The Modern Nomads

Originally a fishing village, the colorful seaside town of Portofino is now the jewel of the Italian Riviera and home to the Portofino Harbor and a beautiful little Piazzetta (square). Surrounded by lush greenery, this little half-moon shaped harbor is filled with yachts, fishing boats and plenty of high end boutiques, restaurants, and cafes, and of course its colorful painted buildings that are iconic for the Liguria region of Italy.

Liguria is a crescent-shaped region in northwest Italy. Its Mediterranean coastline is known as the Italian Riviera. Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure, are on the eastern coast or Riviera di Levante as well as the 5 colorful fishing villages of the Cinque Terre (which will actually be our next stop after Portofino!)

It wasn’t until the 1950’s that Portofino became a popular tourist destination. What started as an exclusive resort area for Europe’s Elite eventually became a celebrity summer getaway destination in the 50’s and now those summer residences have been transformed into luxury boutique hotels.

Here are a few takeaways or tips for visiting Portofino that may be helpful if you are planning a trip:

Parking – There is none or very little parking in Portofino itself and if you are lucky to find it, be prepared to pay a premium rate. Even the parking at our hotel was 50 Euro per night. The road, once you pass through Santa Margherita, is really small and narrow so unless you are staying in Portofino and have a reserved spot, you should take the ferry or a taxi from Santa Margherita, especially if you are just doing a day trip to Portofino.

It can be crowded – if you happen to visit on a day there isn’t a cruise ship parked in Santa Margherita then you are lucky. While they no longer allow the cruise ships to pull into the Portofino harbour, there are ships that dock in Santa Margherita and even in nearby Genoa. Those visitors hop on a ferry to come to Portofino to spend a few hours and start arriving even before 10am. And Portofino is REALLY REALLY small so be prepared that when those ferry’s drop off cruise ship passengers you won’t even be able to get a seat a cafe. And if you are one of those people visiting from a cruise just be prepared for a VERY VERY cramped experience while in Portofino. We saw several guided groups that were very frustrated with their entire experience because they were only allowed about an hour and a half before returning to the ferry and that wasn’t enough time to really enjoy the charm of Portofino.

Accommodations – Staying in Portofino can be, and is, expensive (rooms during the high season will run you starting at 700 EUROS per night) but if this is a “once and done” destination for you it may be worth the splurge. We stayed in Portofino and honestly it was well worth it but there are other ways to enjoy this area without breaking the bank.

Want to experience Portofino without spending a fortune? Another option for visiting the beautiful city of Portofino is to stay in Santa Margherita. It is located about five kilometers from Portofino. Prices will be lower and you still have access to visit Portofino by taxi, ferry or even by foot. And even for those staying in Portofino, Santa Margherita is definitely one of the places you should visit during your time here. This beautiful little town has a lot of history and things to see. We actually took the ferry from Portofino to Santa Margherita.

Walking to Portofino – There are a lot of people that, instead of taking the ferry or taxi from Santa Margherita, decide to talk the scenic walk to Portofino. The 5 km walk will take you at least an hour and is beautiful, but you want to know what you are getting yourself into. There is a footpath (or walkway) on the water side of the very narrow winding road beginning in Santa Margherita. When that footpath ends we saw so many families or people walking on the roadway the remainder of the way, which can be a little tricky as there are super narrow passages and you will be competing with traffic going both directions. You should look for the pedestrian promenade that is accessible by stone stairway to your right which will allow you to continue the walk along a lush shaded sidewalk that will take you the reminder of the way to Portofino.

The beaches – There are a few small bays between Santa Margherita and Portofino that you can stop at and rent a chair or throw a towel down on the rocks to enjoy the sea breeze or take a dip, with one of the more popular ones being Paraggi Bay. Keep in mind that most of these bays have private sections that are lined with lounge chairs and umbrellas for rent and then a public area that in most cases is covered in rocks and pebbles. The closer you get to Portofino the fewer beach areas you will find. And again, most of the beach area is rocky and not sandy so just be prepared for that as well.

The most iconic instagram swimming spot in Portofino is Baia Cannone, a small swimming cove with a pebble beach, surrounded by steep cliffs. And while this swimming cove is public, Hotel Piccolo guests have access to private terraces that over look this beautiful part of Portofino as well as easy access to go take a swim.

Regardless of where you find yourself, the water is crystal clear and a beautiful tourquise blue. My other tip would be to take appropriate shoes that you can walk on the beach with. The gravel/pebbles can be uncomfortable on bare feet so be sure and throw some flip flops in your bag.

Where we stayed

Hotel Piccolo Portofino is located on one of the most beautiful hillsides of Portofino overlooking the Gulf of TIgullio. With private access to Baia Cannone’s picturesque swimming cove, there are private terraces along the cliff to lounge all day long and we even had views of Brown Castle across the harbour making it the perfect location to enjoy our time in Portofino.

We actually had some of our best meals at Hotel Piccolo and the view from our room was breathtaking!

The magical charm of Portofino is undeniable and will always hold a special place in our heart. And honestly our experience at Hotel Piccolo was a big part of that. It should definitely be on anyone’s Italian destination list!