The resort town of Portofino, Italy, is known for its yacht-filled port, beautiful hiking trails and pastel houses that line the harbor and scatter up into the hills. A favorite of Hollywood stars and European royalty since the 1950s, Portofino combines village charm with upscale shopping, sightseeing and fine dining.
Beyond the famous piazzetta, travelers should pay a visit to the 12th-century Church of San Giorgio, which houses the relics of Portofino's patron saint, brought back by sailors after the Crusades.
If arriving at the harbor, climb a flight of stairs labeled "Salita San Girogio" which leads past the Church of San Giorgio to the town's castle, Castello Brown. The castle is open to the public (check the times in the tourist office); you can take in the view from the gardens or continue along the path to the lighthouse.
You can also take a 20-minute boat ride to the tiny island of San Fruttuoso to see the Benedictine Abbey and the Christ of the Abyss, a statue of Jesus 55 feet/17 meters below the sea, placed there in 1954 to protect fishermen and scuba divers.
The tourist office at Via Roma 35 offers free trail maps for biking and hiking in Portofino's park, Parco Naturale Regionale di Portofino. http://www.parks.it/parco.portofino.
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