Portofino and Tigullio

”Portofino is a fishing village on the Ligurian Riviera southeast of Genoa. Pastel-colored houses, exclusive boutiques and restaurants with seafood specialties.

Portofino

Portofino mostra scenari e paesaggi tra i più celebri al mondo. Ha caratteristiche tali da offrire, in un territorio limitato, ambienti estremamente vari e visite di tutti i tipi.

For culture lovers, a walk in the famous Ligurian village, the ancient Portus Delphini, so named by Pliny the Elder in Roman times, is a must. Once a fishermen’s village, still today Portofino brings with it the charm of the ancient Ligurian village: the row of houses overlooking the harbor decorated with pastel colors, the Church of San Giorgio, in a dominant position on the village and characterized by a splendid panoramic view both on the village and on theMarine Protected Area, the Divo Martino Church, the Castello Brown, the Chapel of San Sebastiano, theOratory of the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Assumption, and the Lighthouse.

But Portofino is not only this: behind the village develops the Protected Park with over 80 km of trails. In a few steps you can go from the fresh Apennine woods of the northern side to the sunny Mediterranean world above the cliffs, from the civilization of the chestnut tree to that of the olive tree, from the peasant traditions to the activities related to the sea and traditional fishing. Excursions twelve months a year, between sky and sea, olive and chestnut trees, bays and abbeys, scents and colors of the Mediterranean: this is the offer of the Portofino Promontory for lovers of walking and hiking. A wide variety of enchanting routes to discover a territory that is a real outdoor naturalistic laboratory.

Tigullio

The Gulf of Tigullio, also called Marconi Gulf, develops from Portofino; it embraces beautiful small towns all to be visited.
“Santa Margherita Ligure: renowned tourist destination in the Levante Ligure region. Here you can still breathe the atmosphere of 1500, when the castle was built to defend the Moorish raids. The Genoese nobility discovered it and built there splendid and elegant summer residences; among these Villa Durazzo Centurione.
Among the most representative monuments of the city: the Basilica of Santa Margherita di Antiochia, the church of San Giacomo di Corte, the Complesso Abbaziale della Cervara, theCastello and Villa Durazzo-Centurione.”

Rapallo: centrally located in theGulf of Tigullio, Rapallo extends around the beautiful promenade, the scenic Lungomare Vittorio Veneto with its long row of palm trees and the terraces of the local, and the medieval old town, crossed by the caruggio “main” Via Mazzini.
Its most representative monuments are worth a visit: the Ancient Castle on the sea, the Civic Tower, the Basilica, the Clarisse Monastery and, in the surroundings, the ruins of Valle Christi Abbey, the International Library and the Lace Museum. Not to be missed: the Sanctuary of N.S. di Montallegro, in a dominant position behind the city, destination of pilgrimages from all over Italy. The Sanctuary can be reached by cable car, the only one in Liguria, or on foot along the ancient mule track, a historical path of great value.