SeaTV · Italy · Ligurian Coast · Around Portofino
Where to Anchor around Portofino — 4 Options on the Riviera’s Crown Jewel
The Portofino peninsula has four very different mooring options within 2 NM of each other: the iconic Portofino harbour itself (premium-priced and reservation-only), the hidden Paraggi cove just to the north, the elegant Santa Margherita Ligure 1.5 NM further N, and Rapallo at the head of Golfo Marconi with the legendary Carlo Riva marina. Pick by budget, weather, and what kind of evening you want.
The Portofino peninsula — the headland that juts south from the Ligurian coast between Camogli and Rapallo — is one of the most photographed stretches of the Italian Riviera. Its tiny natural harbour at Portofino village has been an icon since the 1950s, when Hollywood discovered it. But Portofino itself is small, expensive, and often full — and the alternatives nearby give you very different sailing experiences. Paraggi is a hidden green-water cove a few hundred metres north. Santa Margherita Ligure is the elegant Belle Époque resort 1.5 NM N. Rapallo at the head of the gulf has the world-famous Carlo Riva yacht marina. All four within 2 NM of each other, all worth knowing.
⚠ Reality check across the peninsula:
→ Portofino is reservation-only · mooring balls only · premium pricing · book ahead
→ Paraggi exposed to E/SE · day-stop only · no overnight in marginal weather
→ Rapallo head-of-bay anchorage open to S · calm weather only
→ Heavy ferry & tender traffic · particularly Portofino in summer
→ Marine Protected Area · much of the peninsula is in the AMP Portofino · respect anchoring restrictions
⚓ The Four Options at a Glance
Portofino
44°18′.5N · 09°12′.7E · Premium · Mooring balls only
Paraggi
Small bay N of Portofino · Open ESE · Day-stop
Santa Margherita Ligure
44°19′.9N · 09°13′.1E · 350 berths · Belle Époque town
Rapallo
44°20′.65N · 09°14′.0E · Carlo Riva 400 berths · Head of bay anchor
⚓ 1. Portofino Harbour — The Iconic Stop
Position · 44°18′.5N · 09°12′.7E
Portofino Village Harbour
The setting: A tiny natural harbour ringed by pastel-coloured houses, framed by the wooded slopes of Monte di Portofino. Castello Brown and the Church of San Giorgio sit on the headlands at the entrance. The visual centre of Italian Riviera glamour since the 1950s.
Mooring system: Mooring balls inside the small harbour basin · reservation required in advance · operated by the local authority and concessionaires.
Pricing: Premium · among the most expensive overnight mooring on the Italian coast.
Shelter: Excellent · the natural harbour is well-protected.
⚠ Hazards: Heavy tender traffic in summer · ferries from Camogli and Santa Margherita arrive constantly · narrow entrance · plan a slow controlled approach.
Cultural Context — “Portus Delphini”
The name Portofino comes from the Roman “Portus Delphini” — Port of the Dolphin — recorded by Pliny the Elder. The fishing village remained obscure for nearly two millennia until the 1950s, when Hollywood arrived and the Riviera became fashionable. Castello Brown on the headland (named after British consul Montague Yeats Brown who restored it in the 1860s) and the Church of San Giorgio at the harbour entrance are both walkable for shore time.
Walk to Punta del Capo & the Lighthouse: A 30-minute uphill path from the village leads to the Portofino lighthouse and panoramic views over the gulf — one of the best photo points on the Riviera.
⚓ 2. Paraggi — The Hidden Green-Water Cove
Small Bay Immediately N of Portofino · Day-Stop · Open ESE
Sono di Paraggi (Cala di Paraggi)
Setting: A small bay immediately north of Portofino, between Portofino and Santa Margherita. Famous for the extraordinary green-turquoise water colour created by the underwater Posidonia meadows in the bay — one of the most distinctive water colours on the Italian coast.
Bottom: Sand and weed.
