The Italian Riviera for Yacht, Wine and Golf: Portofino, Cinque Terre and Garlenda (2026)

Liguria is a thin arc of coast between France and Tuscany, which is why it suits a trip built around a boat, a vineyard and a tee time. From Santa Margherita Ligure you can be on the water at nine, on a historic course by early afternoon and in a wine bar by evening. The vineyards are small and steep, the golf is old school rather than resort style, and the boating around Portofino and down to the Cinque Terre is the real draw.

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This article is part of our new series on yacht, wine and golf trips in Italy, which compares every region where the three combine well. For larger resort courses, see the best golf resorts in Italy.

The golf: three historic Ligurian courses

Liguria’s courses date from the 1930s to the 1960s, are compact and reward accuracy over length. We could not load the clubs’ own websites, so the details below come from partner hotels, official tourism pages and golf directories. Check fees and closing days with each club before you travel.

Golf Club Garlenda

Garlenda sits in the Lerrone valley inland from Alassio, among olive groves and pine woods. La Meridiana hotel next door credits the layout to the English architects John Morrison and John Harris and dates it to 1964, while a golf directory gives 1965 as the founding year. It is an 18-hole, par 72 course of about 6,085 metres from the back tees, with a forward set of tees that suits higher handicaps. The clubhouse has a bar and restaurant, the range uses Toptracer, carts and electric trolleys can be hired, and a 9-hole green fee is offered from 3.30pm.

A golf directory states that a handicap certificate is required, with a limit of 36, and lists an annual closure around the last week of September and the first week of October. The only green fees we found were not dated for 2026, so ask the club for current rates and the exact closure dates.

Circolo Golf e Tennis Rapallo

Rapallo is the course for a Portofino base: it lies on the edge of town, about ten minutes by car from Santa Margherita. Italy’s official tourism site says the course was designed in 1929 and opened two years later; the original nine holes were joined later by a second nine (sources disagree on the date). It is an 18-hole, par 70 course set across 45 hectares along the Boate stream, short and tight, with narrow fairways, small greens and plenty of bunkers. Our research turned up contradictory information on its length: one golf directory gives 5,625 metres from the men’s yellow tees, while a golf tour operator gives 5,260 metres. It was not clear to us which applies, so check with the club.

A handicap certificate from your home club is required. Buggies are available, and the hills make one worthwhile in summer. One tour operator lists Tuesday as the closing day, so confirm. The club also has floodlit tennis courts, covered in our guide to tennis hotels on the Italian Riviera.

Circolo Golf degli Ulivi, Sanremo

Golf Club Sanremo plays on the hillside above town among olive terraces, with views down to the sea. The course was designed by Peter Gannon and dates from the early 1930s (sources differ on the exact year). It is an 18-hole, par 69 course of around 5,203 metres from the yellow tees, the shortest of the three but kept honest by its slopes. A golf directory states that a handicap certificate is required at weekends and on holidays, with a limit of 54, and that the course is closed on Tuesdays. The same directory lists 2026 weekday green fees from 65 euros; we could not confirm this on the club’s own price list, so check with the club.

The wine: Sciacchetrà, Pigato and Vermentino

Ligurian wine is made in small quantities on cliffside terraces. Three areas matter here: the Cinque Terre for dry whites and sweet Sciacchetrà, the Riviera Ligure di Ponente for Pigato and Vermentino near Garlenda, and the Colli di Luni on the Tuscan border for structured Vermentino. For the national picture, see our guide to Italian wine regions.

Cantina Cinque Terre, Groppo above Manarola

The Cinque Terre cooperative winery gathers grapes from many small growers. Its guided experience, as listed on wine tourism booking platforms in 2026, starts at Manarola station, walks through the vineyards, visits the winery and finishes with a tasting of three wines, including Cinque Terre DOC and Sciacchetrà, the passito made from grapes dried after harvest. It runs in English and Italian on selected days, morning and afternoon, and must be booked at least a day ahead. From Rapallo, drive about an hour to La Spezia and take the train, as parking in the villages is difficult.

Bio Vio, Bastia d’Albenga

Bio Vio is an organic family estate and agriturismo in Bastia d’Albenga, about 15 minutes from Garlenda, and a good introduction to Pigato, the white grape of the Ponente. Its two-hour tour and tasting covers winemaking from harvest to fermentation and a selection of whites, reds and rosé. Bookings are made as a request that the estate confirms, and tours are offered in Italian, English and German. Ask whether food is included.

Ca’ Lunae, Colli di Luni

Ca’ Lunae is the visitor centre of Cantine Lunae Bosoni, founded in 1966, set in a restored 18th-century estate on the old Via Aurelia near Castelnuovo Magra. Tastings centre on Vermentino, alongside local varieties such as Albarola and Vermentino Nero. There is a small museum of rural wine culture and, since 2024, winery tours and the Ostaia Ca’ Lunae restaurant. Book through the estate’s website, by email or by phone. It is about an hour from Rapallo and close to Lerici.

The water: a day on a yacht or private boat

On the Riviera di Levante, most skippered charters leave from Portofino’s small harbour, the marina at Santa Margherita Ligure or Porto Carlo Riva in Rapallo. Further east, Lerici and Portovenere are the bases for the Gulf of La Spezia and the Cinque Terre. For ideas further south, see the best yacht spots along the Tuscany coast.

