Our weekend escape
For the 2025–26 academic year, I had the pleasure and opportunity to study in the Italian city of Turin, located in northern Italy, close to the mountains as well as the seaside in the region of Liguria. Because of Turin's strategic positioning near popular local tourist attractions, my girlfriend and I decided to spend a weekend in Portofino, located only two hours away from the center of Turin.
Portofino & Liguria
Portofino is a picturesque Italian fishing village known for its colourful harbour, luxury yachts, and scenic Mediterranean charm. It is just under an hour away from the largest city in Liguria, Genoa, famous for pesto. Portofino is easily reachable by car, although the highway from Turin to Portofino is, to say the least, quite challenging. Caution is truly advised, as the road is full of turns and roadworks to this day.
Portofino is a small but iconic fishing village on the Italian Riviera, known for its pastel-colored houses clustered around a tiny harbor and surrounded by lush green hills. The roads leading into Portofino are famously narrow and winding, especially the scenic coastal route from Santa Margherita Ligure, where sharp bends and limited space make driving slow but incredibly picturesque; much of the village itself is pedestrian-friendly, with only limited vehicle access. Visitors usually stroll along the waterfront piazza, lined with cafés and boutiques, or hike through the nearby Portofino Regional Park, which offers panoramic views of the sea. Key sights include the historic Castello Brown perched above the harbor, and the Church of St. Martin, while a short walk leads to the lighthouse at Punta del Capo, where the rugged coastline meets the open Mediterranean.
Arrival in Portofino
After just over two hours by car, we ended up in Rapallo, where we continued straight along the seaside road, which ultimately brought us to Portofino. This road is indeed a challenging one, as it looks more like a one-way road rather than a two-way one. However, it is a very beautiful scenic road. It reminds me of Big Sur, just smaller. You just have to be careful of pedestrians, bikes, and cars coming from the other way. But other than that, you get to enjoy some of the best views possible, while at the same time experiencing a small driving thrill.
As soon as we arrived in Portofino, we decided to park our car in a covered parking lot, which cost around €5 per hour, more or less. Note: Portofino can get pretty expensive everywhere you go compared to neighboring towns. After leaving our car, we decided to walk along Via Roma, which is the main road that ultimately leads to Piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta, the main square facing directly onto the sea.
During our stay in Portofino, most shops and restaurants were unfortunately closed, as we decided to go in late February, which is definitely off-season. However, this also meant there were far fewer people than there usually are (at least from the photos found online), so in the end it was a good trade-off in our opinion.
The Town
As soon as you enter Portofino, you will be astonished by the beauty it offers. Everything—from the colours, the atmosphere, the location, to the views—has an everlasting impact on you.
Although the shops were closed and there were not many people to add to the overall ambience, we had the chance to truly appreciate the beauty this small town offers.
Portofino itself is really small, and there is not a lot to see. Personally, I think it is one of those places where you really just have to find a place to sit down, relax, and look around. Understand the place, feel it, but most importantly, imagine it during the full season—with all those mega-yachts, open luxury shops, and tourists walking around. Travelling to Portofino really gives you a sense of what the "Dolce Vita" lifestyle refers to. For this exact reason, we decided to sit down at one of the many seaside bars and enjoy an Aperol Spritz while deciding which hotel to stay in.
Rapallo: The perfect middle-ground for stays
After our sought-after spritz aperitivo, we ended up choosing a hotel in Rapallo, the largest neighboring town, just after Santa Margherita Ligure.
Rapallo is a relatively large port town which, in our opinion, is still breathtaking. From just about anywhere you can see the sea, and along with it plenty of large yachts stationed there (as it might be less expensive than keeping them elsewhere along this specific coastline of Italy).
