Portofino has, for decades, been a magnet for movie stars. The most photogenic fishing port in the Mediterranean, attracts the yacht set and uphill walkers. Explore the northern shore and tiny bay of San Fruttuoso, where the Abbazia di San Fruttuoso, built by the Benedictines of Monte Cassino in the eighth century, protects a tiny fishing village that can be reached only on foot or via a 20-minute boat ride from Portofino. Run by Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano, the complex was once the property of the Doria Pamphilj family of Genoa.

Paraggi, a cove on the road between Santa Margherita and Portofino, is the only sandy beach but pristine views can be enjoyed from the deteriorating lighthouse at Punta Portofino, a 15-minute walk along the point from the southern end of the port.