Portofino Italy - A Tourist Destination for the Rich and Famous

It is a dreamlike facade and prettiest at sunrise when the sun shines on the brightly coloured walls in hues of peach, terracotta and pales yellows and make even a wintery sun feel bright and cheerful.

Where once tiny, colourful, wooden fishing boats belonging to the locals bobbed up and down in the harbour, now there are luxury super yachts that come from well-heeled areas like Monacco and the like, and the fishing boats are bigger and more seaworthy. However, despite this change, Portofino, Italy is still a charming place to visit, and definitely should be a stop if you are in the area.

Portofino, Italy is actually part of the Levante Riviera of Liguria of which Portofino is just one of the 8 towns that make up this area. The other riviera being the Riviera dei Fiori or Flower Riviera.

Besides being a dreamlike facade, Portofino is a village that posseses a soul and a history. It has a wonderful old fortress and castle of San Giorgio (Saint George, of the dragon-slaying days) which are reminders of its role in the Republic of Genoa.  Leading down from the castle is a flight of stairs that take you to the church. The Romanesque church of San Giorgio has relics of Saint George, or so they say, and it dates back to the 12th century rising above straight cliffs. Make sure that you enjoy the striking views at the top.

If you are wanting an even more spectacular view you can carry on towards the lighthouse which is an hour's walk there and back , and is a pleasant diversion for those who want a bit of nature and sea air.

If you are feeling very energetic there is a 2 1/2 hour walk that you can take that takes you to San Fruttuoso. This is a wonderful walk if you are fit and healthy that will take you along the cliff face overlooking the ocean. San Fruttuoso is only accessible by foot, either from Portofino or Camogoli, or by ferry, and it is here that you can see the bronze statue of Christ that rests on the seabed, 50 feet below the sea where you can take dives to see it. It was placed there in 1954 to honour local divers who have been lost at sea, as well as to bless the waters.

There are, of course, some fishing boats that are still in operation by the locals continuing their maritime activities,  and the women of Portofino, Italy make the most wonderful lace which can be bought here.

There are no accessible beaches in Portofino. However, if you want to find a beach you will have to travel along Lungomare Raffaele Rossertti, which is the road between Portofino and S. Margherita. Here there are many places where you can access the water.

One word of advice. Portofino is a no-car zone. This means that if you have a hire care, parking can become very expensive as you will have to park in designated car parks outside the town, and walk down. There are some hotels who will take care of the parking for you, but it will still cost you. If you have heavy suitcases, or are elderly, you will need to take this into consideration when visiting Portofino, Italy.

In the summer Portofino, Italy becomes a nightmare for drivers as the roads are very narrow, and not built for the volume of traffic that it gets during the height of the tourist season.  My advice would be to park at Santa Margherita Ligure and then take the 10 minute ferry across.

Walk around the town, window shop as what is displayed here is frightfully expensive, have a quick look around, and then go back to Santa Margherita Ligure for a better priced meal, as eating here is expensive.

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