Top Ten Italy Classic Adventures

The promontory of Portofino, not far from Cinque Terre, juts 600 meters up from the sea. Its steep, rocky flanks are covered with chestnut trees on the north side and Mediterranean bush on the south. The main path on the mountain goes from Camogli to San Fruttuoso, a 13th-century abbey in a little cove, and then heads into the town of Portofino, a fine harbor very popular among yachtsmen. The trail is easy except for one stretch called the acquedotto, which runs along a steep drop-off from San Fruttuoso to San Rocco without protection—beware if you suffer from vertigo. If you continue on to Santa Margherita, you can return by boat, circumnavigating the mountain.

Scuba divers should note that the sea bottom around Portofino is an underwater park, off limits to fishermen but great for divers.