tommy

My original plans were to spend 2 nights in Camogli at Hotel Cenobio dei Dogi and 2 nights in Monterosso al Mare at the Hotel Porto Roca. Just found out today that the Porto Roca requires 3 night minimum. So now I am considering two nights at Grand Hotel Portovenere instead as a base for hiking the CT. Does anyone know if this hotel is comparable to the Porto Roca (I have read many good things about the Porto Roca here.) Also, is it located near the dock for the boat to CT? Or maybe I am better off just staying in Camogli and using the train the explore CT? Any suggestions or advice appreciated.

Melanie

Tommy,<BR>I've never stayed at Porto Roco but I stayed some nights this month at the Grand Hotel in Portovenere. It was very nice to stay there. The hotel is right beside the ocean where I saw boats docked, however, I'm not sure what dock you will be leaving from or if boats leave there to CT. You could call the hotel I'm sure and ask. (There was an english speaking lady at the front desk.) If you don't stay there, at least visit there...it was a lovely place to be.

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Tommy, I have stayed there twice and love Portovenere as a gateway to the CT.<BR>The hotel is 50 yards to the boat dock. Of course, weather dictates their schedule. The hotel Manager, Paolo Monti, also runs an excelllent cooking school there and the food in the hotel is very good. The all day boat ticket allows you to hit 4 of the 5 villages at your leisure. Good luck !

Elsa

We stayed at the Grand Hotel and thought it was fine. I will, however, say the room was VERY small. I've never seen a shower so small!!! I don't know how you would pick up the soap if you dropped it - I'm serious. If I remember correctly, there was a door to the stall so you would have to open that to stick your butt out in order to pick up the soap. I have no idea if all the rooms/showers are like this but.... With that said, I would assume we had one of the more expensive rooms (which wasn't all that much - maybe $120 a couple of yrs. ago) since it faced the harbor. The view was so beautiful in the morning w/ the sun coming up and the light just hitting the various colored buildings. I think it is rated a 4* hotel, but I would say a 3*. It is clean &amp; convenient to the ferry, and perfectly fine for a couple of nights. Portovenere is a very small village, but charming. Quite a few restaurants. As much as we enjoyed it, I'm not so sure it would be that great for you. You will have to take the ferry to the towns of CT every time you want to hike. As much as I enjoyed Portovenere, Camogli would suit you better b/c you are right there for the hiking. You wouldn't have to concern yourself w/ ferry schedules and rough water (if that condition should exist). Camogli is the 1 CT town that the ferry does NOT stop at. Cam. is VERY high up. Can't comment on Porto Roca, b/c we haven't stayed there.

Julie

Bob, it sounds to me like you may have stayed at the hotel several times. Was your experience the same as Elsa's re: bathroom size?

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

My room was lovely, but I think Paolo was being nice to me. They do have different prices for rooms--the front rooms with balconies are more. I was there last in Oct. and it was not full.

tommy

Thanks everyone for your info. Elsa, just to clarify, I will be staying in Camogli before venturing to the CT. I think you have Camogli confused with Corniglia. Camogli is in in the Portofino area, not CT. In investigating Portovenere, I am a little worried that transportation to CT will be limited, particularly, the boats don't seem to run in the evening. Any suggestions for returning to Portovenere should we decide to stay in one of the CT towns for dinner? I'll be there in September.

Colleen

I would make sure of the ferry schedule in Sept. I stayed at the Hotel Continental in Santa Margherita (the next town to the South of Camogli) as a base for the Ct and loved it. Camogli is also a lovely town. I wanted to take a ferry to check out Portovenere but was told that they didn't run after mid September which may also be the case to the CT. The trains are an easy way to get to the CT from Camogli and SM but even they don't run that late at night. Taxis can be found though and if you stay in Camogli Santa Margherita has many good resturants.