Portofino and Santa Margherita

From Genoa it’s a 50 km run on the A12 before the narrow SP227 clings to the cliffs past Punta Chiappa. The slopes of Monte di Portofino drop 610 meters to clear water; Santa Margherita Ligure opens into a wider bay with liberty-era villas and a working boatyard. Portofino’s piazzetta sits below San Martino and Castello Brown, its tempo set by yacht tenders. There’s also the lighthouse walk to Punta del Capo and, for the curious palate, Camogli-style marinated anchovies served here since the 1950s.

Here’s how the day flows: hotel pickup in Genoa or Rapallo, Mercedes on standby, and while parking is a puzzle on the SP227, your driver handles access and reservations. Cruise by boat to San Fruttuoso (about 35 minutes each way), enjoy a seafood lunch on Santa Margherita’s waterfront, then return via Abbazia della Cervara as the light softens. You taste and explore; your chauffeur waits, advises, and fine-tunes stops to suit weather and marina traffic.