A Travellerspoint blog

Il Dolce Viaggio: Portofino and Camogli


View Italy 2024 on zzlangerhans's travel map.

large_a7468a20-8cb2-11ef-a74e-178dae79a56e.jpg
About twenty kilometers east of Genoa is a stubby, square peninsula that projects out of the Ligurian coast. This is the Portofino peninsula and the famous city for which the peninsula is named is located at its southeastern corner. In the late nineteenth century Portofino became well-known throughout Europe as a playground for the continent's wealthy and famous set and by the mid twentieth century the town's main industry was tourism. Before this trip I was familiar with the name Portofino but I couldn't have said on which part of Italy's western coast it was located. When I saw how close it was to Genoa I knew that we would have to find enough time to visit during our stay. Fortunately we were efficient enough in exploring Genoa on the first afternoon and the second morning that we felt comfortable taking a day trip to Portofino on the second afternoon. It took over an hour to reach the town from the parking lot at the Porto Antico of Genoa, mainly due to the congested and terrifyingly narrow coastal road between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino. Plenty of pedestrians were using the road as well, strolling along seemingly without a care in the world as cars rounded curves with no visibility inches away from them. After a seeming eternity of white-knuckled driving we found ourselves at the one parking garage in town. The steep, spiraling access to the lower level was also nerve-wracking but eventually we found a narrow spot that was empty. I found myself thanking the auto lease gods once again for providing us with three hundred and sixty degree cameras. The entire village was pedestrianized and it appeared we had just missed a rain shower.
large_863020a0-874c-11ef-aff7-51c6352f1065.JPG

It only took us a couple of minutes to walk through the entire village to the famous harbor of Portofino, a frequent stop on the multimillion dollar yacht circuit. There was a spacious piazza at the water's edge and most of the houses around it had a two-color scheme, or three if one counted the dark green window shutters. A few of the houses had balconies and roof decks that were bursting with pink flowers. There were mostly small boats in the little harbor because of limited depth and room to maneuver. Larger yachts generally anchor in deeper waters and shuttle passengers to shore via tenders. South of the port there was a triangular spit of land that was hilly and forested. From the harbor we could see a castle and a church atop the hills.
large_878b1cc0-874c-11ef-83ea-2bc28b68a0e0.JPGlarge_862a0620-874c-11ef-bc1d-799fb82cd625.JPG

Of the two hilltop buildings the castle appeared more tempting and we began to climb the stone steps and flagstone pathways that led in that direction. Castello Brown was originally a Genoese fort built atop the ruins of ancient fortifications in the fourteenth century. In 1797 the fort fell under French rule after the Napoleonic conquest of Liguria, and in 1867 it was bought by the English Consul subsequent to the unification of Italy. The English owners converted the interior of the fort into a luxurious residential villa without substantially altering the exterior. It eventually passed into the hands of the municipality in 1961 and is now designated as a museum. We found the interior of the Castello a little dry with the exception of the colorful and intricate laggioni tiles that lined the stairwell. At the highest floor we were able to walk outside onto a terrace of pebbles surrounded by verdant landscaping.
large_86d931e0-874c-11ef-a1a6-4f5facb33e83.JPG
large_db3463a0-8c0a-11ef-addd-3d0617b77967.JPGlarge_87174c50-874c-11ef-aff7-51c6352f1065.JPG

The true glory of Castello Brown is the epic views it provides of Portofino and the Gulf of Tigullio to the east. A colorful horseshoe of those iconic tall houses lined the harbor with a backdrop of deep green, densely forested hills. A scattering of mansions and hotels occupied loftier positions on the hillsides. We could see some of the large yachts moored in the deeper water and beyond them the little towns on the distant shoreline.
large_873fbbe0-874c-11ef-a1a6-4f5facb33e83.JPGlarge_86fc7150-874c-11ef-bc1d-799fb82cd625.JPGlarge_862e4be0-874c-11ef-a1a6-4f5facb33e83.JPG

Once we had returned to the town we decided to explore a couple of footpaths that led upward from the piazza but they didn't go very far. The only structure of any interest behind the houses on the water was the Divo Martino church whose cheerful striped facade and pink-highlighted belltower reflected the town's colorful and lively esthetic.
large_871bb920-874c-11ef-83ea-2bc28b68a0e0.JPGlarge_e210a2a0-874c-11ef-a1a6-4f5facb33e83.jpg

