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Ah, Portofino — a coastal Italian town that defines luxury. Beyonce, Princess Diana, and Madonna have all vacationed on this gem of the Ligurian coast.
The actual town of Portofino is quite small — shockingly small, when you get there. Once a quiet Ligurian fishing village, Portofino rose in popularity and now attracts tons of tourists with its colorful houses, narrow streets, and picturesque harbor.
Since Portofino is actually quite small, I think it makes more sense as a day trip destination. You can easily visit Portofino in just a few hours, or longer if you want some beach time. Rapallo, Camogli, and Portofino’s next-door neighbor of Santa Margherita Ligure are better Italian Riviera towns to base yourself in.
One important thing to know about Portofino is that it’s quite expensive. My husband and I got two affogatti (espresso poured over gelato) at a cafe, and we were charged a whopping 30 euros — I thought it would be maybe 10 euros, and that would be expensive compared to the rest of Italy!! But exorbitant prices aside, it’s worth visiting this picture-perfect coastal town.
Ready to discover Portofino? Let me show you the best things to do in this iconic Italian Riviera destination.
This post was published in January 2025 and was co-written by Adventurous Kate and Dale Peterson.
Best Things to Do in Portofino, Italy
Go on a walking tour
If you’re visiting Portofino on a day trip from Santa Margherita Ligure, this tour is the perfect way to get acquainted with the town. You’ll begin in Santa Margherita and take the ferry down the coast to Portofino.
Then you’ll explore the town on a walking tour, making a stop for a focaccia tasting at a local bakery. For lunch, you’ll have a pesto-making class and enjoy your lunch overlooking the water.
This is followed by free time to explore Portofino before catching your return ferry.
Take in the fancy boutiques
You wouldn’t expect it for such a small town, but Portofino is full of luxury boutiques. It might have the highest ratio of luxury boutiques to square footage of a town in Italy!
You’ll find the stores of iconic Italian designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, and Pucci, as well as small luxury brands Italians love.
(My husband Charlie was amused by this. “Why would anyone buy a bag that says Celine on it?…This town needs an Apple Store. And a high-end bike shop.”)
Even if you don’t have the budget to splurge at one of these stores, it’s always fun to stroll down the main street of Portofino and window shop.
Visit the churches
Take some time to explore Portofino’s churches, notably the Chiesa di San Giorgio and Chiesa del Divino Martino. While neither of these churches is among the most impressive you’ll see in Italy, they are both worth a visit.
Chiesa di San Giorgio is a historic church offering spectacular views over Portofino and the harbor, which is always filled with yachts and other boats.
Chiesa del Divino Martino is a pretty church with a unique striped facade that is right in the center of town.
Visit Castello Brown
Castello Brown is a historic castle perched high above the harbor of Portofino. This strategic location was used for military defense since Roman times. However, the castle fell into disrepair after being abandoned in the 19th century, until it was restored by an English couple who purchased it in the 1950s.
Now, you can visit the castle and enjoy the panoramic views it offers over Portofino. To reach the castle, it’s an easy but uphill 10-minute walk from the center of town.
Entrance to the castle and grounds is 5 EUR ($5.50 USD) for most visitors and free for children aged 12 and under.
Walk to the Faro di Portofino
If you’re already at Castello Brown, you can keep walking for another 10 minutes to reach the Faro di Portofino, a working lighthouse on the edge of the peninsula. From the lighthouse, you can take in sweeping views of the sea.
There’s also a cocktail bar called La Portofinese at the lighthouse if you want to grab a drink or some light snacks while enjoying the view.
Visit the Museo del Parco
Museo del Parco is a small open-air sculpture museum in Portofino. There’s not a ton to see here, but if you want to spend some time strolling around admiring the unique installations, this is a good activity to do in Portofino.
The entrance fee to the museum is 5 EUR ($5.50 USD.) In addition to the sculptures, you can take in fabulous views of the harbor from here.
Relax on the beach
Although Portofino is on the coast, it’s not a typical beach destination with wide, sandy beaches. However, there are a few beaches in and around Portofino where you can swim in the clear, refreshing waters of the Ligurian Sea.
Baia di Paraggi is the best beach near Portofino, and it’s located about 20 minutes from the center of town on the road toward Santa Margherita (you can also take a five-minute bus ride on the 782 bus). This pebbled beach has sun loungers for rent and is surrounded by cafes and restaurants.
Baia Cannone is just a five-minute walk from Portofino, and it’s accessible by steep, narrow steps leading down to a small beach. However, it’s a great spot for swimming!
Hike to the San Fruttuoso Abbey
If you’re up for an active adventure, you can’t miss the hike to San Fruttuoso Abbey. This 10th-century abbey in a secluded cove is only accessible by boat or by foot.
The hike from Portofino takes about two hours, but once you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with amazing history and a great beach where you can relax and cool off with a swim.
There are a few restaurants around the abbey, mainly serving seafood. I recommend packing your own snacks for the hike, and maybe bringing your own picnic lunch, too.
Enjoy a boat tour
You can’t visit Portofino without getting out on the water at least once. One of the best ways to do this is with a boat tour.
This small group tour is the perfect way to finish off a day in Portofino as you watch the sunset while enjoying a glass of prosecco and some light snacks.
For a really special experience, you can also charter a boat in Portofino. This boat charter includes snorkeling equipment and drinks onboard, and you have control over where you go and how long you stop.
Go coasteering
If you’re up for an adrenaline-pumping activity, you can try coasteering in Portofino. This combines climbing, jumping, and swimming along the rocky coastline. With help from an experienced guide, you’ll be scaling and jumping off seaside cliffs like it’s nothing.
