Portofino

Portofino

- History
- What to see
- Where to sleep
- Where to eat and restaurants
- Beaches
- Gastronomy
- Traditional festivals
- How to get there
- Weather forecast

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Portofino is the pearl of the Gulf of Tigullio, a renowned tourist resort with colorful houses overlooking the marina.
The municipal territory is located in the Portofino Regional Natural Park and in the Portofino Marine Protected Natural Area.

History
Conquered by the Romans, it took the name of Portus Delphini, while in the Lombard era it came under the sphere of influence of the powerful abbey of San Colombano di Bobbio. In 986 Portofino was donated to the Colombanian abbey of San Fruttuoso.
In the 12th century it was a possession of the municipality of Rapallo and from 1229 it became part of the Republic of Genoa. However, several noble Ligurian families exercised control of the village in the 14th century: the Fregoso, the Spinola, the Fieschi, until in 1547 it definitively passed under the Genoese control of the Doria.
With the Napoleonic conquest at the end of the eighteenth century, Portofino followed the fate of the French empire in the department of the Gulf of Tigullio. After the Congress of Vienna, the village became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and therefore of the Kingdom of Italy from 1861.

What to see
The village of Portofino is very small and visiting it is very simple. The main attractions are:

The central square in the village and visiting card of Portofino.

Church of San Giorgio on the heights of Portofino, built in the 12th century, remodeled in the 18th century, completely destroyed and rebuilt during the Second World War in its eighteenth-century form.

Castello Brown, previously of San Giorgio, from the 16th century, a Genoese defensive bastion, now municipal property and a cultural venue.

Portofino lighthouse from 1910, located 40 meters above sea level.

Church of Divo Martino, originally from the 12th century, was renovated in the 19th century. It preserves a wooden sculpture of the Deposition of Christ by Anton Maria Maragliano, a canvas of the Madonna del Rosario and an Annunciation from the 18th century, a painting of Saints Rocco, Sebastiano and Pantaleo by unknown Ligurian authors.

Oratory of Our Lady of the Assumption

in the historic center.

Where to sleep
Portofino is a symbol of unbridled luxury. Despite its small size, there are many opportunities to stay in the village, especially hotels and apartments, but also villas and a farmhouse.
Please find here where to stay in Portofino.

Where to eat
The choice of restaurants also greatly expands. To taste these dishes, here are some restaurant recommendations:
Winerose Enoteca: practically inside the sea, ideal for aperitifs and snacks.
Trattoria Concordia: classic family-run restaurant, fish reigns supreme.
Trattoria Tripoli: in the center of Portofino, land and sea dishes.
Al Faro di Portofino Lounge Bar: a different location for an aperitif with a view.
Lo Stella restaurant: directly in the Piazzetta, unforgettable view, fish dishes.

Beaches
The coast of Portofino is almost completely jagged and characterized by cliffs and rocks.
In front of the Piazzetta and the typical Ligurian houses there is the small port, where it is not possible to swim. We must therefore move to some coves that open along the coast:

Baia Cannone: pebble and stone beach located immediately before Portofino towards the east.

Olivetta Beach: on the opposite side, under the Brown castle, very small.

Niasca beach and Paraggi beach: although in the municipality of Santa Margherita Ligure, they are located immediately after Cannone beach. Sandy beaches, the latter especially is more popular because it is easily accessible.

Detailed information on Portofino beaches and how to get there.

Gastronomy
In Portofino we are in the Gulf of Tigullio, home of pesto. So the pasta dishes are very typical of the area, with trenette, trofie, linguine, lasagne...
A particular dish is called "pasta Portofino", which combines pesto with tomato sauce.
Of course the typical focaccias or farinata and seafood products: anchovies, sea bream, mussels, fried and grilled...
As a land dish, Ligurian rabbit, with onions, olives and aromatic herbs.
Among the wines, in Portofino there is the designation of origin Golfo del Tigullio-Portofino or Portofino DOC, which includes a large part of the Genoese province, made from grapes such as Bianchetta Genovese, Ciliegiolo and Vermentino.

Traditionals festivals
The main celebration of the village is the Festa di San Giorgio, patron saint of Portofino. On April 23rd or the following Sunday it is celebrated with the procession of the Saint's ark, a bonfire in the famous square and fireworks.
The wood pile is built around the Penolla, the large main stick. If, as the bonfire burns out, the Penolla falls towards the sea, it is a sign of good omen.

How to get there and parking
The easiest way to reach Portofino is by car, traveling along the A12 Genoa-Livorno motorway with the Rapallo exit. Then follow the signs for Santa Margherita and Portofino and in about 20 minutes you will arrive in the village.
Portofino does not have a train station, the closest is in Santa Margherita Ligure. From here you can take a bus, number 82, or a taxi.
Finally, by boat, you arrive in Portofino with connections from the Golfo Paradiso and Traghetti Portofino companies, with services from nearby coastal cities such as Camogli, Recco, Nervi, Genoa towards the west and Rapallo, Santa Margherita, Sestri Levante , Lavagna, Chiavari, Moneglia, Deiva Marina, the Cinque Terre and Portovenere towards the east.
Discover detailed information on how to get to Portofino.

As regards parking, it must be taken into account that Portofino is a pedestrian area, with transit and parking permitted only to authorized vehicles.
The simplest option, for a fee, is the covered parking in Piazza della Libertà, open 24 hours a day. A free parking area is located along the road between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino near the Covo Nord Est nightclub, about 3 km away. The town can then be reached by a beautiful panoramic walk or by bus (stop in front of the car park).
Detailed information on where to park in Portofino.

Boat trips
The Golfo Paradiso and Traghetti Portofino companies offer a boat service to the towns of La Spezia and Genoa.
The lines that offer this service are the Golf Paradiso Maritime Service and the Tigullio Maritime Service.

It is therefore possible to reach many places in Tigullio, but also in the Cinque Terre from Portofino:

Line 1 Tigullio Maritime Service: Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino, San Fruttuoso.
Line 2 Tigullio Maritime Service: Sestri Levante, Lavagna, Chiavari, Portofino, San Fruttuoso.
Line 2 Bis Tigullio Maritime Service: Deiva Marina, Moneglia, Portofino, San Fruttuoso.
Golfo Paradiso line: Genoa-Portofino.

More information:
www.traghettiportofino.it.
More information: www.golfoparadiso.it

There is also the option of renting a boat, a catamaran or a dinghy in Portofino, to visit the surroundings:

Mussini Giorgio (boat and dinghy rental with and without skipper)
Calata Marconi 38 - 16034 Portofino
Tel: 335 5483787

1Portofino Boat Charter (boat rental, water taxi)
Calata Marconi, 46, 16034 Portofino
Tel: 340 3645484

Charter Portofino (boat and yacht rental)
Calata Marconi, 38, 16034 Portofino
Tel: 335 5483787

Portofino Taxi Boat (inflatable boat rental)
Molo Umberto I, 1, 16034 Portofino
Tel: 338 3168058

Weather forecast
Portofino is in a great location with good weather most of the year. Temperatures never drop too much in the winter period and from February onwards they begin to increase pleasantly until reaching their peak in the summer months, it being understood that autumn is an excellent period from a meteorological point of view.
The weather forecast for today and the next seven days at Portofino, if you want to spend a weekend, go swimming or follow one of the numerous trekking paths.