HISTORY: During the Roman Empire, according to Pliny the Elder, Portofino was called Portus Delphini (Port of the Dolphins), due, perhaps, to the presence of a large population of dolphins in the Gulf of Tigullio.
In 1175, the small fishing village, together with the nearby Santa Margherita Ligure, passed under the administrative control of the municipality of Rapallo. Since 1229, the town became an integral part of the Republic of Genoa, until 1409, when Charles VI, King of France, sold it to Florence. After the King’s expulsion, the Florentines returned Portofino to the Genovese.
In 1815, Portofino was included in the Kingdom of Sardinia, according to the decisions of the Congress of Vienna, and subsequently in the Kingdom of Italy, in 1861.
GEOGRAPHY: Today, Portofino is a town of almost 500 inhabitants included in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, in the Liguria region. The municipality is located in the western part of the Gulf of Tigullio, in a bay at the foot of the homonymous promontory. Its territory is included in the Regional Natural Park of Portofino and the Marine Protected Natural Area of Portofino.
Portofino is located about 14 kilometers southeast of Camogli and 35 kilometers of Genoa, 75 kilometers northwest of the Cinque Terre and 140 kilometers of Pisa and at about the same distance of Piacenza and Parma, about 150 kilometers away.
TRANSPORT: The closest airport is the Cristoforo Colombo International Airport in Genoa, but you can also arrive at Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport, the main airport of Tuscany.
From Genoa, you can take the train to Santa Margherita Ligure, and then the bus to Portofino. A train ticket from Genoa to Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino train station costs 2.8€ and the trip takes about 20 minutes. A bus ticket from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino is 3€ or 5€ for a roundtrip.
LANDMARKS: In Portofino, you can relax in the small picturesque port of the town, you can visit the Church of San Martino, climb to the one dedicated to San Giorgio and further, to the Castello Brown, or you can simply walk around through the beautiful forest which covers the area.
MORE INFO: Genoa Airport | Pisa Airport | Train Schedule | Bus Schedule | Hotels in Portofino
