Liguria · Genova
Portofino
Three hundred and fifty-one residents, the smallest municipal territory in the metropolitan area, and the harbor every superyacht in the Mediterranean wants to anchor in.
By Peter Benei
Written about. No. 26.
This one is famous. If you want what it offers with fewer people, see what to see instead of Portofino.
The letter
Portofino got its letter. One town at a time, free. The photo, the food, the festa.
Visiting
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 39 min from Genoa
- Population
- 351
- J12°
- F14°
- M15°
- A17°
- M21°
- J25°
- J28°
- A29°
- S25°
- O21°
- N17°
- D13°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime air temperature, averages for 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 14°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Going to the sea? How to find the free beaches in Italy.
Why come
Portofino occupies the smallest municipal territory in the Metropolitan City of Genova, 351 residents on a horseshoe harbor on the southern tip of the Portofino headland. The whole commune sits inside the Portofino Regional Natural Park and the Portofino Protected Marine Area. Roman fortification stood on the hill above the harbor; the medieval Genoese fort took the name Castello di San Giorgio, was later renamed Castello Brown after the British consul who bought it in 1867.
British and then northern European aristocrats discovered the village in the late nineteenth century. Aubrey Herbert and Elizabeth von Arnim were among the early regulars. By 1950 tourism had replaced fishing as the main industry.
The Chiesa di San Giorgio, first built in 1154 and destroyed by a wartime bomb, was rebuilt in 1950 on the 1760 plans. The painted facades around the harbor are the photograph everyone takes. The footpaths into the park behind the village are the reason to stay longer than the cruise day-trippers.
How to get there
From Genoa (GOA), about 48 min by car.
Pisa (PSA) is about 2 h 1 min away.
By car from the center of Pisa 1 h 52 min or Milan 2 h 7 min.
Coming by train into Genova Piazza Principe? Portofino is about 41 min away by road.
Every town within reach of Genoa airport.
First time driving in Italy? Read our complete manual.
What to see
Castello Brown
Genoese coastal fort raised over a Roman site, renamed in 1867 after British consul Montague Yeats Brown, now a historic house museum above the harbor.
Chiesa di San Giorgio
Church first built in 1154, destroyed in Second World War bombing, rebuilt in 1950 on 1760 plans, on the path up to Castello Brown.
Faro di Portofino
Lighthouse at the tip of the Portofino headland, walking distance from the harbor along the Punta del Capo coastal path.
Parco Regionale di Portofino
Regional natural park covering the headland with footpaths to San Fruttuoso abbey, Camogli, and Santa Margherita Ligure.
Piazzetta
Small harbor square at the head of the port, painted Genoese facades framing the working dock and one of the most photographed views in coastal Liguria.
From the guides
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
DaV MareRistorante
DaV Mare holds two Gambero Rosso forks (85/100) and a spot in the Michelin Guide.
Cracco PortofinoRistorante
One Michelin star, at Cracco Portofino.
Piazzetta di Portofino
A place on Italy's historic-locali register, at Piazzetta di Portofino.
4 more places the guides name in Portofino
Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, PortofinoHotel
Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino has one Michelin Key and a La Liste score of 92.5.
Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, PortofinoHotel
Two Michelin Keys for Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino, and a La Liste score of 90.5.
Eight Hotel ParaggiHotel
Eight Hotel Paraggi has a place in the Michelin hotel guide to its name.
Eight Hotel PortofinoHotel
Eight Hotel Portofino carries a place in the Michelin hotel guide.
Before you sit down: how to order at a restaurant, how to spot a tourist trap, what aperitivo is and how the Italian bar works.
Living here
Could you live here?
Portofino is a village with a town close by.
- A village of 351, with Santa Margherita Ligure (8,323 people) 12 min away for the shopping and a meal out. Our rule is a town within 15 minutes.
- Genova, a city of 564,080, is 39 min by car. Inside our 30 to 60 minutes: close for the services, far enough to keep its own life.
The rules come from our series Where to Move in Italy, written from the places we have lived: Part 1, The End of the Road · Part 2, The Small Town · Part 3, The City · Part 4, The Postcard · Part 5, The Other Half. The towns we would pick are in Part 6, The Best Towns.
- Population 351, down 16.8% since 2015 (Italy's emptying towns)
- Nearest city Genoa, 39 min drive
- Nearest national health service hospital Rapallo, 7 km as the crow flies · how healthcare works in Italy
- Homes in the center: €9,100 to €16,100 per m² to buy, €20.60 to €37.50 per m² a month to rent
Weighing a move here? See the moving year.
All the numbers Common questions, designations, lists and sources.
More about living here
- In-between
- Pharmacy in town
- Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
- Fibre to the street cabinet; no full fibre mapped yet
- No primary school in the comune's register
- Earthquake zone 3, low hazard
- Genoa airport (GOA), 48 min drive, the nearest with scheduled flights
- Regional capital Genoa, 39 min drive
If you are moving here
Who lives here
6% of residents are foreign citizens, against 9% across Italy. There are 467 people over 65 for every 100 children under 15, against 216 across Italy. 68% of homes have no resident, holiday homes and empty ones counted together, against 27% across Italy. Genoa province ranks 43rd of 107 in Il Sole 24 Ore's quality of life ranking for 2025.
