Baia di Paraggi
Paraggi stops you in your tracks the moment you round the headland: a crescent of fine golden sand — genuinely rare on this stretch of coast, where cliffs drop straight to sea — set inside a bay so protected that the water barely moves. The cliffs hold the light in and keep the currents out, which is why the sea here runs a shade of green-blue that photographs always seem to oversaturate, even when they haven't.
The bay is small — a handful of hotels, a resident population you could fit in a minibus — but it carries an outsized reputation. A 1917 shipwreck lies just a few metres offshore, and the lidos fronting the sand have, over the past few years, been dressed by Dior, Missoni and Dolce & Gabbana.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to arrive early — before ten on summer weekends if you want the free stretch of sand without negotiating for space. The coastal trail from Santa Margherita Ligure is the preferred approach: you arrive on foot, slightly warm, and the water is right there. Langosteria's summer outpost at Bagni Fiore is the lunch worth planning around.
The story behind Baia di Paraggi
The name Paraggi appears in documents from the 12th century — possibly rooted in Latin 'paragi', meaning simply 'place' — and the bay once supported a cluster of water mills, traces of which survive at nearby Acqua Viva. For most of its history it was working coast rather than leisure coast.
That changed at the end of the 19th century, when the provincial road linking Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino opened the shoreline to visitors following the international aristocracy to Portofino. Bagni Fiore, the bay's founding lido, opened in 1927 and is still operating. A century later, the same establishment has become a seasonal address for Parisian fashion: Dior took over the look in 2022, Missoni followed the same year, and Dolce & Gabbana arrived in 2024.
Good to know
Take the Trenitalia train to Santa Margherita Ligure, then the ATP 782 bus (ten minutes) or a taxi. June and September give you warm water and room to breathe; July and August are crowded and the free beach fills fast. Driving in costs roughly €40 for five hours of parking.
The bathing season runs May to September, with sea temperatures reaching around 24°C in August. June and September are the practical sweet spot — warm enough to swim, light enough on crowds that you can actually find a spot on the free sand without arriving at dawn. November is the wettest month by some distance; outside the summer season the bay largely closes.
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What travellers say about Baia di Paraggi
Such an amazing, beautiful beach! However, it is invaded by private beach companies! The public beach is very very small, and barely no place to lay down your towels or put an umbrella! So, better to go early!
A beautiful sandy beach surrounded by lush green forest and a few high end hotels and restaurants just a 5 minute drive outside of Portofino proper. If you come bring swimming goggles or snorkeling gear to see the little fish in the crystal clear water (they don’t have any shops that offer it there). The water’s edge is a little green but swim out a little bit and it’s crystalline.
Visited Baia di Paraggi on Sept 23 and was happy to see that it was not overcrowded as it was clearly end of season. The “beach clubs” were either closed, or just really not that busy. There is a tiny “free” beach in between the private clubs areas, and there was still spots available around 1pm to lay a towel down on the sand. We walked to the beach from Santa Margherita Ligure which took about 15 minutes from where we parked on the street (for free) just past Capo Nord. The walk was pleasant on the boardwalk along the coast of the sea. We checked out the prices at Bagni Fiori for a day bed but it was out of our price range at appx 200€ for two day beds. Could have been worth it for a full beach day on a sunny summer day, but unfortunately it was a bit cloudy that day and we were only there for a short period of time. The hostess at Bagni Fiori was kind to us anyway.
Probably the best one I've visited so far... a beautiful, small, sandy public beach located between two hotels, with super clean water. It's just a shame it's so small, and if more people come, there's nowhere to put your towel. But it's worth it because it's nice sand, not rocks or gravel like most beaches near Portofino or Santa Margherita Ligure. Another advantage is that there's a convenient, free changing room and shower where you can rinse off after sunbathing. There's also a restaurant and small shops next door belonging to the hotels, so you can grab a bite to eat. I liked it and would definitely go back if I were in the area again... and the beautiful view of the entire bay and the rocks surrounding the bay, I highly recommend 🌞
The only sandy beach front around,, it's breathtakingly beautiful!
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