No pets allowed Not suitable for children under 5 Not suitable for elderly or infirm No smoking at this property Self-catering
Home description
This flat is located in the Portofino's main street "Via Roma" very close to the most famous "piazzetta" and the little natural harbour, at just two minutes’ walk from the beach. Quiet and peaceful, yet only five minutes from the larger resorts such as Santa Margherita Ligure, the flat has easy access to all amenities, including the local market for bargain hunting, and many excellent restaurants for eating out.
To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/83731
The North West Italy / Italian Riviera/Liguria region
Liguria borders France to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany to the east. It lies on the Ligurian Sea. Liguria is a narrow strip of land, enclosed between the sea and the Alps and the Apennines mountains, it is a winding arched extension from Ventimiglia to La Spezia and is one of the smallest regions in Italy. Its surface area is 5,416.03 square Kilometres, corresponding to 1.18% of the whole national surface area, with the following subdivision: 3524.08 kilometres mountain (65% of the total) and 891.95 square kilometres hill (35% of the total).
Its shape is that of a thin strip of land, from 7 to 35 Km wide (respectively above Voltri and in the high mountain area around Imperia), on average about 240 Km long, lying in a semicircle around the Ligurian Sea and with convexity facing north; comprised between the sea and the watershed line of the Maritime Alps and the nothern Apennines, which at some points it crosses (for example in the Savona and Genoa mountains). Some mountains rise above 2000 m.; the watershed line runs at an average altitude of about 1.000 metres.
The continental shelf, which is very narrow, goes down almost immediately to considerable marine depths. The coastline is 315 Km long. Except for the Portovenere and Portofino promontories, it is generally not very jagged, and is often high and compact. At the mouths of the biggest watercourses there are small beaches, but there are no deep bays and natural harbours except for those of Genoa and La Spezia.
The hydrographic system is made up of the short watercourses of a torrential kind. In the coastal part the most important are the Roja (in its lower course), the Nervia, and the Magra. On the inland side we find some tributaries of the Po: the two branches of the Bormida, the Scrivia and the Trebbia; there is not much water in these rivers, though the quantity increases greatly in rainy periods.
The ring of hills, lying immediately beyond the coast, together with the beneficial influx of the sea, account for the mild climate the whole year round (with average winter temperatures of 7-10° and summer temperatures of 25-28°) which makes for a pleasant stay even in the heart of winter.
Rainfall can be very abundant at times; mountains very close to the coast create an orographic effect, so Genoa can see up to 2000 mm of rain in a year; other areas instead show the normal values of the Mediterranean area (500-800 mm). Despite the high population density, woods cover half of the total area. Liguria's Natural Reserves cover 12% of the entire Region, i.e. around 60,000 hectares of land, and they are made up of one National Reserve, six large parks, two smaller parks and three nature reserves.
Portofino area
According to Pliny the Elder, Portofino was founded by the Romans and named Portus Delphini, or Port of the Dolphin, because of the large number of dolphins that inhabited the Tigullian Gulf. Portofino bay.
The village is mentioned in a diploma from 986 by Adelaide of Italy, which assigned it to the nearby Abbey of San Fruttoso di Capodimonte. In 1171, together with the neighbouring Santa Margherita Ligure, it was included in Rapallo's commune jurisdiction. After 1229 it was part of the Republic of Genoa. The town's natural harbour supported a fleet of fishing boats, but was somewhat too cramped to provide more than a temporary safe haven for the growing merchant marine of the Republic of Genoa.
In 1409 Portofino was sold to the Republic of Florence by Charles VI of France, but when the latter was ousted from Genoa the Florentine gave it back. In the 15th century it was a fief of families such as the Fieschi, Spinola, Adorno and Doria.
In 1815 it became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and, from 1861, of the unified Kingdom of Italy.
In the late 19th century, first British, then other northern European aristocratic tourists began to visit Portofino, which they reached by horse and cart from Santa Margherita Ligure. Aubrey Herbert (1880–1923) was one of the more famous Englishmen to maintain a villa at Portofino. Eventually more expatriates built expensive vacation houses, and by 1950 tourism had supplanted fishing as the town's chief industry, and the waterfront was a continuous ring of restaurants and cafés.
How to get there
The Tigullio Gulf is easy to reach thanks to a convenient rail and road network and its proximity to two international airports.
By car: From Rome or Florence take the A11 Firenze-mare motorway, then take the A12 towards Genoa. From Milan take the A7 Milan-Genoa motorway and continue along the A12 towards La Spezia. From Venice or Bologna take the A1 Bologna-Milan motorway to Parma, then take the A15 to La Spezia and continue along the A12 towards Genoa.
By train: The Tigullio Gulf is on the Genoa-La Spezia rail line, with numerous trains running daily. Trains leave from Genoas Piazza Principe station. There are several direct trains from Turin, Milan and Rome. From Florence, change at Pisa. All coastal towns can be accessed by rail, with the exception of Portofino, which can be reached by shuttle bus service from Santa Margherita. For timetables and information see www.trenitalia.it.
By air: The nearest airports to Tigullio and the Cinque Terre are Pisa Galilei and Genoa C. Colombo. Both operate national and international flights run by traditional and low cost airlines.
By sea: A tourist sea service runs between Portofino and the Cinque Terre from April to September, with extra passages in August. A unique opportunity to savour the maritime villages and the beauties of the coastline.
Nearest Travel Links
Airport:
Genoa: 40 km
Railway:
Santa Margherita Ligure: 5 km
Activities near Portofino
Sports: Tennis in town Golf within 30 mins drive Fishing
Great for: Walking holidays Rural / countryside retreats Beach or lakeside relaxation A winter sun break Good nightlife Cycling holidays
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