Portofino boat tours take you round the headland by sea, past the lighthouse and San Fruttuoso bay, in two and a half to eight hours. You buy a seat on a shared boat or the whole boat, and no fare covers the abbey.
Two and a half hours from Molo Umberto I in Portofino harbour: the lighthouse, the statue's bay, San Fruttuoso bay, a swim and Camogli. Up to 12 aboard, with drinks, snacks and limoncello. Add €10 fuel a person, in cash.
From $103 per person plus €10 fuel surcharge a person, cash at boarding
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Four hours from Rapallo's Rotonda Marconi in a group of up to 12, with an hour ashore in Portofino, an hour snorkelling over the statue at San Fruttuoso and half an hour in Paraggi bay. Fuel and snorkel gear are in the fare.
From $98 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Four hours from Rapallo on a Corvette for up to seven or a gozzo for up to six, with the route and any time ashore agreed with the captain. Fuel, towels and a shower are aboard. The price shown is for one traveller.
From $405 for one traveller; more with each person added
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three to four hours from Santa Margherita or Rapallo on a boat for up to five: 20 minutes in Portofino harbour, ashore on request, then a swim at San Fruttuoso. Fuel, drinks, focaccia, towels, a shower and a toilet aboard.
From $557 per group (up to 5)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Eight hours from Rapallo: Paraggi bay, a walk ashore in Portofino, a snorkel at San Fruttuoso and Camogli's seafront. Prosecco, fuel, towels and a shower are aboard; bring snacks. The price shown is for one traveller and rises with each added.
From $580 for one traveller; more with each person added
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The whole boat and a skipper for three to seven hours, boarding in Portofino, Santa Margherita or Rapallo. It docks in Portofino and Camogli and anchors to snorkel at San Fruttuoso. Drinks and Wi-Fi aboard; lunch and the abbey are extra.
From $870 per group (up to 5)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
A full day from Genoa's Porto Antico at 9am: about an hour and a half ashore each at San Fruttuoso, Portofino and Camogli, plus swims at Punta Chiappa and Pieve Ligure. Snorkel gear and a tow board aboard; lunch is extra.
From $1,276 per group (up to 7)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three hours on a traditional Ligurian boat of your own, from Rapallo, Santa Margherita or Portofino. It sails round the promontory past San Fruttuoso and Camogli, and you agree any stop with the skipper. Snorkel gear aboard; lunch is not included.
From $1,378 per group (up to 6)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Seven hours, or a four-hour half day, from Portofino, Santa Margherita or Rapallo, with about an hour at each of six stops as far as Bogliasco. The fare includes a flat €400 of fuel. This one is non-refundable.
From $2,785 per group (up to 8)
The listing is non-refundable: no refund or change once booked.
Seven hours from Portofino, Santa Margherita or Rapallo down the coast to the Cinque Terre, with about an hour ashore in Monterosso and two in Vernazza. Drinks, snacks, Wi-Fi and a toilet aboard; lunch is yours to buy.
From $3,481 per group (up to 7)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Two and a half hours to San Fruttuoso bay and Camogli, with a swim stop, drinks and limoncello. The fuel charge is paid in cash when you board.
See this tripA boat tour here is a trip round the promontory by sea. The headland is a park, and much of its coast has no road, so the boat shows you what a car cannot. You pass the lighthouse, the cliffs, the bay of San Fruttuoso with its abbey, and Camogli on the far side.
You buy one of two things. A shared boat sells you a seat among up to 12 people. A private boat is yours alone, with a skipper, and most are priced for the whole boat. Our private boat tours page covers those in full.
Starts are spread round the gulf. The harbour boat leaves Molo Umberto I in Portofino itself. Others leave Santa Margherita, Rapallo or Genoa, so the first thing to check is your pier. The map of the harbours marks each one.
San Fruttuoso has no road at all. You reach it by sea, or on foot: the park's guided hike from Portofino takes two and a half hours. From a boat, you see the bay, the lighthouse and Punta Chiappa in one morning, with no climbing.
The sea round the promontory is protected, and most boats stop to swim. The Rapallo boat gives you an hour to snorkel over the underwater statue, with the gear in the fare. On the harbour boat, bring a mask or buy one from the crew.
Some boats put you ashore. The Rapallo boat gives you an hour in Portofino, and several private days dock in Portofino and Camogli. Others sail past and land you only if you ask, so read the stops before you book.
The harbour boat pours drinks and limoncello on the way back. Most private boats carry water, soft drinks and wine, and one from Rapallo adds a bottle of prosecco.
The public ferry also runs from Santa Margherita and Rapallo to Portofino and San Fruttuoso in season. Here is what each gives you.
| A boat tour | The public ferry | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A small boat with a skipper, round the headland | A scheduled boat between the harbours |
| Where it leaves | Portofino, Santa Margherita, Rapallo or Genoa | Rapallo, Santa Margherita, Portofino and towns to the east |
| A swim stop | On most boats | None |
| Time at San Fruttuoso | A swim in the bay, or a stop ashore | As long as you like, until the last boat |
| Group | Up to 12, or your party alone | A full passenger boat |
| Weather | The skipper decides on the day | Sailings stop in rough seas |
| Price | $98 to $103 a seat, plus €10 fuel on the harbour boat; from $557 a boat | €24 return from Santa Margherita to San Fruttuoso |
The ferry is cheaper and gives you as long as you want at the abbey. It needs 20 passengers at a pier to sail and runs only in season. A tour gives you the swim, the statue's bay and Camogli in one sitting. Our guide to the village on your own works through the ferry option in full.
There are also boat tours from Portofino to the Cinque Terre. One private boat sails there for the day, and the public ferry's Cinque Terre line leaves Santa Margherita and Rapallo.
Four hours from Rapallo in a group of up to 12, with fuel and snorkel gear in the fare.
Check availabilityNeed the whole day planned? Our one-day plans fit a boat round the village and the abbey.
Still weighing it up? Our guide to choosing a trip sets the boats beside every other way to see the headland.
Rather walk, or paddle from Paraggi? Every way to see the headland is compared on Portofino Tours.