Located in the Italian region Liguria, southeast of the city of Genoa, there is a line of touristic port towns like Santa Margherita, Portofino, and Camogli known for their beautiful and colourful scenery, luxurious hotels, and charming appeal.
On my recent trip to Italy in the fall, I wanted to add some places on our itinerary that I had never been to before. I’ve gone to Italy three times in my life and there are still so many towns and cities that I want to visit. So on this trip, it was important to me to not only go to the typical tourist spots (like Rome and Tuscany) but also to add something a bit more unique to the average Italy itinerary.
Here is my guide to having the best time on your trip to the Italian Riviera to help with your trip planning.
How to get around
There are plenty of beautiful spots to station yourself along the Italian Riviera. The reason I chose Santa Margherita as my base was because not only was it ranked the highest next to Portofino, but I could find more affordable accommodations in Santa Margherita. PLUS there is a train station conveniently located in the town. Since I was traveling primarily by train in Italy, it was important to me that I didn’t have to take 10 modes of transportation to get to a destination but instead, just stay near the main train stations.
So that leads me to the key way to getting to Santa Margherita – the train! Depending on where you’re based, it’s likely you will need to transfer trains on your journey. For example, I was in Florence, and we went from Florence to La Spezia, and La Spezia to Santa Margherita (note you can also stop in Rapallo if you decide to use that as your home base). I always like to put my journey into Rome2Rio to see what the possible routes are. You can also take trains or ferries from most towns in Liguria.
If you’re up for some good (and scenic) walks once you get there, you can walk from Santa Margherita to Rapallo, or from Santa Margherita to Portofino along their “Red Carpet” which goes along the coast. There are also more adventurous hikes you can take through Portofino’s Regional Park.
Where to go
Once you are at your home base for your time on the Italian Riviera, I recommend also exploring the neighbouring towns because it’s really easy to get around and nothing is too far. You could easily village hop to multiple towns in one day via train, ferry, car, or a combination of all three. Further down in this post I have some itinerary options, but first, let’s talk about each little town.
Santa Margherita
We already discussed Santa Margherita a bit at the beginning of this post but this colourful fishing town is full of charm. The streets are lined with great restaurants, bakeries, and cute shops.
Portofino
Portofino is loaded with high-end boutiques, bougie hotels, and luxurious restaurants, and is lined with super-yachts. It’s no surprise that this little town is known to be a vacation spot for notable and prestigious families.
Camogli
Located on the west side of the peninsula, Camogli has a small population of just 5.3K people and is an adorable fishing village with a low-key vibe as it’s less busy than its friends Portofino and Santa Margherita. Nevertheless, it’s still an adorable spot to stop in for a day trip or to base yourself if you want a more laid-back stay.
San Fruttuoso
Named as the home to one of the seven most beautiful beaches in Italy, San Fruttuoso is an authentic paradise and can easily be reached by boat (or foot for the more adventurous). It can be a great spot to sit back and relax on a hot summer day.
Rapallo
Rapallo is known for its hilltop Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro, a pilgrimage site with incredible sea views. It can be another fantastic spot to base yourself during your time on the Italian Riviera due to its easy-to-access location.
Day trip options & itineraries
When I was visiting this area of Italy, I created a few different day trip itineraries that allowed us to village hop and cover a lot of ground in my short time here (2 days). We only village hopped on one of those days and did a big hike on one of the other days. However, you could split these recommended itineraries up if you want more time in each spot, or you can adjust and add additional stops.
Itinerary One: Santa Margherita – Camogli – Portofino – Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita to Camogli
- Take the Trenitalia train that runs frequently to Camogli
- To Do in Camogli: Castello de Dragone, Santa Maria Assunta, hit the beach
Camogli to Portofino
- Ferry to Portofino (ferry schedules here) or taxi to Portofino if the ferry schedules don’t work for you
- To Do in Portofino: Brown Castle, San Martino Church, Hike/walk to the lighthouse, hit La Baia di Paraggi, San Michele di Pagana beaches, or one of the many beach clubs (may require reservations in advance depending on the time of year)
Portofino to Santa Margherita
- Walk via the Red Carpet Trail (1 hour) or ferry (which runs frequently)
- To Do in Santa Margherita: Villa Durazzo, The Castle, Church of San Giacomo di Corte
Itinerary Two: Santa Margherita – Camogli – San Fruttuoso – Portofino – Santa Margherita
Santa Margherita to Camogli
- Take the Trenitalia train that runs frequently to Camogli
- To Do in Camogli: Castello de Dragone, Santa Maria Assunta, hit the beach
Camogli to San Fruttuoso
- Ferry Camogli to San Fruttuoso (runs quite frequently – check the schedule as it changes based on the season)
- To Do in San Fruttuoso: Benedictine monastery, the Christ of the Abyss, of course, the infamous beach that is named one of the best in Italy
San Fruttuoso to Portofino
- Hike to Portofino via the Portofino Regional Park for a good workout and great views. Follow this trail despite the link saying this will take 3.5 hours it’s calculating your out and back journey, so one way is only about 1.5 hours
- To Do in Portofino: Brown Castle, San Martino Church, Hike/walk to the lighthouse, hit La Baia di Paraggi, San Michele di Pagana beaches, or one of the many beach clubs (may require reservations in advance depending on the time of year)
Portofino to Santa Margherita
- Walk via the Red Carpet Trail (1 hour) or ferry (which runs frequently)
- To Do in Santa Margherita: Villa Durazzo, The Castle, Church of San Giacomo di Corte
FAQ
Where should I base myself on the Italian Riviera?
This is entirely dependent on what you’d like to have access to. I found the most central and best spots to stay were in Santa Margherita, Portofino, or Rapallo. All are easily accessible and good base points to go and explore other areas of the Italian Riviera.
Is the Italian Riviera expensive?
Yes, it is definitely more expensive than in other parts of Italy. We found it to be the most cost-efficient to get an Airbnb vs. staying in a hotel as they were cheaper and allowed us to make some meals at home.
When is the best time to visit the Italian Riviera?
May to September are the best months to visit where you’ll have the best weather.
Is it easy to walk from Santa Margherita to Portofino?
Yes! There are a few different hikes you can do through the regional park that are more intense, but you can also just walk the simple Red Carpet Trail along the coastline there and back.
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