Health and schools
The nearest emergency room is in Rapallo, 7 km as the crow flies. The nearest major one is in Genoa, 30 km away. The nearest children's emergency room is in Genoa, 30 km away. The nearest IB school is The International School in Genoa, 19 km as the crow flies. There are 2 within 30 km.
Information, not medical advice. Confirm with a professional.
Taxes
A home that is not your main one pays 0.88% a year in property tax at the 2025 rate, charged on the cadastral value rather than the price. A main home pays none unless it is in a luxury category. 7% pensioner tax: this town is not in a qualifying area.
Information, not tax advice. Confirm with a professional.
What it costs
The average household in Liguria spends about €2,230 a month, €490 of it on food, against about €2,170 across Italy. A family of three pays about €552 a year for water, on the Liguria average. In Genoa, the provincial capital, in September 2026, an espresso cost €1.28, a meal in a pizzeria €11.86 and a man's haircut €17.37.
Climate and risk
It is in climate zone D, on a scale from A, the warmest, to F, the coldest, and heating may run from November 1 to April 15, up to 12 hours a day, unless the mayor changes it. 20% of residents live in a zone the national maps rate high for floods, 21% in a high or medium one. 3% live in a zone rated high or very high for landslides.
These shares cover the whole comune, not any one street. Check an address on IdroGEO.
Moving from abroad? Which visa you need. Sources: ISTAT, the Ministry of Health, ISPRA, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Enterprise, Poste Italiane, the comuni, the IB, International Schools Database, Il Sole 24 Ore, Cittadinanzattiva.
Known for
THE HARBOR
Horseshoe port with painted Genoese facades, one of the most photographed marinas in Liguria and the anchorage for the summer superyacht fleet.
PORTOFINO PARK
The entire commune sits inside the regional park, with footpaths to San Fruttuoso abbey accessible only on foot or by boat.
351 RESIDENTS
Smallest municipal territory in the Genova metropolitan area and a year-round population that fits the harbor square at off-season.
Common questions
- What is Portofino known for?
- Three hundred and fifty-one residents, the smallest municipal territory in the metropolitan area, and the harbor every superyacht in the Mediterranean wants to anchor in.
- Where is Portofino?
- Portofino is a comune in the province of Genova, in Liguria, at 3 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Portofino?
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Genoa (GOA), about 48 min by car.
- How long is the drive from Pisa to Portofino?
- About 1 h 52 min by car.
- When is the best time to visit Portofino?
- Best in Apr–Oct. August is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and December the wettest, with about 15 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Portofino?
- Framura, Vernazza and Dolceacqua.
- How many people live in Portofino?
- 351 residents, by ISTAT's count on 1 January 2025.
- Is Portofino a good place to live?
- By the rules in our Where to Move in Italy series, Portofino is a village with a town of 5,000 people within 15 minutes (Santa Margherita Ligure, 12 min). The nearest city, Genova, is 39 min away by car. The nearest national health service hospital is in Rapallo, 7 km as the crow flies. Fibre reaches the street cabinets; no full fibre is mapped yet.
Tags & data designations · numbers · sources
Recognized as
Landscape
The numbers
- Elevation: 3 m
- Population: 351
- Surface area: 2.53 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
The ranked lists
Lists Portofino appears in
- The 6 best towns inside a nature park in the province of GenovaGenova provinceinside a park6 towns · smallest 351 residents
- The best small towns inside a nature park that eat well in LiguriaLiguriainside a parkeats wellsmall6 towns · smallest 351 residents
- The best towns inside a nature park that have a serious restaurant in LiguriaLiguriainside a parkserious restaurant6 towns · smallest 351 residents
- The best towns with a serious restaurant in the province of GenovaGenova provinceserious restaurant7 towns · smallest 351 residents
- The best coastal towns inside a nature park in LiguriaLiguriacoastalinside a park9 towns · smallest 351 residents
- The best small towns with a serious restaurant that eat well within 90 minutes of GenoaNear Genoawithin 90 minserious restauranteats wellsmall9 towns · smallest 351 residents · closest 39 min away
Near here, with a letter
- Written about. No. 27.
Rapallo
Province: Genova
The largest town on the Tigullio gulf, twice the location of treaties that redrew borders in postwar Europe.
17 min by car
- Written about. No. 24.
Camogli
Province: Genova
A fishing village on the Golfo Paradiso whose nineteenth-century fleet of a thousand white sails made it Italy's third maritime power in the Mediterranean.
21 min by car
- Written about. No. 25.
Chiavari
Province: Genova
The Tigullio capital between Portofino and the Cinque Terre, a 27,000-person Genoese trading town built around a thirteenth-century grid of porticoed streets.
21 min by car
The letter
Portofino got its letter. One town at a time, free. The photo, the food, the festa.
Paid plans, the moving year and the books are on the membership page.