San Fruttuoso

The abbey sits at the back of a small stony cove on the Portofino peninsula, with no road access at all: arrival is by boat or by a steep coastal path over the headland. Benedictine monks built here from the tenth century, and the Doria family later added a tower and used the crypt as a family burial place. In 1954 a bronze figure, Christ of the Abyss, was placed on the seabed about fifteen metres down offshore, in memory of a diver; it is visited by divers and visible to snorkellers in clear conditions. The building was given to FAI and restored after flood damage.

What you actually see

• The road-free cove - an abbey reachable only by boat or footpath.
• The Doria tombs - a family burial crypt beneath the abbey.
• Christ of the Abyss - a bronze figure standing on the seabed offshore.
• The stony beach - a small cove in front of the buildings.

When to go

May to September; boats run mainly in the warm months and are cancelled in swell. The footpath from Camogli takes around two hours and is steep in places.

Honest expectations

Boats stop running in rough weather, which can strand or prevent visits. The beach is small, stony and crowded in August. The bronze figure needs diving or good snorkelling to see.

Nearby

Camogli lies west; Portofino is over the headland east.