Day 5 - A scenic cruise to glorious Portofino and an abbey on a beach
It's regarded as one of the most beautiful places on the
Mediterranean and today is an unforgettable experience as we take a
scenic cruise to picture-perfect Portofino. This glorious old
fishing village has a resident population of around 500 people but
has long attracted the glamorous and the elite. From Winston
Churchill and French author Guy de Maupassant to Madonna, Portofino
has hosted them all.
Set in a secluded natural harbour dotted with small fishing
boats and impressive yachts, the idyllic village is backed by
verdant hills of olive groves and Mediterranean pines. At its heart
lies a picturesque array of tall, narrow buildings painted
terracotta, peach and yellow gathered round a cobbled piazza, onto
which cascade floral terraces of restaurants, bars and gelaterias.
Our guide - who remains with us throughout the day - shows us round
this delightful town that is overlooked by the Castello Brown and
two churches, including the striped façade of the Romanesque Chiesa
del Divo Martino. We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant, savouring
views across the serene harbour and blue seas beyond as we
dine.
After some free time in Portofino, we set sail once more around
the headland to the blissful San Fruttuoso. This gorgeous cove is
only accessible by foot or boat and is dominated by the
10th-century Benedictine abbey that sits squarely on the small
pebble beach. Dedicated to a third-century saint and later overseen
by the influential Genoese Doria family, this entrancing complex
also contains 12th-century cloisters and many religious relics.
Overlooking the abbey is a 16th-century tower constructed by the
Doria family, nestled in the wooded hillsides that encircle this
sublime bay. Submerged in the bay is the underwater statue of
'Christ in the Abyss', which is said to protect local sailors in
the surrounding waters. We have free time in San Fruttuoso to
explore the museum or just soak up the amazing ambience before
returning to Rapallo and our coach transfer back to Sestri.
If weather conditions mean the boat can't land at San
Fruttuoso, you'll land at Santa Margherita instead, a tranquil,
picture-perfect village bursting with old-fashioned Italian
charm.
Includes