Portofino

Portofino is a single small piazzetta at the head of a deep narrow inlet, with pastel houses on three sides and a few hundred residents; the scale has not changed, which is much of the point. It was a quiet fishing village until British and then international visitors arrived from the late nineteenth century, and by the 1950s it had become a resort for yachts and film people. Castello Brown above the harbour, named after an English consul who bought it in 1867, gives the view down onto the boats. A path continues to the lighthouse at the point, and another crosses the headland to San Fruttuoso.

History

Pliny the Elder mentioned Portus Delphini, the Port of the Dolphin, on this coast, and a diploma of 986 by Adelaide of Italy assigned the village to the nearby Abbey of San Fruttuoso. In 1171 it came under the commune of Rapallo, after 1229 it was part of the Republic of Genoa, and since the late 19th century it has drawn the European aristocracy (Wikipedia, Portofino).

Highlights

• The piazzetta - one small square at the head of a narrow inlet.
• Castello Brown - a fort above the harbour with the classic view.
• The lighthouse walk - a paved path to the point of the headland.
• The yacht harbour - large boats in a very small anchorage.

When to go

May to September; the village is extremely crowded in July and August and cars are restricted with expensive parking. Boats from nearby towns are the easiest access.

Practical notes

It is very small and very expensive, with a coffee costing several times the regional norm. Driving in is restricted and parking limited. Day-tripper crowds dominate.

Nearby

San Fruttuoso is over the headland; Camogli lies west.

Key facts