For our one-night stay, we ended up choosing the Excelsior Palace Hotel Portofino Coast, which is a very large 5-star hotel in Rapallo. We managed to book through booking.com, which granted us a relatively large discount with the Genius Level 3 program. For the price we paid, we were very happy with what we got, both service-wise and in terms of room quality. There was also a valet service included in the fee, which is a very good deal-breaker in this area, since parking is expensive almost everywhere.
The hotel itself is quite massive, and from the looks of it, during the high season the rates are very different. However, it is one of the only 5-star hotels open during this period of the year, so there were not many alternatives. Although this is a large hotel—which is not always synonymous with proper service—we were pleasantly surprised. The building is located on a small hill (entirely reserved for the hotel), which places it at the highest point of the town. From the hotel, you can see just about everything, and above all, the sea appears much closer than the rest of the town, which is always enjoyable—especially when coming from Turin, where the sea is nowhere to be seen.
The Excelsior Palace Hotel offers a very modern and clean spa, which served us very well. There is everything from a Finnish sauna to lighter ones, different types of steam rooms, as well as a good-sized heated pool with numerous jacuzzis and relaxation areas around it. The spa also offers what they call “sensual showers,” which are freezing cold rain showers that release a very strong menthol-like scent—a pretty cool experience in my opinion.
Other than the facilities offered, our room was relatively large for what we paid. We had a spacious king-size bed, a fully equipped bathroom, including both a small shower and a large bathtub. The room also had a very large television (with Sky), which suited us particularly well since that night there was the final of the Sanremo Music Festival, and a large balcony overlooking the town and the sea.
Dinner in Rapallo
After our spa evening, we decided to take a quick shower and walk towards the center of the town (a 10-minute walk from the hotel). From there, we ended up eating at Rapala Restaurant. This is a small family-run restaurant which offers a wide variety of local dishes, and they were all fantastic. I decided to go with the Baccalà mantecato, which was one of the best things I have eaten in a long time. The restaurant is located in the old city center of Rapallo, and it is very easy to book through their website, which redirects you to their WhatsApp Business. It is a relatively seamless process, and once there, their kindness and professionalism stood out immediately—something that is always appreciated. For dinner, we spent just under €70, without wine, which is a very good price for the area.
Short Trek to Portofino
In the morning, the sun was shining and the temperature was quite warm for March 1st. Because of this, we decided to check out from our hotel, get in the car, and head to Santa Margherita Ligure, where we parked. This town is the second most famous in the area, known for hosting many families during the summer.
The reason behind our decision to park in Santa Margherita Ligure was that we wanted to trek back to Portofino on foot, which is just over 3 km away from our parking spot.
The trek itself is not strenuous at all and offers breathtaking views of the coast and the surrounding towns along the way to Portofino. The incline is almost nonexistent unless you choose the more challenging trail. We did end up choosing this one; however, it was not difficult at all. The only difference compared to the main road is that it follows a parallel marked trail through the woods, leading to several viewpoints which truly make up for the extra effort.
Once we arrived in Portofino, we went for lunch at the restaurant “I Gemelli.” This restaurant offers a very wide menu, ranging from seafood to pasta dishes. We opted for fish crudités and sole meunière, alongside a bottle of Pigato white wine from Liguria. This is a very good wine in my opinion, as it is a still white wine that is dry and very typical of the region.
Overall, the trek to and from Portofino is not challenging and gives you the chance to fully experience the picturesque views that are famous worldwide.Drive Back to Turin
When we arrived back in Santa Margherita Ligure, it was late afternoon—the perfect time for a gelato in one of the many gelaterie near the port. After a small treat, we headed back to the parking lot and drove back to Turin, where we arrived just in time for supper.
Final Recommendations from Our Side
In our opinion, spending a weekend in Portofino was one of the best weekend escapes we had this year—an experience full of exploration and beauty. At the same time, the food is amazing. It can be an expensive weekend, but with proper research and timing, it is more than possible to enjoy it at a reasonable cost for such a destination. Being the first time for both of us, Portofino has now become one of those places we would recommend everyone visit at least once in their lives.
