Liguria Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes
Liguria’s coastline rewards a slow approach. The distances between stops are modest – rarely more than 30 nautical miles in a day – and the pleasure lies in the variety: a morning swim at a hidden cove, a lunchtime pesto lesson in Genoa, an afternoon tender ride into a Cinque Terre village, a sunset anchorage in the Bay of Silence. The routes below are designed to be combined: the 3-day and 4-day itineraries cover different stretches of the coast and can be stitched together into a 7-day grand Ligurian Riviera charter without repeating a single stop.
Day Charter Routes
Portofino, San Fruttuoso and the Marine Protected Area
Depart from Santa Margherita Ligure or Rapallo and cruise 2 nautical miles to Portofino. Arrive early to secure a prime position in the harbour and walk the Piazzetta as the morning cafés open. Browse the luxury boutiques along the quay, then walk to the lighthouse at Punta del Faro for panoramic views. After a mid-morning coffee, cruise west around the headland to San Fruttuoso – the 10th-century Benedictine abbey in its hidden cove, accessible only by boat or trail. Anchor, swim, and dive (or snorkel) to the Cristo degli Abissi bronze at 12 metres depth. Lunch on the aft deck in the shadow of the Doria watchtower (1562). Afternoon at Paraggi Bay – Portofino’s only sandy beach, with crystal-clear turquoise water – before returning to your home port as the late light catches the Ligurian headlands.
Camogli to Sestri Levante Coastal Cruise
Depart Portofino and cruise 6 nautical miles west to Camogli, the fishing village of tall, narrow houses painted in trompe-l’œil colours beneath pine-covered hills. Take the tender ashore for a morning espresso on the harbour and a walk through the old town. Continue east along the coast to Chiavari and Lavagna, then on to Sestri Levante (8 nautical miles from Portofino). Anchor in the Baia del Silenzio – the Bay of Silence, named by Hans Christian Andersen during his 1833 visit – for a swim and a late lunch on the aft deck. The coloured houses that line this tiny beach, reflected in still water, make it one of the most beautiful anchorages on the Italian coast. Return via the same route or continue east toward the Cinque Terre.
Genoa City Day Charter
Berth at Marina Porto Antico in the heart of Genoa’s historic port. Morning at the Acquario di Genova (Europe’s largest, 12,000 animals across 70 tanks) and the Galata Museo del Mare (the Mediterranean’s largest maritime museum, with its 17th-century galley reconstruction and the Nazario Sauro submarine). Walk the caruggi – Genoa’s medieval lanes, opening onto hidden squares and 100-year-old shops – to the Strade Nuove and the UNESCO Palazzi dei Rolli. Lunch at a backstreet trattoria: trofie al pesto (hand-rolled pasta with the city’s own pesto), farinata (crisp chickpea pancake) and a glass of Vermentino. Afternoon at the Palazzo Ducale or the Museo di Palazzo Reale, then return to the yacht for a sunset cruise east along the coast toward Portofino.
3-Day Riviera di Levante Yacht Charter Itinerary: Portofino to the Cinque Terre
Day 1: Portofino and San Fruttuoso
Board your yacht at Santa Margherita Ligure or Rapallo by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and champagne on the flybridge with the Tigullio Gulf spread before you, cruise 2 nautical miles to Portofino. Berth in the harbour and spend the morning exploring: the Piazzetta, Castello Brown, the luxury boutiques, and the path to the lighthouse. Lunch at Ristorante Puny on the harbour (two generations of Ligurian cooking on the most famous piazzetta in Italy) or aboard the yacht. After lunch, cruise around the headland to San Fruttuoso. Swim, visit the abbey and dive to the Cristo degli Abissi. Return to Portofino for an evening passeggiata and dinner at Chuflay at Splendido Mare or aboard your yacht anchored in the bay.
Day 2: Sestri Levante and Levanto
Depart early and cruise south-east to Sestri Levante (8 nautical miles). Morning swim in the Baia del Silenzio, then take the tender ashore for an espresso and a walk along the promontory between the two bays. Continue 12 nautical miles south-east to Levanto, the gateway to the Cinque Terre. Levanto offers a broad sandy beach, a quieter pace and excellent surf when conditions align. Anchor and swim, then enjoy a long lunch on the aft deck: your chef prepares pansotti (wild-green-stuffed pasta in walnut sauce) and grilled catch of the day. Afternoon walk into Levanto’s old town for supplies and a gelato, then settle into the anchorage for the evening. Tomorrow, the Cinque Terre.