⚠ Exposure: Open to the east-southeast · this is a fair-weather day-stop only. Even moderate ESE conditions make the cove uncomfortable.
No overnight: The combination of small size, exposure, and Marine Protected Area restrictions means this is a swim-stop and lunch-stop, not an overnight anchorage.
Why come here: The water colour, the secluded feel just past the Portofino crowd, and the path-only access from land — Paraggi is one of the most under-appreciated stops on the Riviera.
Practical Note — Marine Protected Area
Paraggi sits inside the Area Marina Protetta del Promontorio di Portofino. There are buoys for daytime mooring, anchoring restrictions in some zones, and conservation rules for the Posidonia meadows below. Use a buoy if available rather than dropping anchor on the seagrass — the underwater meadows are protected and slow to regrow if damaged.
⚓ 3. Santa Margherita Ligure — The Belle Époque Resort
Position · 44°19′.9N · 09°13′.1E · 1.5 NM N of Portofino
Santa Margherita Ligure Marina
Position: 1.5 NM north of Portofino · the practical alternative when Portofino’s mooring balls are full or you want to avoid the premium pricing.
Berths: 350
Depths: 2–10 m
VHF working channels: Ch 11, 16
Phone: +39 335 841 1379
Shelter: Good
Setting: Elegant Belle Époque buildings surround the harbour · the town has the resort-grand-tour feel that the Riviera built itself on in the late 19th century.
Cultural Context — Belle Époque Resort
Santa Margherita developed as a Belle Époque seaside resort in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — a destination for the European aristocracy and bourgeoisie escaping northern winters. The grand hotels along the seafront, the elegant villas, and the public gardens all date from that era and remain in use today. Villa Durazzo on the hill above the harbour (built 1678, with later 19th-century additions and beautiful terraced gardens) is the cultural landmark · open to the public.
Practical advantage: Use Santa Margherita as your overnight base · take the small ferry or walk the coastal path (~2.5 km, ~30 min) to Portofino for an evening visit · save the Portofino premium pricing.
⚓ 4. Rapallo — Carlo Riva & the Treaty Town
Position · 44°20′.65N · 09°14′.0E · Head of Golfo Marconi
Rapallo — At the Head of the Gulf
Position: NE of Santa Margherita Ligure, at the head of Golfo Marconi (named after the Nobel-laureate radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, who lived nearby).
Mooring options: Two marinas + a calm-weather anchorage at the head of the bay. Three distinct choices.
Marina 1 · Carlo Riva · 400 Berths · 3–7 m Depths
Carlo Riva Marina — A Yachting Legend
Berths: 400 yacht berths.
Depths: 3–7 m
Phone: +39 0185 505583
Heritage: The marina is named for and was developed by Carlo Riva (1922–2017) — the legendary Italian boat-builder whose Riva Aquarama mahogany speedboats became symbols of Italian style and 1960s glamour. Riva himself moored his personal fleet here. The marina retains the high-end yachting atmosphere associated with the Riva name.
Marina 2 · Porto Pubblico · Small Craft
Porto Pubblico — For Smaller Craft
The municipal harbour for smaller craft · alternative to Carlo Riva at lower cost · less prestige, more accessible.
Calm-Weather Anchorage · Head of Bay · 2–5 m Mud · Good Holding
Head-of-Bay Anchorage
Position: At the head of Golfo Marconi.
Depths: 2–5 m
Bottom: Mud · good holding.
⚠ Exposure: Open to the south · calm weather only · care is needed.
Best use: Free overnight in settled conditions · cheaper than the marinas · dinghy ashore for the Rapallo seafront.
Cultural Context — The Treaty & the Writers
Treaty of Rapallo (1920) and Rapallo Conference (1922): Two diplomatic agreements signed in this town shaped the post-WWI European order — the 1920 treaty between Italy and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes settling Adriatic borders, and the 1922 Rapallo Treaty between Germany and Soviet Russia, the first major diplomatic agreement after WWI for both isolated nations.