Half day: the classic route runs from Santa Margherita past Paraggi and into Portofino, then around the headland to San Fruttuoso, the abbey in a cove with no road access, and on to Punta Chiappa, all inside the Portofino Marine Protected Area. Anchoring is restricted, and the mooring buoys at San Fruttuoso and Punta Chiappa must be booked through the protected area’s app during the day, with a 3-knot speed limit inside the buoy fields and swimming not allowed within the mooring areas. A local skipper knows where swimming is permitted, a strong reason to go crewed here.

Full day: head south past Sestri Levante and its Baia del Silenzio to the Cinque Terre, with swim stops off the cliffs and lunch ashore in Monterosso or Vernazza, or anchor off Portovenere and the island of Palmaria. From Lerici or Portovenere, a half day is enough.

What a skippered charter typically includes: the boat, skipper and fuel for an agreed route, often with snorkelling gear and soft drinks. Lunch ashore and mooring fees are usually extra, so ask. Most boats run from spring to early autumn; the protected area’s buoys have operated from late April to late September.

A sample four-day itinerary

• Day 1, Santa Margherita: arrive via Genoa airport, about 40 minutes by car. Evening aperitivo in Portofino’s piazzetta.
• Day 2, the water: half-day boat from Santa Margherita to San Fruttuoso and Punta Chiappa in the morning. Afternoon round at Rapallo, ten minutes away.
• Day 3, Cinque Terre wine: drive about an hour to La Spezia, train to Manarola for the cooperative’s vineyard walk and Sciacchetrà tasting.
• Day 4, west to Garlenda: drive about 1.5 hours west on the A12 and A10 motorways. Round at Garlenda, then a late afternoon Pigato tasting at Bio Vio, 15 minutes away. Add a fifth day for Sanremo, about an hour further west.

Comparison table: golf on the Italian Riviera

Best months, weather and practical tips

May, June and September are the sweet spot: warm enough to swim, comfortable for golf and before or after the August crowds. July and August bring peak rates, busy anchorages and heat on the fairways, so play early. October suits golf and wine, but many boats and seasonal hotels wind down. Sanremo is generally milder in winter.

• Handicap card: bring a valid certificate from your home club for every course, even where it is only listed as required at weekends.
• Dress codes: collared shirts and tailored shorts or trousers are standard on Italian club courses. Check clubhouse dress rules before lunch.
• Transfers with clubs: book a car large enough for golf bags; roads are narrow and hotel parking is often paid.
• Wind for sailing: summer mornings are usually calmest. A south-westerly libeccio can raise a swell around Portofino, so build in a spare day.
• Getting around: our Italy travel planner covers transfers, car hire and eSIMs.

Where to stay for yacht, wine and golf

Split your stay: three nights on the Portofino coast for the boat and Rapallo, then one or two in the west for Garlenda and Sanremo. For sleeping among the vines elsewhere, see vineyard hotels and wine resorts in Italy.

Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino

Set in a former monastery on the hillside above Portofino’s harbour, Splendido reopened in June 2025 after a full redesign. It has a heated seawater pool, a Dior Spa and a shuttle to the piazzetta, where boats leave for San Fruttuoso. Rapallo golf is about 20 to 25 minutes by car. Splendido is strictly seasonal, and 2026 opening dates were not published when we checked, so ask the hotel.

Best for: a glamorous boat-focused stay with golf as an extra.

Check rates at Splendido

Grand Hotel Miramare, Santa Margherita Ligure

A seafront grand hotel near the marina, with a seawater pool (April to October), the e’SPAce spa and its own beach. Rapallo golf is about ten minutes away.

Best for: the most practical base for boat days and Rapallo golf.

Check rates at Grand Hotel Miramare

Excelsior Palace Portofino Coast, Rapallo

A palace hotel on the rocks with an infinity pool, the Eden Spa and a summer beach club. The Rapallo golf club is about a kilometre away, and Porto Carlo Riva is close by.

Best for: golfers who want the course on the doorstep and a spa for the evening.

Check rates at Excelsior Palace

La Meridiana, Garlenda

A Relais & Châteaux member since 1979, La Meridiana is a short walk from the first tee at Garlenda. The hotel books tee times, offers guest green fees and a five-day pass, and serves Ligurian cooking at Il Rosmarino. Bio Vio is about 15 minutes away. Ask the hotel about seasonal opening dates.

Best for: serious golfers who want to walk to the course.

Check rates at La Meridiana

Royal Hotel Sanremo

On Sanremo’s seafront since 1872, the Royal has a seawater pool designed by Gio Ponti, open from April to October, a spa and a palm garden. Circolo Golf degli Ulivi is on the hill above town, a short drive away. The hotel closes for a winter break, so check dates directly.

Best for: a longer golf season and a classic grand hotel.

Check rates at Royal Hotel Sanremo

For routes and marine park rules, see Portofino and the Cinque Terre by boat.

For all of Liguria’s courses in detail, see our guide to golf on the Italian Riviera.

For wine lovers: see our Cinque Terre and Liguria wine guide for estates that take visitors, booking rules and where to stay.

Across the border: for Monaco, Villefranche and Cap Ferrat by sea, see Monaco, Villefranche and Cap Ferrat by Boat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play golf and go out on a boat on the same day in Liguria?

Yes, from Santa Margherita or Rapallo: a morning boat to San Fruttuoso, then an afternoon round at Rapallo.

Do I need a handicap certificate to play in Liguria?

Yes. Garlenda and Rapallo are listed as requiring one, and Sanremo at weekends and on holidays. Carry it for every round.

What is Sciacchetrà?

A sweet passito wine from the Cinque Terre, made from grapes dried after harvest. Production is tiny, so taste it at source.

When is the boating season on the Italian Riviera?

Most skippered charters run from spring to early autumn, with June and September the most comfortable months.