house, 16th-century cloister, tower and the formal Italian garden with its sea terraces. Dates and bookings at cervara.it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

San Lorenzo della Costa and the Flemish triptych<\/h3>\n

On the hill towards Camogli, the hamlet of San Lorenzo della Costa has a church of 13th-century origin with an unexpected treasure: a triptych painted in Bruges at the end of the 1400s, commissioned by Andrea Costa, a local man who had emigrated to Flanders. The centre panel shows the martyrdom of Saint Andrew, the side panels the wedding at Cana and the raising of Lazarus. The artist is debated; it was once attributed to Memling. Check that the church is open before you go up.<\/p>\n

Paraggi<\/h3>\n

About 3 km from the centre, halfway to Portofino, Paraggi is a tiny bay with pale sand and green water, a former village of fishermen and millers that belongs to Santa Margherita. The beach is about a hundred metres long and mostly taken up by beach clubs; in summer it is full by mid-morning. The Portofino bus stops at the entrance to the bay.<\/p>\n

The coastal walk to Portofino<\/h3>\n

Santa Margherita to Portofino is about 5 km along the coast and almost flat: first the promenade, then the footpath beside the provincial road past the Cervara and Paraggi, and finally the last stretch through greenery into the village. Allow an hour and a half with stops. The road was destroyed by a storm surge in October 2018 and reopened in April 2019. Stages, alternatives and tips are in our guide Santa Margherita to Portofino on foot, by bus or by boat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beaches in Santa Margherita Ligure<\/h2>\n

The beaches are small, a mix of pebbles, coarse sand and rocks. Almost all of the shore near the centre is run by beach clubs, where you rent a sunbed and umbrella; free public stretches are few and fill up early. The closest are along the promenade towards Portofino, starting with the pebbly Ghiaia beach, handy for a quick swim.<\/p>\n

For the clearest water head towards Paraggi and the coves between Paraggi and Portofino, inside the marine protected area. In July and August arrive early or book a sunbed. If you want wider, free beaches, take the train or boat to Sestri Levante or Camogli.<\/p>\n

Things to do in Santa Margherita Ligure<\/h2>\n
\"Santa<\/figure>\n