Portofino, world renowned for its beauty, is thought by many to be the jewel of Liguria. A tiny village in a colourful cove, its waters are a popular resting place for luxurious yachts and flashy cruisers. The village is a colourful cluster of buildings set in front of luxuriously green mountains. These mountains and the waters from Santa Margherita to Camogli, form the Portofino National Park. Within its mountains and valleys are a network of hiking paths reaching to the summits and around the cliffs and valleys. With a wide variety of options to choose from, two wonderful half day hikes are:
1/ Santa Margherita to Camogli; and 2/ Portofino to San Fruttuoso
1/ Santa Margherita to Camogli
Santa Margherita is a much larger tourist town, bustling with motorbikes along the coastal road and full of lively markets, restaurants, food stores and fashion shops. It's colourful, frescoed buildings almost look like stage props and its port is jam-packed with boats of every size. Artisan food stores including pamificios are piled with traditional focaccia freshly baked with locally produced olive oil and sprinkled with salt, rosemary, pesto, tomato and other toppings. Fruity jam- filled tarts, pandolce, and various other pastries make mouths water and beckon you in to try this exquisite cuisine. Meats, cheeses, fish, fruits and vegetables grown or caught locally, are in plentiful supply. Santa Margherita is fresh food paradise. Heading passed these wonderful stores without being too distracted is a challenge but the start of this walk is at the end of the car free, shop lined main centre, left of the municipal building. Heading up via Costasecca, the sign indicating the hike can be seen close to the corner. The first half of the walk is sign posted in a symbol of 2 red diamonds. This is a different system of signage to the typical CAI sentieri of Italy as these paths are managed by the Portofino National Park. The red symbols appear throughout the walk on multiple surfaces such as rocks, tree trunks, gateways, and the sides of houses. Regular green and white signs indicating the various pathway options appear at almost every junction.
As predicted, the path becomes steep almost immediately. You only need to glance at these towns in the Gulf if a Paradise to realise that they are set in front of a steep, mountainous backdrop of luxurious forest. The paved path soon transforms into irregular stairs, heading steeply upwards past colourful luxurious homes with beautiful views. Soon, the path takes you through olive groves and terraced fruit and vegetable plantations. Views over Rapallo and Santa Margheita can be enjoyed as you rise.
It's a very strenuous climb so be prepared. My chest is heaving and the humid air makes my singlet cling and sweat pore down my face. The path is soon a combination of rock, stone and dirt as it heads ever upwards. There are regular signs pointing you toward Pietra Strette, the summit of the mountain overlooking Santa Margherita and Paraggi (the gorgeous beach side village between a Santa Margherita and Portofino). Continuing up you soon enter a forested area of ferns and chestnut trees. As you climb higher, pine forest dominates. The hike upwards lasts about 40-60 minutes but I stop regulaly to capture photos of the breath taking views.
Upon reaching Pietra Strette there is a cleared area with picnic tables and some large rock formations forming a canyon that you pass through. Now the path changes direction and heads toward Toca soon you are traversing the mountainside but still relatively sheltered by forest. As you reach the coastline views across the sea suddenly surprise you. This part of the coast is dominated by rocky sheer cliffs plummiting into the sea to create a more rugged beauty. The ocean is a turquoise blue, very striking against the pale grey cliffs and the dark green of the forest. The occasional boat can be spotted, taking tourists from Portofino to San Fruttuoso. Beautiful wild flowers in yellows, purples, oranges and whites line the edges of the path. Yellow butterflies and bright green lizards flutter and scurry.
Soon the path passes high above San Fruttuoso affording glimpses of the monestry and village through gaps in trees. The path remains a mix of rock and dry soil but is well maintained with excellent signage. An optional diversion recommended (only 5 minutes each way) Semiforo Nuovo to enjoy the beautiful view of the coastline and out to San Rocco.
The descent down to Camogli is surprisingly long. The path exits forested parkland and enters the outskirts of a village known as San Rocco di Camogli. This is a small, sweet, hill top village with a tiny piazza and church. As I walk through the village, local residents greet me with warmth and the tiny piazza is full of people of all ages, relaxing, chatting, enjoying each others' company. As I pass the church the descent into Camogli begins. This consists of over 900 stairs but the decent is not steep and the stairs are irregular, often requiring an extra step in between, making the journey more knee-friendly.
The colourful town of Camogli is displayed below. The village itself is steep. A main pedestrian street leads from the station to the port and to the left are many stairways leading down to the waterfront. The seafront is again a cluster of colourfully painted buildings but not with the same feel of luxury that Portofino and Santa Margherita have. This is a simpler, more humble and much quieter fishing village. The beach areas are small and characterised by large dark grey stones. The port at the town's edge is small but full of fishing boats. Camogli has several options for gelato and food, but most stores will be closed between 1-4pm. To return back to Santa Marghrita, the most efficient and easiest option is the train.
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