Day 3: The Cinque Terre
Cruise south from Levanto to Monterosso al Mare (3 nautical miles) – the Cinque Terre’s largest village and the only one with a proper sandy beach. Anchor and tender ashore for a morning walk. Continue along the coast by yacht, approaching each village from the sea: Vernazza’s tiny harbour is the most photogenic, its medieval tower reflected in clear water. Anchor and walk the lanes, stopping for focaccia and a glass of Cinque Terre DOC white. Continue past Corniglia (perched 100 metres above the sea on its headland) to Manarola, surrounded by vineyards on ancient terraces. Walk the Via dell’Amore (900 metres, 20 minutes, reopened 2025) to Riomaggiore for the classic photograph of coloured tower houses cascading to the water. Return to the yacht for a farewell dinner on the aft deck: the five villages illuminated along the cliff face, Sciacchetrà dessert wine in your glass, the Ligurian Sea calm and dark beyond. Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine this 3-day route with the 4-day itinerary for a full 7-day Ligurian charter.
4-Day Western Riviera and Genoa Yacht Charter Itinerary
Day 1: Genoa – Maritime Republic
Board your yacht at Marina Porto Antico in the heart of Genoa’s historic port. Morning at the Acquario di Genova and the Galata Museo del Mare, then a guided walk through the caruggi to the Strade Nuove and the UNESCO Palazzi dei Rolli. Lunch at a backstreet trattoria: trofie al pesto, farinata and Vermentino. Afternoon visit to the Palazzo Ducale or the Museo di Palazzo Reale, or simply wander the medieval lanes, ducking into century-old shops selling olive oil, dried pasta and salted anchovies. Dinner ashore at one of Genoa’s seafood restaurants in the Porto Antico area, or your chef prepares corzetti (stamped pasta discs, a Genoese speciality) with pine-nut and marjoram sauce.
Day 2: Camogli, Recco and the Golfo Paradiso
Cruise east from Genoa along the Golfo Paradiso (Paradise Gulf) to Camogli (10 nautical miles). The approach from the sea reveals the village’s famous painted façades rising above the harbour, pine and olive terraces climbing the hills behind. Take the tender ashore for a morning walk and an espresso on the harbour. Continue 3 nautical miles to Recco for the mandatory stop: focaccia di Recco, the town’s wafer-thin, cheese-filled focaccia baked in a wood oven. Eat it warm, standing up, as the locals do. After Recco, cruise to Punta Chiappa – the rocky headland marking the western boundary of the Portofino Marine Protected Area – for a swim in crystal-clear water over the MPA’s Posidonia meadows. Anchor for the night off San Fruttuoso or return to Santa Margherita Ligure.
Day 3: Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure
A full day in the jewels of the Tigullio Gulf. Morning in Portofino: the Piazzetta, Castello Brown, the lighthouse walk, and a browse through the luxury boutiques. Dive (or snorkel) the Cristo degli Abissi at San Fruttuoso if you did not visit on Day 2. Lunch at Da Puny on the harbour or aboard the yacht in Paraggi Bay. Afternoon in Santa Margherita Ligure: stroll the palm-lined promenade, visit the Basilica of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia, and enjoy the town’s more relaxed pace compared to its famous neighbour. Evening at the Belmond Hotel Splendido’s restaurant La Terrazza (perched on the hill above Portofino) or aboard the yacht. Your chef serves brandacujún (salt cod and potato, a western Ligurian speciality) followed by a plate of fresh anchovies.
Day 4: Rapallo, Chiavari and Onward
Morning in Rapallo, home to Porto Carlo Riva (one of Italy’s first superyacht marinas, named after the legendary yachtsman). Walk the waterfront promenade, visit the 16th-century castle on its promontory, and take the cable car to the hilltop Sanctuary of Montallegro for panoramic views of the Tigullio Gulf. Cruise south-east to Chiavari (5 nautical miles) for a walk through the town’s arcaded streets and medieval centre. Continue to Sestri Levante for a farewell swim in the Baia del Silenzio. Guests continuing east can combine this 4-day route with the 3-day Cinque Terre itinerary for a comprehensive 7-day Ligurian Riviera charter covering the entire Levante coast from Genoa to Riomaggiore.
