We decided to drive the coast as part of our Italian Roadtrip. We left the narrow and windy roads of Nice, France only to find even tinier zig-zagged roads of Italy. GPS sent us the “quickest” route which was definitely an adventure driving through, what seemed at times, people’s backyards.
As you may have heard the bridge collapsed in Genoa over the summer, so the only hiccup of the trip was rerouting around the detour. The drive from Nice to Portofino is approximately 2hours and 30 minutes—> so you can easily get there in time for lunch.
Portofino is part of the Italian Riviera. A former fishing harbor is now frequented by celebrities, as a chic and picturesque town with high-end shopping options. The town, much like Cinque Terre, is clustered along the coast with colorful houses.
Hotels to Try:
Hotel Piccolo
Belmond Hotel Splendido
Albergo Nazionale
Restaurants:
Ristorante Stella
Spiaggia Regina Elena
Acqua Pazza
Antonio’s
We enjoyed lunch on the water and took a stroll in the harbor. This is a stop I would highly recommend whether or not you choose to head to Cinque Terre after. Portofino is located only 1hr and 50 mins from Milan, so if you are traveling in Northern Italy, this is still very close to Lake Como, Milan and due west of Venice!
On the Flip side, it is an easy stop on your way to Pisa and Florence if your final destination is Tuscany! (Which is another favorite of mine) ***But let’s be honest: You know I love Italy more than any place in the world..and yes I will live here someday! <3 A GIRL CAN DREAM!!
Things to Do in Portofino:
Short hike to the Church of San Giorgio
Kayak & Canoeing
Ferries, Boats, and Water Taxies
Snorkel
Although the location seems remote and casual: the shops are all high end designers with restaurants, gelato, and wine bars surrounding. I felt a bit like Audrey Hepburn & Grace Kelly: Oversized Beach Hat with Cat Eyes.
Next Stop: Heading to Cinque Terre: rugged portion of the coast comprising of 5 villages.
5 Villages:
Monterosso al Mare: The largest of the villages, more restaurants and hotel options, the best beaches are here.
Vernazza: This is the village you see in all of the photos from Cinque Terre from the town of Moneterosso
Corniglia: smaller and quieter than other villages, sits high on a cliff with multi-colored homes
Manarola: second smallest town, also sits high on a cliff overlooking the meditteranean
Riomaggiore: southern most village
The sign says not to enter…but everyone does. Harbor in Vernazza
We opted to stay in the village of Vernazza. I drove us down the winding roads from Portofino. This is one of the villages cars are not allowed. So after a stressful drive we parked the car and walked to our ‘room’ about .9 mile. I’m loosely using the word ‘room’ at our “hotel.” I never write a bad review; however, that being said…this was probably the worst sleeping arrangement I've ever had.
We booked our room at Pensione Sorriso….. we knew this was not going to be a 5 star review; at the time it had a 3 star. When we arrived to Vernazza at 8 pm, the lobby was already closed. We had just trekked down the hill to town with all of our luggage and now had to find our key. The woman was nowhere to be found…once we finally found someone to let us into our room, we saw AND heard a train about 50 meters from our room. Originally we had planned on staying here longer, but that was instantly changed and we decided Lake Como sleeping arrangements had to be better than this (which they were.)
Barring the horrible sleeping arrangements, we decided to make the best of it. The location was beautiful and remote, and we were on an adventure, right?! So we were going to head out and find a restaurant and some red Italian wine! We walked down to the harbor to Hotel & Restaurant Gianni Franzi. This was actually the hotel of choice but it was booked. If you are looking at the photo above, Restaurant Gianni is to the right of the trees where the white chairs and colored umbrellas are located.
I’m not exaggerating, this was the best meal of the trip so far. We ordered a fabulous wine recommended by our handsome waiter, and I had a delicious Veal entrée with dessert to follow. I believe Scott ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese (his favorite dish) and it lived up to all expectations.
Above is the harbor: The water was crystal clear.
This is a photo of the harbor of Vernazza. As I mentioned prior, Cinque Terre is made up of 5 villages and the main purpose of the visit is to hike from village to village. Cinque Terre—>Porto Venere is 15.9 miles. On Average, the distance between each point is 2 miles. The view from Monterosso to Vernazza is the photo you have probably seen a dozen times on Instagram (favorably at sunset.)
Cinque Terre is a much more rugged and casual spot compared to Portofino, so keep this in mind depending on the type of traveler you are. There are wine and cheese shops here as well as local markets in the streets but there is no high-end shopping or luxurious hotels to stay at. This is a more outdoorsy and active type of traveler…not one for the mani-pedi/ massage and relaxing tourist.
Beautiful View on the top. Restaurant above Belforte.
Part of the journey is not to over plan. Figure out what you like and when you want to stop and when you want to stay in a place longer than expected. We enjoyed Portofino a bit more; however, if hiking is what you wish to do as a traveler, Cinque Terre may be more your style. I’m so happy we were able to see this part of the world, but we were ready for the next part of our adventure so it was time to leave the Italian Riviera.
Next Stop—> Lake Como via Milan. Until Next Time, Safe Travels. Ciao!
xoxo, Ali
*follow me on Instagram: travali_lux & lillyloren85 for up-to-date photos and travel itinerary.
