A small village located in the Italian Riviera close to Genova, Portofino has become worldwide famous and a destination for travellers looking for a luxury holiday.
It has renowned bars and restaurants, glamorous clubs and numerous chic shops. Despite all of the boom in deluxe tourism, Portofino is a gem enclosed by a beautiful natural landscape and offering many cultural and artistic activities.
How to get there?
To get to Portofino, which is about 45 km from Genoa, you can choose to use a train, car, bus or ferry. Portofino is easily reachable and well connected to the major locations in Italy.
The closest airport is Genoa Cristoforo Colombo, from there, you can take a bus to the station Santa Margherita Ligure and catch the train to Portofino. If you’re travelling from Rome or from Florence, the trip usually takes around 5 hours.
From Santa Maria Ligure stations, there is also a regular bus service running every 20 minutes which takes you to Portofino in approximately 15 minutes.
Alternatively, by car, you should exit at Rapallo and head to Santa Margherita. Portofino is a car-free zone, so you’ll have to park your vehicle in a parking space.
What to do in Portofino?
1. Stroll down its colourful streets and have a coffee in the Piazzetta
The Piazzetta, Italian for “little square” is the heart of Portofino. From there, you can admire the sea, and enjoy a coffee in one of the many bars, maybe accompanied by a slice of the local focaccia, one of the most popular food in the Liguria region. The buildings are all colourful, which is a beautiful sight to admire when walking around the village.
2. Visit Brown Castle
Apart from being an ancient fortress with a lot of historical meaning to it, the castle offers a great view of the gulf, a wonderful Mediterranean garden and many panoramic terraces from which you can take wonderful photos.
3. Enjoy a beautiful sunset by the lighthouse
In Portofino, you can climb up a hill leading to the ancient lighthouse, which is still active today. You can enjoy a wonderful view of the amazing natural landscape of Portofino and if you get there on a clear day, spend a nice, romantic time watching the sunset.
4. Relax at Paraggi Beach
Famous for its green waters, Paraggi is a popular beach in Portofino, where snorkelers and scuba divers can also have fun exploring the red coral close to the shore.
5. Eat local!
In terms of food, in Italy is hard to be mistaken. However, when it comes to popular touristic destinations, such as Portofino, it might be easy to fall in some of the classic touristic traps. There are many popular restaurants offering quality seafood and pasta dishes to make your mouth water. One of the best places to visit for a good meal is definitely Taverna del Marinaio, enjoyed by both tourists and locals.
That was a short guide on visiting Portofino, an Italian dream-like destination uncomparable to any other Italian cities!
