Portofino is a picturesque fishing village located in the western part of the Gulf of Tigullio, but it is certainly famous for its wonderful clubs and nightlife suitable for all ages.
It also has numerous sites of historical/archaeological interest.
Among the monuments of historical interest in Portofino, there are the Oratory of Santa Maria Assunta – a beautyfull example of Gothic architecture -, the Church of San Martino and the Church of San Giorgio, which can be reached by a pleasant walk leading to its promontory. The promontory offers other splendid buildings: the Brown Castle, dating back to the 16th century and which once served as a military fortress; and the lighthouse of Punta di Capo, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view.
Crossing the paths of Monte di Portofino, or taking the boat, you can then reach the Abbey of San Fruttuoso (a place of peace and silence, a thousand years old and in splendid contrast to the beach) while if you want to spend (at least) half a day at sea, the most beautiful stretch of sand is two kilometers from the center, proceeding towards Recco. Here, in Paraggi, we find a bay which is the only one in the area to host a real beach, for this reason called “Spiaggia di Portofino”, very loved by VIPs.
But Portofino is also famous for a sculpture known all over the world: we are talking about the Christ of the Abyss, a bronze statue placed in 1954 on the bottom of the bay of San Fruttuoso, between Camogli and Portofino inside the Portofino Natural Marine Protected Area. It is located at a depth of 17 meters and was made by the sculptor Guido Galletti. Every year dives are organized to visit it and this attraction attracts divers from all over the world.
Among the products of the town, instead, we find the Salsetta Portofino: a sauce whose recipe has been handed down from generation to generation, composed of the typical Ligurian tomato and vegetable sauce, and pesto. Two other typical products of Portofino are the camogline cherries, small, round and very tasty, while the limonina apple is a particular apple that grows in this area and is characterized by its greenish color and slightly sour taste, reminiscent of a lemon.
