Portofino and the Cinque Terre by Boat: San Fruttuoso, Portovenere and the Gulf of Poets (2026)

The Riviera di Levante packs a lot into a short stretch of sea. The Portofino promontory drops into deep, clear water, with an abbey in a cove no road reaches. Further east, the Cinque Terre villages cling to cliffs above a marine reserve, and the Gulf of Poets opens out around Lerici, Portovenere and Palmaria. Two marine protected areas govern much of this coast, which is why a private boat with a local skipper works so well here: you reach the coves, and someone else knows the rules.

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This guide is part of our series on Italy by boat. To add golf and wine, see yacht, wine and golf on the Italian Riviera. For the towns on land, see our guide to Portofino and Genoa.

Harbours and marinas: where the boats leave from

The coast splits into two halves: the Portofino promontory, reached from the Tigullio harbours, and the Cinque Terre and Gulf of Poets, reached from the Gulf of La Spezia. Doing both in one day means long runs and little swimming.

• Portofino: the small harbour below the piazzetta. Ideal if you stay in the village; the road in is narrow and parking limited. About 15 minutes by car from Santa Margherita outside peak traffic.
• Santa Margherita Ligure: the most practical base for the promontory, with a marina in town. About 40 minutes by car from Genoa airport.
• Rapallo, Porto Carlo Riva: a full service marina suited to larger yachts and multi day charters. About 35 to 40 minutes from Genoa airport.
• Lerici: a harbour below a castle, the elegant base for the Gulf of Poets. About an hour by car from Pisa airport.
• Portovenere: the closest harbour to Palmaria and the southern Cinque Terre.
• La Spezia: the city marinas, including Porto Mirabello, suit larger yachts and guests arriving by train.

Santa Margherita to La Spezia is roughly an hour by motorway. For transfers and car hire, see our Italy travel planner.

Five routes in detail

Times assume a fast motor boat, slowing to the 5 knot limit inside the protected zones. Sailing yachts take longer. Treat every timing as a rough guide and agree the plan with your skipper.

Route 1: the Portofino promontory (half day, about 4 hours)

Run south from Santa Margherita past Paraggi, the small green bay where anchoring is restricted by a roped zone in season. Slow down for Portofino harbour, round the lighthouse at Punta del Capo and follow the cliffs west, past Cala degli Inglesi. The highlight is San Fruttuoso, the medieval abbey in a cove reached only on foot or by sea. Moor in the buoy field if you have a booking, then go ashore for a visit and a seafood lunch at one of the trattorias by the beach. Finish at Punta Chiappa, a flat rock platform at the western tip. Santa Margherita to Portofino is only about 3 nautical miles, so the loop fits easily into a morning or afternoon.

Route 2: Portofino to the Cinque Terre (full day, 7 to 8 hours)

Head south east past Sestri Levante and its Baia del Silenzio; ashore, the town caps the beach at 450 people at a time from 1 July to 31 August 2026, so admiring it from the boat is often the better choice in high summer. Continue past Levanto and Punta Mesco into the Cinque Terre. Monterosso and Vernazza are the natural lunch stops, with Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore best seen from the sea. Portofino to Monterosso is in the region of 20 nautical miles, so expect at least an hour and a half each way on a fast boat. Choose a calm, settled day.

Route 3: the Gulf of Poets from Lerici (half day, about 4 hours)

The gulf owes its nickname to the poets who lived here, Shelley and Byron among them. From Lerici, follow the shore to the coves around Fiascherino and the village of Tellaro for a swim, then cross about 4 nautical miles to Portovenere for an aperitivo below the church of San Pietro.

Route 4: Palmaria, Tino and the southern Cinque Terre (full day, 6 to 7 hours)

Start with a slow loop of Palmaria. Its Grotta Azzurra can be reached only by sea; ask your skipper whether conditions allow a look inside. Swim off Pozzale, a pebble beach reachable only by water, and view Tino and tiny Tinetto from a distance (see the rules below). Then run north to Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza, moor on a buoy, swim beside the boat and go ashore for lunch.

Route 5: Portofino to Portovenere (two or three days)

Combine Routes 1, 2 and 4 into a one way passage on a skippered yacht with cabins: the promontory, a night in Rapallo, the Cinque Terre, a night in Portovenere or Lerici, then Palmaria. Ask early about summer berths, as both eastern harbours are small.

Rules: marine protected areas, buoys, fees and limits

Two marine protected areas cover much of this coast, and their rules differ. A local skipper will know them; without one, you are responsible.

Portofino Marine Protected Area

• Zones: in zone A, navigation, mooring, anchoring and swimming are forbidden.
• Speed: motor boats must not exceed 5 knots inside the protected area, and 3 knots inside the mooring fields.
• Engines: in zones B and C, motor boats need a holding tank, a compliant engine or eco antifouling; others may only head straight to the mooring areas. Jet skis are forbidden.
• Anchoring: forbidden in zone B; allowed in zone C except at Paraggi in season (1 March to 31 October), in red-buoyed bathing areas and near the mooring fields.
• Mooring buoys: the fields at San Fruttuoso and Punta Chiappa require authorisation and a fee. Under the 2024 rules, booking through the area’s AMP Portofino app was mandatory from 10am to 6pm, and bookings could not be cancelled. A €16 stamp duty applied to requests.
• Swimming: not allowed inside the mooring fields; elsewhere in zones B and C it follows harbour office ordinances.

Our research turned up contradictory information on buoy colours: the 2024 mooring rules describe orange areas for boats up to 7.5 metres and yellow for 7.5 to 24 metres, while the app’s store listing describes white and red buoys. It was not clear to us which applies in 2026, so check in the app. The park’s 2026 supplementary rules (approved on 8 April 2026) open the buoy fields from April to September 2026, with app bookings opening 48 hours ahead and no cancellations; check exact dates with the park or your skipper.