Literary heritage: Ezra Pound lived in Rapallo from 1924 to 1945 — much of his Cantos was written here. Ernest Hemingway visited in 1923 and described the coast in his work. Max Beerbohm retired here. Friedrich Nietzsche spent winters in Rapallo and wrote portions of Thus Spoke Zarathustra here in the 1880s.
Visual landmarks: The 16th-century Castello sul Mare on a small island just off the seafront — connected by a stone walkway · genuinely unusual castle setting. The cable car (funivia) up to the Sanctuary of Montallegro for panoramic views.
Which One to Choose?
If you want the iconic Portofino experience: Reserve a Portofino harbour mooring ball well in advance · accept the premium pricing · enjoy the village from your boat at golden hour · the postcard view is the reason.
If you want to swim in incredible water: Day-stop at Paraggi · use a mooring buoy (don’t drop anchor on the Posidonia) · jump in for the green-turquoise colour · move on for overnight elsewhere.
If you want overnight base + Portofino access without the premium: Santa Margherita Ligure · 1.5 NM N · 350 berths · ferry or walk to Portofino in the evening. The smart play.
If you want yachting heritage + a different town atmosphere: Rapallo Carlo Riva · 400 berths · the Riva yacht legacy · Castello sul Mare · literary pedigree (Pound, Hemingway, Nietzsche).
If you want budget overnight in calm weather: Rapallo head-of-bay anchorage · 2–5 m mud · good holding · free · dinghy ashore. Settled forecast required.
Multi-day approach: Combine 2–3 of these. Day at Paraggi for swimming → overnight Santa Margherita with Portofino visit → second night Rapallo for the culture and the yacht atmosphere. All within 2 NM of each other · easy day-sailing between them.
Wind & Shelter Strategy
N or NE winds: All four options sheltered by the Mount Portofino peninsula behind. Good across the board.
E or SE winds: Paraggi exposed (open to ESE) · move to Santa Margherita or Rapallo. Portofino harbour itself fine inside.
S winds (Libeccio component): Rapallo head-of-bay anchorage exposed (open to S) · use the marina instead. Portofino, Santa Margherita, Carlo Riva all sheltered.
Strong libeccio: Carlo Riva or Santa Margherita marina basins are the most secure. Avoid the open-bay anchorages entirely.
The Portofino Marine Protected Area
Most of the seabed around the Portofino peninsula is protected as the Area Marina Protetta del Promontorio di Portofino (AMP Portofino) — established 1999. The protection covers Posidonia oceanica meadows (the seagrass that gives Paraggi its remarkable green water colour), red coral colonies on the underwater cliffs, and a rich diversity of Mediterranean fish species.
What this means for sailors:
- Use designated mooring buoys in the protected zones rather than dropping anchor on Posidonia.
- No fishing in zones A and B (the strictest zones).
- Diving rules apply — guided diving only in many areas, advance authorisation required.
- Speed limits in coastal waters · check signage.
Pro Tips for the Portofino Peninsula
Reserve Portofino harbour months ahead. Mooring balls in summer go fast · the iconic stop is reservation-only · don’t show up expecting to find space.
Use Santa Margherita for the smart play. Berth 1.5 NM N at Santa Margherita’s marina, then ferry or walk the coastal path into Portofino for sunset and dinner. Same Portofino experience without the premium and the stress.
Day-stop at Paraggi for the water. The green-turquoise colour from the Posidonia underneath is genuinely special · pick up a mooring buoy (don’t anchor on the seagrass) · swim, lunch, move on.
Walk the Portofino lighthouse path. 30-minute uphill from Portofino village to the lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula. Best photo viewpoint on the coast. Time it for golden hour.
Visit Castello Brown. The 16th-century castle on the Portofino headland — restored by British consul Montague Brown in the 1860s, now a museum with exhibits on the village’s history and panoramic terrace views over the harbour. 15 minutes uphill from the village.
