Trekking at Portofino

The Promontory of Portofino is a green peninsula in the Ligurian Sea between the cities of Camogli (to the west) and Santa Margherita Ligure (to the east). These are some of the most famous places in the Italian Riviera, but the paths here allow a full immersion in the nature. So, trekking in Portofino is one of the best ways to enjoy this beautiful natural park (the other way is to go kayaking!)

One of the typical starting points of the paths is the catchy seaside town of Santa Margherita Ligure, well connected by trains and boats. The hiking route from Santa Margherita to Portofino is very popular: you start walking on the sea, next to the road, with beautiful views of the Gulf of Tigullio, and then you continue in the woods. Alternatively, you can follow one of the paths that run higher up, for example towards the church of Madonna della Neve: it gets a little bit more tiring, but you are rewarded by peace and beautiful views, immersed in the vegetation, meeting only a few luxurious villas and their exaggerated gardens.

Anyway, the walking time between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino is about one hour.
Once arrived in Portofino, you can spend 10 euros for a cup of ice cream at the table, or get it from a take away at a cheaper price and continue towards San Fruttuoso, along a steeply stepped staircase

Also here, of course, there are alternative itineraries that cross the promontory. The path from Portofino to San Fruttuoso is certainly more impervious than the one from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino. The landscape is green, lush, with sensational sea views, as common in Liguria (aka the Italian Riviera).

For this awesome part of the trekking, you will spend about two hours.

In high season, especially in the summer weekends, San Fruttuoso is invaded by tourists: it is still beautiful, but the beach loses a bit of charm. Off season, however, there is only to be amazed.

The only fault of arriving here on a beautiful autumn day is that the sun sets early and the last boat that can take you back to Santa Margherita or to Camogli is in the mid of afternoon (it depends on the day and the season, but sometimes the last boat is at 4PM: if you are late, you just have to walk!).

However, if you leave early and you are a good hiker, the idea is to continue trekking from San Fruttuoso to Punta Chiappa and Camogli.

The landscapes are always spectacular; several paths lead from San Fruttuoso to Camogli. Cutting into the promontory saves several ups and downs. If you choose instead the coastal itinerary and descend to Punta Chiappa, the trekking becomes longer and more tiring, with some passages that are not difficult but quite exposed: the views, however, here are even more memorable.
For those who want enjoy all the different trekking itineraries and maybe have a swim here and there, it is a good idea to spend at least 2-3 days near Portofino: click here to find the best offers for accomodation.
When you arrive at Camogli you can eat some focaccia with cheese in one of the most fascinating seaside towns of Liguria.

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