Cinque Terre Marine Protected Area

• Zones: zone A, off Punta Mesco and Capo Montenero, is limited to rowing, sail or electric craft with authorisation.
• Speed: in zone B, 5 knots within 300 metres of the coast and 10 knots between 300 and 600 metres.
• Daily permit: private boats need a daily park permit to navigate and moor in zone B or moor and anchor in zone C: €8 up to 10 metres, €13 from 10 to 24 metres, paid online. Charters work under their own authorisations; ask your skipper.
• Mooring buoys: fields sit off the villages. Speed is limited to 3 knots, and swimming is allowed only close to your own moored boat.
• Electric-only zone: the park planned a special protection area for electric navigation only, with full effect in 2027, but in July 2024 the regional administrative court suspended the rules after an appeal by boat hire operators. We could not confirm the current status, so ask your skipper whether your route is affected in 2026.

Palmaria, Tino and the Gulf of Poets

Tino is a military zone: unauthorised boats may not land, and a strip around it is off limits. Visitors are admitted on 13 September, the feast of San Venerio, and the following Sunday, by ferry. We found no single official summary of anchoring rules around Palmaria, so check with the harbour office or your skipper.

Licence-free hire

In Italy you can drive a hired boat without a licence if the engine is no more than 30 kW (about 40.8 hp) and you stay within 6 nautical miles of the coast. Minimum ages apply. The park rules above still apply, so a skippered boat is the more relaxing choice.

Types of boat and what a skippered charter includes

• Traditional gozzo: the traditional wooden boat, slow and comfortable, ideal for short routes.
• RIB or open motor boat: fast, the practical choice for Route 2, but exposed on a choppy day.
• Motor yacht: shade, cabins and a tender for going ashore.
• Sailing yacht: lovely in the Gulf of Poets, better suited to multi day trips.

Usually included: boat, skipper, fuel for an agreed route, often drinks and snorkelling gear. Often extra: fuel on larger yachts, lunch ashore, buoy fees, park permits, crew extras and overnight port fees. Ask for a written list before paying a deposit.

Routes at a glance

Best months, winds and practical tips

June and September are the sweet spot: warm water, long days and space in the anchorages. May is quieter but the sea is cool. July and August bring the warmest water, the busiest buoy fields and peak rates. By mid October many boats and seasonal hotels wind down.

The wind to watch is the libeccio, the south westerly, which can push a swell onto the promontory and the Cinque Terre, and the park rules limit buoy use in rough seas. Summer mornings are usually calmest. Keep a spare day and let the skipper decide.

• What to bring: reef-safe sun cream, a hat, a light layer and cash for lunch ashore.
• Seasickness: choose half day routes and a larger boat, and sit near the stern.
• Booking timing: book the boat as soon as your hotel is confirmed.
• August crowds: start early and visit San Fruttuoso in the morning.

For other Italian waters, see our guides to the Amalfi Coast by boat, Capri by boat and the best yacht spots along the Tuscany coast.

Where to stay near the departure harbours

Stay on the Portofino coast for Routes 1, 2 and 5, and near Portovenere for Routes 3 and 4. Confirm 2026 opening dates with each hotel.

Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino

A former monastery above Portofino’s harbour, reopened in June 2025 after a redesign by Martin Brudnizki, with a heated seawater pool, a Dior Spa and a shuttle down to the piazzetta and the boats. Strictly seasonal; ask the hotel for 2026 dates.

Best for: a glamorous base for the Portofino promontory.

Check rates at Splendido

Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino

The intimate sister hotel, with 14 rooms on the piazzetta, steps from the harbour. Guests reach Splendido’s facilities by shuttle. Ask the hotel for 2026 dates.

Best for: stepping straight from your room onto the boat.

Check rates at Splendido Mare

Grand Hotel Miramare, Santa Margherita Ligure

A seafront grand hotel a short walk along the promenade from the marina, with a seawater pool (April to October), the e’SPAce spa and its own beach.

Best for: easy boat days with a classic Riviera hotel.

Check rates at Grand Hotel Miramare

Excelsior Palace Portofino Coast, Rapallo

A palace hotel on the rocks, close to Porto Carlo Riva, with an infinity pool, the Eden Spa and a summer beach club.

Best for: multi day charters from Porto Carlo Riva.

Check rates at Excelsior Palace

Royal Sporting Hotel, Portovenere

A four star seafront hotel close to Portovenere’s harbour, with an outdoor pool and a tennis court. Ask the hotel for the walking time to your berth. Our guide to tennis hotels on the Italian Riviera has more detail.

Best for: Palmaria and Cinque Terre days from the southern end.

Check rates at Royal Sporting Hotel

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

Heading west: from the Ligurian Riviera, Monaco and Nice are a day’s cruise away. See Italian Riviera to the French Riviera by Boat and our French Riviera yacht charter guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see Portofino and the Cinque Terre by boat in one day?

Yes, on a fast boat in calm weather, but two half days from two harbours usually work better.

Do I need to book a mooring buoy at San Fruttuoso?

Yes. The park’s 2026 rules keep mandatory booking through the AMP Portofino app from 10am to 6pm, opening 48 hours ahead. Your skipper can book for you.

Can I swim anywhere off the boat?

No. It is forbidden in Portofino’s zone A and mooring fields, and limited in the Cinque Terre buoy fields. Your skipper will know the permitted spots.

Can I visit the island of Tino?

Only on 13 September and the following Sunday, by ferry. Private boats cannot land.