Liguria · Genova
Santa Margherita Ligure
The Tigullio town that kept its fishing port while the world drove past on the way to Portofino two kilometers further.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 40 min from Genoa
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 8,515
Known for
TIGULLIO PORT
Working fishing harbor that kept its boats and net sheds alongside the marina, unusual on this stretch of coast.
VILLA DURAZZO
1678 Genoese summer residence with three hectares of terraced park, painted Piano Nobile, picture gallery of the Genoese school.
GAMBERO ROSSO
The deep-water red prawns of Santa Margherita are protected by a fishing consortium and served raw across the Tigullio.
- J12°
- F14°
- M15°
- A17°
- M21°
- J25°
- J28°
- A29°
- S25°
- O21°
- N16°
- D13°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 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
Santa Margherita Ligure sits on the inner curve of the Tigullio gulf, 35 kilometers southeast of Genova, between Camogli and Portofino. The two medieval burghs of Pescino and Corte were unified in 1813 under Napoleonic rule as Porto Napoleone, then renamed when the Kingdom of Sardinia took the coast back in 1815. Genoese architecture survived the merger: trompe-l'oeil facades on the seafront, the 1658 Basilica of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia with its baroque interior of marble and crystal, the 1550 castle built against North African corsair raids by the architect who built Rapallo's.
Villa Durazzo, raised in 1678 as a Genoese summer residence, holds three hectares of terraced gardens above the harbor. The port still works fishing boats alongside the yachts. Most day-trippers continue to Portofino. The ones who stop find a town that uses its seafront rather than performing it.
How to get there
From Genoa (GOA), about 49 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 11 min.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Genoa, Pisa or Milan?
Coming by train into Genova Piazza Principe? Santa Margherita Ligure is about 46 min away by road.
Every town within reach of Genoa airport.
First time driving in Italy? Read our complete manual.
What to see
Basilica di Santa Margherita d'Antiochia
Baroque parish basilica from 1658, crystal chandeliers and gilded statuary, dominating Piazza Caprera in the centro storico.
Villa Durazzo-Centurione
Genoese summer villa from 1678 with frescoed Piano Nobile apartments and a three-hectare terraced park above the Tigullio gulf.
Castello di Santa Margherita Ligure
Coastal fort raised by the Republic of Genoa in 1550 against Saracen and Barbary raids, designed by the architect of Rapallo's castle.
Parco Regionale di Portofino
Regional natural park covering the headland behind the town, walking trails connecting Santa Margherita to Portofino and Camogli.
Abbazia della Cervara
Benedictine abbey from 1361 along the coastal road to Portofino, with cloister and Renaissance gardens facing the sea.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Santa Margherita Ligure fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer six questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
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.
Langosteria ParaggiRistorante
Langosteria Paraggi carries a spot in the Michelin Guide.
ö Magazín In SpiaggiaTrattoria
ö Magazín In Spiaggia has a Gambero Rosso listing to its name.
Osteria PandenusBistrot
Osteria Pandenus holds one Gambero Rosso table.
Taverna ColomboRistorante
Taverna Colombo carries a place on Italy's historic-locali register.
Grand Hotel MiramareHotel
Grand Hotel Miramare has one Michelin Key, a Leading Hotels of the World listing and a place on Italy's historic-locali register.
Villa Gelsomino Exclusive HouseHotel
Villa Gelsomino Exclusive House has a place in the Michelin hotel guide to its name.
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
- Population 8,515, down 12.1% since 2015 (Italy's emptying towns)
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest national health service hospital Rapallo, 5 km as the crow flies · how healthcare works in Italy
- Full fibre reaches 22% of homes
- Primary school in the comune
- Earthquake zone 3, low hazard
- Genoa airport, 49 min drive, the closest of the 15 airports we time
- Regional capital Genova, 40 min drive
Could you live here?
Santa Margherita Ligure meets all 3 of our rules for a small town.
- 8,515 people, inside our sweet spot of 5,000 to 20,000: a real town, still one community.
- Genova, a city of 558,745, is 40 min by car. Inside our 30 to 60 minutes: close for the services, far enough to keep its own life.
- A station of its own. Trains are the overlooked way to get around Italy: no parking, straight into the center.
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.
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Common questions
- What is Santa Margherita Ligure known for?
- Santa Margherita Ligure is the Tigullio town that kept its fishing port while the world drove past on the way to Portofino two kilometers further.
- Where is Santa Margherita Ligure?
- Santa Margherita Ligure is a comune in the province of Genova, in Liguria, at 13 meters above sea level.
- Which of the airports we measure is closest to Santa Margherita Ligure?
- Of the 15 airports we time the drive to, the closest is Genoa (GOA), about 49 min by car.
- Can you get to Santa Margherita Ligure without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Pisa to Santa Margherita Ligure?
- About 1 h 52 min by car.
- When is the best time to visit Santa Margherita Ligure?
- Best in Apr–Oct. August is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 15 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Santa Margherita Ligure?
- Recco, Andora and Diano.
- How many people live in Santa Margherita Ligure?
- 8,515 at the 2023 count.
- Is Santa Margherita Ligure a good place to live?
- By the rules in our Where to Move in Italy series, Santa Margherita Ligure is a small town that meets all 3 of our rules. The nearest city, Genova, is 40 min away by car. The nearest national health service hospital is in Rapallo, 5 km as the crow flies. Full fibre reaches 22% of homes.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognized as
Landscape
The numbers
- Elevation: 13 m
- Population: 8,515
- Surface area: 10.04 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.
Featured on
Santa Margherita Ligure appears on this themed pick from our Collections:
Similar
Towns like Santa Margherita Ligure
What all six share with Santa Margherita Ligure: between 3,000 and 10,000 people · near sea level · have a railway station in the comune
The ranked lists
Lists Santa Margherita Ligure appears in
- The 6 best towns inside a nature park in the province of GenovaGenova provinceinside a park6 towns · smallest 355 residents
- The best towns inside a nature park that have a serious restaurant in LiguriaLiguriainside a parkserious restaurant6 towns · smallest 355 residents
- The best beach towns in the province of GenovaGenova provinceclean beach7 towns · smallest 2,528 residents
- The best hidden towns that eat well in the province of GenovaGenova provinceeats wellhidden7 towns · smallest 355 residents
- The best towns with a serious restaurant in the province of GenovaGenova provinceserious restaurant7 towns · smallest 355 residents
- The best hidden coastal towns in the province of GenovaGenova provincecoastalhidden8 towns · smallest 355 residents
Our guide
Santa Margherita Ligure is in our Riviera di Levante guide
Riviera di Levante: the towns, when to go, how to get there
The Riviera di Levante guide came out of the letter. Letters from the towns we visit. Free.
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Read the guide: The coast in the shadow of five villages. 19 towns, the drive and train times, the months, where to eat and sleep.