DeborahAnn

In mid May we will be spending a week in Levanto with a car. I thought one of the days should be a planned day trip to either/ both Portofino or Portovenere. I don't know if there is enough diversity between the two port towns to visit both during our week long stay.

I have read about Rapello, Camogli near Portofino and wondered if that would be a good combination for a day trip. If so, what would be a good way to combine these three towns either by driving, trains or ferry. I know the ferry is dependent on calm waters so I'm reluctant to use that as our only means of touring.

Are there towns around Portovenere to combine to make a full day of touring from Levanto? I know we can reach Portovenere by ferry from Levanto but again if the ferry isn't running can you give suggestions for a day trip that would include Portovenere and surrounding towns.

Thank you for any suggestions. Deborah

bobthenavigator

The ferry ticket includes Portovenere along with the 5T---I would see it by ferry.

It is easy to include both Camogli and and Portofino on the same day by car. Try to not make it a weekend day---our last time there it was closed to more people before noon that day.

downtownbrown

Agree with bob about the ferry, weather permitting.

DeborahAnn

bob--We will be in the CT when Camogli has their annual fish festival on the 2nd Sunday in May. I wonder if that is something we should make a point to attend or avoid because of crowds?? Any thoughts on attending? Thanks, I believe I have also read some of your trip reports on the Italian lakes. Deborah

scrb11

They're both great. I took the trains to both places. Think I had lunch in Camogli, then walked up to San Rocco and then walked south along the west coast of the promontory towards the SW tip.

There I took a boat to San Francesco, where I was going to be stranded because there were no other boats coming that afternoon. It was around 4 PM.

So I talked to one of the vendors in the beach. I don't speak Italian and they don't speak English. They motioned towards the eastern side of the peninsula. If I didn't want to sleep on the beach there, I'd have to climb up and then get to Portofino and then to Rapallo.

Took awhile for it to sink in that I had no other choice so I set out and started climbing, with no hiking poles, just a lot of camera and day pack gear on my back.

There was nobody else on that trail. But I did come across some kind of mountain goat, almost as big as a horse and with big horns. It cut right across my path and stared me down. But it was waiting for two smaller ones to cross the path and then once they got past, he moved on.

Had no idea what I'd do if that thing charged me with its horns.

Got to Portofino around 7 PM with sunlight fast receding. Looked around a bit but somehow didn't seem as exciting as the earlier part of the day.


Portovenere, took the train down to La Spezia, found a bus and then on the way back, took the boat back to La Spezia. Had seen the CT mostly by that time on that trip so didn't seem like the ferry was worth it.

But that was in mid/late May and the trains were always packed, so that might have been a good way to get around.

bobthenavigator

I would try to miss the crowds---stunning unto itself.