This coasteering tour includes almost everything you’ll need, including all safety equipment, a helmet, a life jacket, and a full-body wetsuit. The only item you need to bring is water-resistant shoes with a good grip since you’ll be scaling wet, rocky surfaces.
Hike through Portofino Natural Park
If the idea of hiking two hours each way to San Fruttuoso Abbey isn’t enough for you, there are even more options! Portofino Park is a nature park spanning much of the peninsula, and it contains nearly 50 miles of hiking trails.
There are plenty of scenic treks you can do within the park. You can even hike from Portofino to another village like Camogli or Santa Margherita Ligure taking the scenic route through the high-elevation hills of the peninsula.
Go kayaking or paddleboarding
Another fun way to get out on the water in Portofino is by going kayaking or paddleboarding. This paddleboarding tour allows you to see Portofino from a different perspective as you paddle through the Baia di Paraggi. You’ll get a closer view of the town from the water than you would if you were on a boat.
Another option is this kayaking tour which lets you explore the Portofino Marine Protected Area. You’ll also get to access small inlets and caves that aren’t accessible by boat. You can also choose to book a kayaking plus snorkeling tour, or enjoy a sunset kayaking tour.
Take the ferry to Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita is a large town near Portofino that is well worth a visit. It has a lot of the same charm as Portofino, but there’s a lot more to it than a tiny village. While still an upscale place (with BOATS on BOATS on BOATS), Santa Margherita feels more for “regular people” than Portofino.
You can take a 15-minute ferry ride from Portofino to Santa Margherita, take a 15-minute bus ride, or even walk. From Portofino to Santa Margherita, there’s a coastal path that is a nice, easy walk of approximately 3.2 miles.
Visit Camogli
One of my favorite places to visit on the Italian Riviera is Camogli, and it’s so close to Portofino! This is another quaint Italian Riviera town that was once a quiet fishing village and is now a popular resort destination. It’s also quite small, so you can explore it in a few hours.
You can get to Camogli from Portofino two ways. The most scenic option is taking the ferry. But if it’s not running, you can take a 15-minute bus ride to Santa Margherita Ligure, and then hop on the train one stop to Camogli.
Read More: 11 Fun Things to Do in Camogli, Italy
Spend a day in Cinque Terre
The most famous place along the Italian Riviera is Cinque Terre. With a name meaning “Five Lands” in Italian, Cinque Terre is a string of five colorful coastal villages.
If you can get yourself Santa Margherita Ligure by bus or boat, it’s just a 40-minute train ride to Monterosso al Mare, the largest of the five towns. From there, you can then hop between towns on the regional train — it doesn’t take more than five minutes to go between any of the towns.
Monterosso is home to the only decent beach in Cinque Terre, but Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are all impossibly charming and picturesque. I recommend heading to Manarola just before sunset. You can visit all five in a day, but if you want to skip one, skip Corniglia.
Read More: Guide to the 5 Towns of Cinque Terre
How Much Time to Spend in Portofino, Italy
How much time do you need for Portofino? I think Portofino works best as a day trip destination.
If you’re just dropping in for a visit, two hours or so is all you need – but if you want to do more of the things on this list, you can make a full day of your visit.
How to Get to Portofino, Italy
How can you get to Portofino? You have several options for reaching Portofino. There are buses and ferries from the surrounding towns destinations. Santa Margherita Ligure tends to be more of a hub in this region since it has a train station, and from there, it’s a 15-minute bus ride to Portofino. You can also take a scenic 3.2-mile walk along the coast to get to Portofino.
There’s also a ferry from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino, which takes about 15 minutes, and there are ferries from other destinations like Rapallo, Camogli, and Genoa. Keep in mind that ferries sometimes don’t run in case of inclement weather.
The closest airports are in Genoa and Pisa. Genoa is closer, but is a very small airport with a handful of flights around Europe; Pisa is a larger airport and serves many more European destinations, primarily on budget airlines.
From Genoa, there’s a 20-minute fast train to Santa Margherita Ligure, while from Pisa, it’s a 2-hour train ride.
Where To Stay in Portofino, Italy
Wondering where to stay in Portofino? Although it’s a small town, there are a number of accommodation options in Portofino, ranging from opulent luxury hotels to simple albergos, which typically refer to basic local hotels in Italy.
While you can certainly visit Portofino on a day trip, it can also be used as a base to explore the Italian Riviera.
Staying in Portofino also allows you to enjoy the quiet town in the mornings before the day trip crowds arrive, and in the evening once they leave.
These are the best places to stay in Portofino:
Find deals on places to stay in Portofino here.
Best Time To Visit Portofino, Italy
What are the best times to visit Portofino? Summer is THE time of year for the Italian Riviera, but don’t overlook the spring or fall, which can also be a wonderful time to visit!
Many small towns on the Italian Riviera, including Portofino, are more or less shut down in the winter months, so I’d avoid this time of year. (Honestly, I’m editing this post in January, and Google Maps is covered with “Temporarily Closed” businesses all over Portofino.)
If you’re looking to visit in summer weather but slightly off-peak, I am a big fan of early June, which is before the crowds really start to come in, or late September, when the crowds have dropped off.
Portofino can get extremely crowded during the summer, especially when large cruise ships are docked in nearby Genoa. If you visit from mid-June through early September, you might encounter massive crowds and very hot weather in Portofino.
Is Portofino Worth It?
I’ll be honest — I wouldn’t make Portofino the center of my trip to the Italian Riviera. (And yeah, maybe those 30 euro affogatti had something to do with it.)
But I think it’s an excellent day trip destination, especially when you pair it with the surrounding towns of Santa Margherita Ligure and San Fruttuoso, and even expand to Camogli and Rapallo.
I hope you have a wonderful time in Portofino!
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Have you been to Rapallo, Italy? Share your favorite experiences!
