Parco Naturale Regionale di Portofino
The promontory of Monte di Portofino rises to 616 metres above the Ligurian Sea, and the park wrapped around it — just over a thousand hectares of maritime pine, holm oak, and coastal cliff — is the reason this corner of the Riviera hasn't been built over entirely. Trails run in every direction: down to San Fruttuoso Abbey on the southern slope, along the Passeggiata dei Baci toward Santa Margherita Ligure, up through the Valle dei Mulini, and out to the lighthouse at the tip of the cape.
The park holds more than scenery. WWII bunkers still crouch above the sea. The Sentiero dei Monaci traces a four-stage route between medieval churches and monasteries. Eighty kilometres of marked paths connect villages that are otherwise separated by water.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to pick one trail per visit rather than trying to connect everything in a day. The Sentiero dei Monaci in stages, starting from Millenaria church, is a reliable favourite. Ferry to San Fruttuoso, walk back up — that's the rhythm that tends to stick. Official trail maps at parcoportofino.it save time at the trailhead.
The story behind Parco Naturale Regionale di Portofino
The land around Monte di Portofino first came under formal protection in June 1935, when law 1251 established a protected area covering what are now the municipalities of Camogli, Portofino, and Santa Margherita Ligure. The original impetus, in the early 1930s, was actually a proposed road from Camogli to Santa Margherita Ligure across the promontory — when that project failed to secure funding, conservation became the path of least resistance.
Administration shifted in 1978, when changes from a 1975 national law dissolved the earlier managing body and placed the territory under Ligurian regional control. The current regional park was formally established by regional law LR 12 in February 1995. In 2017, law 205 merged the land park with the adjacent Marine Protected Area to create the Parco Nazionale di Portofino.
Good to know
Enter the park from Camogli, Ruta, Portofino, or Santa Margherita Ligure. Ferries between those villages run year-round with reduced winter schedules. Bus Line 82 from Santa Margherita Ligure station reaches Portofino in around 20 minutes. No general park entrance fee.
The Mediterranean climate here is genuinely mild: August highs reach around 26°C on the coast, while winter nights drop to 6–8°C but rarely lower. Autumn brings the heaviest rain, concentrated in November. Summer hiking is most comfortable on the shaded northern slopes; winter and spring open up the sunlit coastal paths when the crowds have thinned considerably.
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What travellers say about Parco Naturale Regionale di Portofino
Visited the eco-farm within the park. Our tour guide, Camilla, was amazing. Tour was arranged through Essence of Italy. We had a picnic lunch at the eco-farm with a view that was fabulous.
Anyone who loves to hike needs to go through here when going to Portofino by foot!
What a wonderful world. Italy has many beautiful surprises and this is one. A nice and atypical park with many many great places. The path is well marked and there is a lot of picnic area with tables and views. Sadly there is two drawbacks. The first one is the map indicated on every main signals in the park, indeed the satellite view isn't accurate enough. Secondly there is no place to bivouac. I know there is a shelter but a national park which is close to nature must have a dedicated place to campers. Globally if you have a detour to do to see this park, do it.
A magical park area that marries the land, the beautiful ocean and the turquoise sky. Thoroughly recommended to access Portofino from Santa Margherita Ligure. This is a breathtaking experience.
Beautiful place 😍
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