Portofino by yacht, 90 nm from Monaco

The jewel of the Ligurian coast — a tiny harbour worth the long run.

Portofino is the reward at the end of a longer passage: a pastel village wrapped around a perfect pocket harbour, backed by the green headland of the Monte di Portofino park. Moorings are few and prized.

At 90 miles it is an overnight or a multi-day leg from Monaco, and the crowning destination of a Riviera-to-Italy itinerary.

The crown of an Italian cruise

Portofino is the reward at the end of a longer passage — a pastel village wrapped around a perfect pocket harbour, backed by the green headland of its natural park. There is little to do but exactly what you came for: an aperitivo on the piazzetta, a walk to the lighthouse, a swim in clear Ligurian water. Moorings in the tiny harbour are few and prized, so we arrange a berth or a nearby anchorage well in advance.

Reaching Portofino from Monaco

At around 90 nautical miles, Portofino is an overnight or a multi-day leg from Monaco rather than a day-trip, and the crowning destination of a Riviera-to-Italy itinerary. The classic week eases east through Menton, Sanremo and the Ligurian coast before arriving here, so the village feels like the journey's reward. We plan the passage around the weather and build in the stops that make the run a pleasure rather than a delivery.

Around Portofino the wider Gulf of Tigullio opens up: Santa Margherita Ligure and Rapallo nearby, the abbey of San Fruttuoso in its hidden cove, and the Cinque Terre a little further on. A few days based here turn a single famous village into a whole Ligurian chapter, and we build the itinerary to make the most of the time the long passage has earned you.