PORTOFINO: Much more than a fishing village
By Marcela Aguilar y Maya

Liguria is one of those areas in Italy, and more generally in the world, where you can find some of the most beautiful places in existence. Famous for the area of Cinque Terre, Liguria also hosts one of the places has gained more and more attention from tourists that over time, thanks to it being so picturesque and touristy, as well as wonderfully enjoyable during the summer season.

Such a magical place deserves extraordinary attention, after all.

Portofino: A fishing village of fundamental historical and archaeological importance, it has now become a destination where you can enjoy unbridled fun, as well as the beautiful landscape.T

he main symbol of Liguria, Portofino and its historic square have made history in the area of tourism in Italy and continue to do so.

But what made Portofino so special?

In addition to being visually spectacular, Portofino boasts a tradition as a marine village dating back to Roman times under the name of Portus Delphini.

The history of Portofino is quite lively: from the beginning of 1200 to the end of 1800 it underwent many “changes of hands”, being first annexed to the Republic of Genoa, then passed to Florence, then regained by Genoa, ending up being part of the First French Empire until the Congress of Vienna in 1814, with which Portofino became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and finally part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

In addition to the wonderful sea, there are some really fascinating buildings and monuments, left by the various families that have ruled Portofino over the centuries and the administrations that have given Portofino points of artistic interest, some with greater care than others.

One of these is certainly the Oratory of Santa Maria Assunta, with its gothic details and its architecture in full gothic style.

The town’s promontory is certainly dotted with equally interesting buildings, arriving at the 16th century Brown Castle and the Punta del Capo lighthouse, the panoramic view around which can really take your breath away from its beauty.

With regard to the landscape and the sea, of course, Portofino is a seaside resort with a lot of charm, between paths, beaches and bays, you can also find one of the sculptures known throughout the world: the Christ of the Abyss.

Lying on the bottom of the sea at a depth of 17 meters, placed in the second half of the twentieth century as a work of art, it is now a tourist destination with diving organized specifically to see it.

The area is also extremely suitable for trekking and other types of adventure trails, perhaps by canoe, to reach places otherwise not reachable by land, such as North Cape and the beach of Paraggi, reachable by car, but also by a panoramic walk in the Park of Portofino, where you can also immerse yourself in the protected flora and fauna.