Once we returned to the garage we realized how lucky we'd been to find a place, as there was now a sign indicating it was full and a line of cars had accumulated at the entrance. We made someone happy by leaving the garage and getting back on the coastal road to a point north of Santa Margherita Ligure. Instead of continuing onward to the highway we took narrow and curvy inland roads across the base of the peninsula to the beach town of Camogli. Camogli never acquired the cachet of Portofino but it is a much more substantial town and some say even more beautiful. Unlike Portofino, Camogli had a convenient and inexpensive municipal lot about a ten minute walk from the harbor. The lot next to Piazza Matteoti was at the base of a hill and the houses scattered around the hillside had a similar color scheme to the ones in Portofino. We were at the edge of the old town here and a more modern neighborhood was just to our east. The apartment buildings were freshly painted and surrounded by sharply trimmed hedges, with stately umbrella pines dotting the open spaces.
large_866f4c80-874c-11ef-a1a6-4f5facb33e83.JPGlarge_87ab00d0-874c-11ef-a1a6-4f5facb33e83.JPG

The old town of Camogli consisted of two parallel roads, one down by the shoreline and one slightly higher on the hillside, connected by staircases. We walked to the center on the upper road, Via della Repubblica, which was lined with cafes and boutiques and had a lot of pedestrian traffic. Lots of people were coming from the train station dragging their wheeled luggage behind them, eyes glued to the navigation apps on their phones as they sought out their accommodations. Along the way we passed an airy piazza with a balcony where one could look out over the sea. In the center of the piazza was a statue of Simone Schiaffino, a local war hero who was killed in Sicily during one of the early battles of Italian unification. Although he was twenty-five when he died, the bearded and weary figure looked much older.
large_0a5fbbf0-8906-11ef-b17f-e9d82041f52b.JPGlarge_0a670ef0-8906-11ef-9cd6-556a0418976c.JPG

Eventually Via della Repubblica started to lose its flavor and we took one of the staircases down to the port. This was a whole different scene from the harbor at Portofino. The buildings were still colorful but they were taller and wider than the ones in Portofino and some of them had paint that was faded and peeling. There were more fishing boats and dinghies in the harbor than yachts but I found this atmosphere more warm and appealing. Camogli was obviously a touristy place but it also had an existence and vitality that was independent of its visitors. A substantial number of people lived here, probably families who had been here for generations and were woven into the local fishing industry and all the other things that are needed to support a community.
large_0a5311c0-8906-11ef-a569-e73737c4786f.JPGlarge_0a564610-8906-11ef-a764-4d8016a9c417.JPGlarge_0a6efe30-8906-11ef-80cb-bb378c709a47.JPG

At the south side of the port we walked onto a knoblike projection from the coastline that held a dense cluster of residential buildings and the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, the main church of Camogli. Next to the church stood the ancient Dragonara fort, whose name was probably derived from the strong air vortexes that suggested a dragon's fierce breath to its medieval builders. It would have been nice to climb up to the terrace for the views but the gate was locked and it was unclear when it was supposed to be open.
large_889d0150-8c83-11ef-aff7-a11e7dee5a26.JPGlarge_0ad19090-8906-11ef-861f-b9a366f515d0.JPG

On the other side of the knob was Camogli's rocky beach which was still quite busy despite the late hour. Behind the beach was a majestic array of tall, brightly colored buildings with orderly rows of dark windows that looked like an arrangement of toy blocks. It was one of the most appealing urban landscapes that I could recall ever laying eyes on, something that seemed to have materialized straight from a movie set. It was easy to see why many travelers feel that Camogli and not Portofino is the true jewel of the peninsula.
large_0af67db0-8906-11ef-81fb-c106e0b72a12.JPGlarge_635ac9e0-8909-11ef-a569-e73737c4786f.JPG

It seemed like Camogli would be an excellent spot for dinner but when I searched restaurants the best candidate was in the town of Recco just five minutes north. I figured that this would be a good opportunity to discover another lesser-known jewel of the Ligurian coast and the reviews were spectacular so we bid our farewell to Camogli. On the walk back to the parking lot we came across a giant frying pan affixed to a concrete wall. Apparently this was the pan used for the town's La Sagra del Pesce fish festival held on the second Sunday of May in Piazza Cristoforo Colombo. I would imagine that if one had the flexibility to visit Camogli at any time of the year this would be the ideal weekend to do so.
large_63b34a20-8909-11ef-a764-4d8016a9c417.JPG

Recco was an interesting town because it provided a perspective into the other Italy, the greater part of the country that is completely invisible to travelers. For every city that is described and praised in guidebooks and blogs there are five that are ignored because they are modern places without picturesque old buildings or breathtaking views. Of course there are the occasional gems that are just undiscovered but in general there is very little to see in these places except for the mundane trappings of everyday existence for middle class and poor Italians. Sometimes we forget that Italy is a country and not an enormous historical theme park. We drove into Recco expecting to run into an old town but none was forthcoming, just ordinary blocks of modern apartment buildings and boring shops that served the everyday needs of the locals. La Finestra sul Golfo was located on the one narrow path that had some semblance of character and the food was much better than our average meal for the trip thus far. We were the only customers when we arrived and the decor and atmosphere were quite agreeable as well. We could see the beach from the window and it appeared quite barren and grim.
large_647ded20-8909-11ef-99b7-63ec89d67c40.JPGlarge_63630740-8909-11ef-a764-4d8016a9c417.JPG

