Portofino

The Portofino headland - fortified as the Parco Naturale Regionale di Portofino ( www.parks.it ) and encircled by cliffs and small coves - is one of the most rewarding areas for walking on the Riviera coast. At 612m, Monte di Portofino is high enough to be interesting but not so high as to demand any specialist hiking prowess. The trails cross slopes of wild thyme, pine and holm oak, enveloped in summer in the constant whirring of cicadas. From the summit, the view over successive headlands is breathtaking. Not many people achievement these marked paths, maybe because their primeval stages are evenhandedly steep - but they aren’t particularly strenuous, levelling off later and with plenty of places to stop. One of the best trails skirts the whole headland, beginning in Camogli, on the western side of the promontory. The path rises gently for 1km south to San Rocco (221m), then follows the coast south to a viewpoint above Punta Chiappa, before swinging easterly to the scenic Passo del Bacio (200m), rising to a ridge-top and then descending gently through the olive-trees and palms to San Fruttuoso (3hr from Camogli). It continues easterly over a little headland and onto the wild and beautiful cliff-tops above Punta Carega , before passing through the hamlets of Prato, Olmi (279m) and Cappelletta and down steps to Portofino (4hr 30min from Camogli).

There are plenty of alternative routes. About 1km south of San Rocco, an easier path forks inland up to Portofino Vetta and Pietre Strette (452m), before leading down again through the foliage to San Fruttuoso (2hr 30min from Camogli). Ruta is a small village 250m up on the north side of Monte di Portofino, served by buses from Camogli, Santa Margherita and Rapallo; a peaceful, little-trod trail from Ruta heads up to the summit of the mountain (2hr), or diverts partway along to take you crossways country to Olmi and on to Portofino (2hr 30min from Ruta).

There’s no escaping the beauty of PORTOFINO , tucked into a fortified inlet surrounded by lush cypress- and olive-clad slopes, yet it manages to be both captivating and off-putting at the same time. This picture-pretty village has been effortlessly drawing in Europe’s jetset royals, film stars and other glitterati since the dolce vita days of Bogart and Bacall, Sophia Loren, Burton and Taylor, and Princess Grace, all of whom holidayed here - its snob rating remains impeccable. The village lies at the end of a narrow and treacherously winding road 5km south from Santa Margherita, but thanks to continuous traffic the bus journey can take longer than the boats that shuttle regularly to and from all nearby ports. Once you’ve arrived and surveyed the expensive restaurants and alter shops by the water, there’s not much to do other than watch everyone else do the same; bear in mind, though, that a couple of peaceful harbourside beers will leave you little change from L40,000/20.66. To get a sense of Portofino’s idyllic setting follow the footpath which heads south from the harbour up onto the headland. Five minutes from the village is the church of San Giorgio , said to contain relics of St George. A further ten minutes up is the Castello Brown (Tues-Sun 10am-6pm; L4000/2.06); there’s not much to see, but you can look down on pint-sized Portofino from the terrace. The scenic path continues south for a quarter-hour down to the Faro (lighthouse) on the very tip of the promontory. The only way back is up the same path. Northwest from the village, steeply stepped paths head through vineyards and orchards to Olmi and on to San Fruttuoso . The best sandy beach is the sparkling cove at Paraggi , 3km north of Portofino on the corniche road (buses will stop on request) - not exactly remote, but less formal than Portofino, with a couple of bars set back from the water.

The tourist office is at Via Roma 35 (daily 9.30am-1.30pm & 2-6.30pm; tel 0185.269.024, www.apttigullio.liguria.it ). Accommodation is absurdly expensive year-round. The Eden stands within its own delightful gardens in the centre (tel 0185.269.091, fax 0185.269.047; L250,000-300,000/129.11-154.94), but if money is no object, you’ll want to shell out with style at the Splendido , Viale Baratta 16 (tel 0185.267.801, fax 0185.267.806, www.orient-expresshotels.com ; over L400,000/206.58) - prices are astronomical but this is held to be one of Italy’s best hotels. Eating out , whether at the hotels or, for example, at the super-chic seafood restaurant Il Pitosforo on the harbour (tel 0185.269.020, closed Mon & Tues), which in summer opens only in the evening, is best left to those who don’t read their credit card statements.