Easy Kayak Tour to Portofino with Optional Snorkeling

★★★★★ 4.9 (151 traveller reviews)

Starts at Paraggi baySea kayak with a guide

You meet the instructor on the small beach at Niasca, in the bay of Paraggi, and paddle along the shore to Portofino. You glide past the harbour and on round the Olivetta to the lighthouse, where you stop for a swim. Then you paddle back the same way. An hour and a half, with the wetsuit and every piece of kit supplied.

Hours, prices and access verified by the Portofino Tours team — last checked 2026-09-28.

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The harbour and the lighthouse, at water level

Why paddle rather than ride

A boat shows you Portofino at speed. A kayak shows it slowly, a metre above the water, close under the rock. The whole route lies inside the marine protected area round the promontory.

It is also the cheapest way onto the water here, at $52 a person. The trip is sold as easy, for any level, and the pace follows the group. You do need to be able to swim.

From Niasca to the harbour

The base is at Niasca, a small beach in the bay of Paraggi, about a kilometre before Portofino. The instructor fits you with a wetsuit, a life vest, a spray jacket and neoprene boots, and shows you how to paddle. In winter you get warmer kit.

From the bay you follow the shore towards the village. Then the harbour opens up: the painted houses, the Piazzetta and the boats at their moorings. The instructor, who is also a marine guide, tells you about the coast as you go.

The Olivetta, the lighthouse and the swim

You paddle on past the harbour mouth, below the Olivetta point, and out to the lighthouse at the end of the promontory. Here the houses stop and the cliffs take over.

At the foot of the lighthouse you stop for a swim. Then you turn and paddle back to Paraggi. The sea and the group decide the exact route and pace on the day.

Sunset, or a snorkel

The trip comes in more than one version. A sunset option runs the same coast at dusk, when the crowds leave, and ends with an aperitivo of local natural wine and food.

A kayak and snorkel option adds time in the water in the bay of Paraggi, looking at the life on the seabed. Each option has its own price when you pick your date.

Your hour and a half, stroke by stroke

1. Niasca, bay of Paraggi. Arrive 15 minutes early to suit up and learn the stroke.
2. Along the shore. The paddle from the bay towards the village.
3. Portofino harbour. The painted houses and the Piazzetta from the water.
4. The Olivetta and the lighthouse. Out to the tip of the promontory.
5. The swim. A stop at the foot of the lighthouse.
6. Back to Paraggi. The same shore home to the beach.

Who this suits: you can swim, and you want to be on the water yourself

What the fare pays for, and what it leaves out

Finding the base at Niasca

You meet at Via Duca degli Abruzzi 62, at the beach of Niasca in the bay of Paraggi. It sits between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino. Arrive at least 15 minutes before your start to change and suit up.

The operator's own directions: take the train to Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino, about 45 minutes from Genoa. From the station, walk the seafront path, take bus 82 or a taxi. Bus tickets cost about €1.50 at newsstands and tobacconists, more on board. Drivers leave the A12 at Rapallo, but parking is tight in season. The rest is on getting to Portofino and the Portofino map.

Know before you go

• You must be able to swim. Non-swimmers cannot join.
• Bring what you need. Nothing is sold at the base: pack water and a snack.
• Pack a swimsuit and towel. You swim at the lighthouse, and the towel is yours to bring.
• Wear sun cover. Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for open water.
• Arrive 15 minutes early. Parking near Paraggi is tight; the bus is easier.
• Book for two or more. Below two guests you are offered another date or a refund.
• Let the sea decide. The route can change with the weather and the group.

What travellers say about the paddle to the lighthouse

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