Day-sail to San Fruttuoso. ~2 NM W around the headland · the abbey in the secluded cove · Christ of the Abyss statue underwater · the SeaTV-favourite contrast to the Portofino glamour.
Respect the AMP Portofino rules. Mooring buoys not anchor where indicated · no fishing in protected zones · the Posidonia meadows below Paraggi are slow to regrow. Conservation is real here.
Visit Castello sul Mare in Rapallo. 16th-century castle on its own small island, connected by stone walkway · genuinely unusual setting · 5 minutes from Carlo Riva.
Take the Rapallo cable car (funivia) up to Montallegro. Panoramic views over the Gulf of Tigullio · the 16th-century Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro · the practical alternative to a long climb on foot.
Routes from the Portofino Peninsula
W around to Camogli: ~4 NM around Punta Chiappa · the working tuna trap · the Wives’ House village. See Camogli.
SE to Lavagna and Sestri Levante: ~7–10 NM · the Riviera continuation east. See Lavagna Marina · Sestri Levante.
SE further to Cinque Terre & Gulf of Poets: ~25 NM total. See Portovenere · La Spezia Gulf.
NW to Genoa: ~15 NM up the coast. See Genova Sestri Ponente.
Cinque Terre route: See Cinque Terre — Sestri Levante to La Spezia.
Genoa-Portofino-Sestri Levante route: See Sailing from Genova — Portofino & Sestri Levante.
✅ Sailor’s Master Checklist for the Portofino Peninsula
▢ Portofino mooring ball reserved well in advance (if planning that stop)
▢ AMP Portofino rules understood (mooring buoys, no anchor on Posidonia)
▢ Wind forecast checked (E/SE = avoid Paraggi · S = avoid Rapallo head-of-bay)
▢ Choice between 4 options matched to budget, weather, atmosphere
▢ Santa Margherita backup plan if Portofino is full
▢ VHF Ch 11/16 for Santa Margherita marina contact
▢ Tender traffic anticipated in Portofino harbour
▢ VHF on Ch. 16 throughout
Contact & Emergency Numbers — Portofino Peninsula
European Emergency: 112
Italian Coastguard (Capitaneria di Porto): 1530
Coastguard Distress (VHF Ch. 16): Universal
Santa Margherita Ligure Marina: +39 335 841 1379 · VHF Ch. 11, 16
Carlo Riva Marina (Rapallo): +39 0185 505583
Watch the SeaTV Visual Pilot Video
Drone passes over the four anchorages — Portofino’s iconic harbour with Castello Brown above, the green-turquoise Paraggi cove, Santa Margherita’s elegant Belle Époque seafront, and Rapallo’s Castello sul Mare on its own little island. The whole peninsula in one panoramic visual. Free for members.
Related SeaTV Pages
Mount Portofino — Adjacent Pages
→ Portofino — dedicated detail page
→ Camogli · ~4 NM W around Punta Chiappa · the Wives’ House village
→ Lavagna Marina · ~7 NM SE · 1,600-berth full-shelter alternative
→ Sestri Levante · ~10 NM SE
Routes
→ Sailing from Genova — Portofino & Sestri Levante
Sailing the Portofino Peninsula?
4 distinct stops within 2 NM · Portofino icon · Paraggi green-water cove · Santa Margherita Belle Époque · Rapallo Carlo Riva & the Treaty town.
“Four very different stops within 2 nautical miles of each other — the icon and the alternatives. Portofino itself for the postcard view if you reserve and pay for the privilege. Paraggi for the green-turquoise water from the Posidonia underneath. Santa Margherita for the Belle Époque resort feel and the Portofino access without the premium. Rapallo for the Carlo Riva yacht heritage, the Treaty history, and Pound, Hemingway, Nietzsche on the literary roster. Plot the wind, respect the AMP rules, and the peninsula opens up as the most layered cruising stretch on the entire Italian Riviera.”
— SeaTV Visual Pilot · Ligurian Coast Edition
