Guide of Tigullio Itineraries Camogli - San Fruttuoso, Italy

Tigullio Camogli - San Fruttuoso, Italy

Camogli

A charming townlet rising west of Mount Portofino. The famous ancient port is one of the best-loved scenes in Italy, with its brightly coloured houses standing tall around the docks. In the centre, amid the port, the beach and the alleyways you can hear the hum of restaurants and shops. Camoglis wealth long pre-dates tourism. For centuries the town enjoyed seasons of great wealth thanks to its famous shipowners and artisans. Camogli was home to one of the most renowned creators of velvet and brocade, exported all over the Mediterranean. Sumptuous houses bear witness to this ancient splendour, some rising as high as six floors, with trompe-l'oeil facades. Camogli is also famous for its fish festival (in May).

Places to see:
Let yourself wander through the old "carruggi" (alleys) of the town centre, right up to the promontory and the church of Santa Maria Assunta, with its baroque interior, and Dragonara Castle. Camogli marks the western border of the Portofino Natural Park, which offers numerous panoramic paths between the mountain and the sea. Also: don’t miss San Fruttuoso Abbey.

San Fruttuoso

Set in a cove in Capodimonte Bay, at the centre of the Protected Marine Area of Portofino lies one of the most beautiful and renowned corners of Italy. A tiny fishing village flanked by the ancient San Fruttuoso Abbey and the Doria tower. Construction of the abbey dates back to the 1013th centuries, but before that, a hermitage had stood there, built by Spanish monks from Tarragona, who had brought the relics of the martyr bishop, San Fruttuoso. For centuries, San Fruttuoso belonged to the Princes of Doria, who built splendid family tombs there in the 13th century.

Visit the monastery complex of the 10-11th century with its cloisters, chapter house, church and Doria tombs. San Fruttuoso can only be reached by boat from Camogli and all Tigullio towns, or on foot from Portofino and Camogli.