Last day in Italy: Portofino and Santa Margharita

We anchored between Portofino and Santa Margharita on our last day in Italy.  This is not far north of the Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast.

In the morning we tendered into Portofino with its pastel buildings clustering round the edge of the small harbour.  There is an abundance of restaurants, cafes and bars along with designer shops such as Louis Vuitton and Dior.

We had originally planned to walk to Santa Margharita but we are going there this afternoon for a special event.  We walked to Paraggi Beach instead.  We followed the walking trail and below us you could see the small coves, many of them with swimming places as well as wonderfully positioned hotels and restaurants.  Paraggi Beach is very picturesque but also commercial.  It costs about $A 50 for a sun lounge and a shower.

Further north, the path was built out over the water for more stunning views.  At places, there are steps down to the water for a free swim.

In the afternoon we attended the special event travelling by chartered ferry from Portofino to Santa Margharita.  We walked up to Villa Durazzo for a tour of the villa along with wine, music and food as we sat and admired the great view.

     We decided to walk the 6 km back to the tender and this time followed the road just like the locals do.  On our next visit, we wouldn’t mind staying at Hotel Splendido and dining at their La Terrazza restaurant.  For tonight we made do with Amphora restaurant on board but we did manage 5 courses!  Walking must give you an appetite.