When we got back to Genoa it was late but still light outside. The closest lot to the Airbnb was full again but there was space in the Mercanzia lot so I didn't have to drive all the way to the port. The short walk back to our apartment took us past the Palazzo San Giorgio once again. It was quite impressive that we had found an accommodation steps away from both this beautiful building and the Genoa Cathedral.
large_cb2fffd0-890f-11ef-9b97-237284e83a03.JPG

Wednesday morning we were due to bid farewell to Genoa but there was no way we were leaving without one final walk through the labyrinthine historic center. We knew we weren't going to find an American-style breakfast so we ducked into the first cafe for chocolate cornetti and coffee. While the kids were still munching on their pastries we stumbled into a little piazza we had somehow missed on our first two walks. At first I didn't understand the purpose of the bright three-story Neoclassical building that dominated the piazza, and only after consulting Maps did I realize we were looking at the eighteenth century church Santissimo Nome di Maria e Angeli Custodi, which translates to Holy Name of Mary and of the Guardian Angels. It was amazing that such a magnificent, dignified building would appear out of nowhere on a random walk through the neighborhood but such was the nature of the old town of Genoa.
large_cb27c270-890f-11ef-b7a9-e9dcd2b8c0f4.JPG
large_cb137720-890f-11ef-bf59-fff888a6efe7.JPG

We continued to work our way north hoping for more unexpected discoveries. In Piazza della Cernaia we came across a ring of children playing a game of Duck Duck Goose, or whatever it's called in Italy, with some adult supervisors. They were an unusually multicultural group for Italy, perhaps some kind of summer program for young immigrants. They seemed to be having fun and I told our kids I was going to ask if they could join in. They sort of knew I was joking but they weren't completely sure and they seemed quite relieved when I got tired of watching and we proceeded onward. Eventually we spilled back onto Via Garibaldi where we had admired the architecture the previous day. Here we paused for a moment to admire the contrast between the Palazzo Rosso and the Palazzo Bianco, once the homes of aristocratic neighbors who may have greeted each other as they emerged from their doorways on opposite sides of Via Garibaldi.
large_22be3d00-8ca5-11ef-85ad-1bd7f259b113.JPGlarge_cb1d6230-890f-11ef-81c5-574dca6a8714.JPG

This time we walked east on Via Garibaldi to the end and then continued south to Piazza de Ferrari. This time we spotted two interesting contemporary bronze statues at opposite corners of the piazza on movable pedestals. Had they been there on our first visit two days earlier? They seemed impossible to miss but perhaps we had been so focused on the fountain and the architecture that we had looked right past them. The subjects appeared to be migrants, wearing stained and worn clothing and carrying small traveling bags. Their faces had weary but determined expressions and their features indicated their origin from the Middle East or Africa. Of course the most striking thing about the statues is that there were wide, diagonal slashes of emptiness where there midsections should have been. Their upper halves appeared to be floating in air but of course they were supported by thin rods that were hidden behind the arm carrying the bag. A sign posted next to one statue indicated the sculptor was Bruno Catalano, a Moroccan of Sicilian ancestry who emigrated to France as a child. The meaning of the emptiness within the statues is not obvious but it represents a consistent theme through Catalano's sculpture. Not all his sculptures are of migrants but all are on some kind of journey, so perhaps the empty space represents the void left within oneself upon leaving behind everything one has always known.
large_cbb6bc00-890f-11ef-80b4-638b7d00d7a6.JPGlarge_cb3ea5d0-890f-11ef-9194-2f17a7f8ab06.JPG

We headed back to our Airbnb via Piazza Matteoti, the same way we had proceeded on the first day. This time we were surprised to find a farmer's market taking place in the square, all the fresh fruits and vegetables we love without a single stall selling clothing or hardware. We looked around for a while, chatted with a few vendors, and bought some peaches and blueberries for our upcoming drive. Having completed another satisfying circuit around the old town there was nothing left for us to do except return to the Airbnb and load up our bags. Genoa had been the best city of the trip so far and I felt an amazing affinity for the old town and its intricate network of alleys and piazzas. I wasn't sure that I would choose Genoa over Rome if we ended up moving to Italy someday but it was definitely the city I had most enjoyed visiting. Hopefully our next stop Milan could offer us a comparable experience.
large_cb8a2dc0-890f-11ef-9191-719be3f0896d.JPGlarge_cb9db5c0-890f-11ef-b59f-33f47fac023e.JPG

Posted by zzlangerhans 18:00 Archived in Italy

Email this entryFacebookStumbleUpon

Table of contents

Be the first to comment on this entry.

Comment with:

Comments left using a name and email address are moderated by the blog owner before showing.

Required
Not published. Required
Leave this field empty

Characters remaining: