Weekend Idea: Portofino
Portofino is one of those places that looks like a postcard before you arrive and still manages to surprise you when you actually get there.
Pastel houses around a tiny harbour, water so clear it genuinely does not look real, and a pace that makes Milan feel very far away. It is more expensive than most weekend trips from the city and worth every cent.
Getting there
Take the train from Milano Centrale to Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino station. The fastest services take around 2 hours and 5 minutes and are operated by Frecciarossa and Frecciabianca. Regional trains take slightly longer. Book in advance for better prices, especially on weekends in summer.
One important thing to know: the train does not go all the way to Portofino village. Santa Margherita Ligure is as close as the railway gets. From the station you have two options to reach Portofino:
The first is bus number 782, which runs along the coastal road and takes around 20 minutes. Buy your return ticket at the tobacconist near the station before boarding, as you cannot buy them on the bus.
The second, and better option if the weather is good, is to walk. The coastal path from Santa Margherita to Portofino is 5.5 kilometres and takes around 1 to 1.5 hours depending on your pace. It winds along the Ligurian coastline past rocky cliffs, lush Mediterranean vegetation, and small coves. You pass Paraggi Beach roughly halfway along, which is worth stopping at for a swim. The path is mostly paved and manageable for most people. Walk one way and take the bus back, or walk both ways if you have the energy.
Santa Margherita Ligure
Before heading to Portofino, spend some time in Santa Margherita itself. It is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbour but has a genuine charm of its own. The harbour, the promenade, the Liberty-style architecture along the waterfront. It is also significantly less crowded and less expensive than Portofino.
If you are arriving on the early train, have breakfast here before starting the walk. Prices are noticeably more reasonable than in Portofino and the morning light on the harbour is worth lingering over.
Portofino
Portofino is tiny. The whole village is essentially one small harbour square, the Piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta, surrounded by coloured houses, a church, and a handful of restaurants and shops. You can walk the entire village in about 20 minutes, which is part of the point. This is not a place you come to cover ground.
Things worth doing in Portofino:
Castello Brown sits above the harbour and is one of the best viewpoints on the Italian Riviera. The panorama over the harbour and the Ligurian Sea from the castle walls is the image most people associate with Portofino. Entry costs around 5 euros and is worth it.
The church of San Giorgio, just below the castle, has a small terrace with views over the water that most visitors walk past without stopping. It is free and usually quiet even when the harbour below is busy.
The walk to the lighthouse at Faro di Portofino takes around 30 to 40 minutes from the village along a well-marked path through pine forest. The views from the tip of the headland are spectacular and it is genuinely one of the less crowded things to do here.
San Fruttuoso is a medieval abbey accessible either by boat from Portofino or via a hiking trail. The bay it sits in is one of the most beautiful on this stretch of coast. If you have a second day, this is worth the effort.
Where to eat
Portofino is not a place for budget eating. Most restaurants around the harbour are priced for the clientele that arrives by yacht. That said, there are options at different price points.
Trattoria Concordia on Via del Fondaco is one of the most respected fish restaurants in the village, focused on fresh local seafood handled simply and well. Book in advance.
Trattoria Tripoli on Piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta is a more informal option and a local institution. Good for a straightforward lunch by the harbour.
For something quick and affordable, the focaccia from the small bakery near the harbour is an institution. Ligurian focaccia is one of the best things you can eat in this part of Italy and it costs almost nothing.
The local speciality to order wherever you eat is trofie al pesto. Ligurian pesto is made with a different basil than what most people are used to, smaller leaves, more delicate, and the result is noticeably better than most pesto you will find elsewhere.
Typical prices: Lunch main course: 20 to 35 euros Glass of wine: 8 to 15 euros Focaccia: 2 to 4 euros
Practical tips
Portofino gets very busy in July and August, particularly on weekends. If you are going in peak summer, arriving early in the morning makes a significant difference. The village before 10am is a different experience from the village at midday.
The coastal path back to Santa Margherita gives you a different perspective in the afternoon light. If you walked there in the morning, consider walking back rather than taking the bus.
There is a municipal ordinance in Portofino limiting certain behaviours in the village including stopping to take photos in some areas of the harbour square. It is not heavily enforced but worth being aware of.
Budget for a day trip
Train return from Milan: 20 to 35 euros depending on the service
Bus return from Santa Margherita: 3 to 4 euros
Castello Brown entry: 5 euros
Lunch: 25 to 45 euros per person
Total for a comfortable day: around 55 to 90 euros per person.
When to go
June is the best month from Milan. The weather is warm and settled, the crowds are manageable, and the Mediterranean vegetation along the coastal walk is at its most lush. July and August are significantly more crowded and accommodation prices in Santa Margherita rise sharply. September is a good alternative, particularly in the second half of the month when summer visitors have largely left.
In Short
Train from Centrale to Santa Margherita, walk the coastal path to Portofino, stop for a swim at Paraggi Beach on the way, walk up to Castello Brown for the view, have lunch by the harbour with trofie al pesto, walk back or take the bus. It is one of the best day trips you can do from Milan.
