A jewel of the Italian Riviera, Portofino exudes a timeless beauty. Pastel-colored buildings meet the clear Ligurian Sea in this former fishing port, framed by lush green hills. The port town of just 355 off-season residents has become the epitome of Mediterranean glamor and a haven for the rich and famous.
This is where Richard Burton proposed to Elizabeth Taylor and where Sophia Loren, Ernest Hemingway and Frank Sinatra came to escape the crowds.
Today, the shopfronts of Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana line the narrow cobbled streets, alongside expensive restaurants, pretty cafes and high-end bars where a cognac can fetch up to £350.
At breakfast time, impeccably dressed visitors stroll down the main street ogling designer handbags while wealthy locals exchange pleasantries in the famous Piazza Martiri dell’Olivetta.
Superyachts bob in the marina, where each of the 14 coveted berths costs more than £3,000 a day.
This is where Richard Burton proposed to Elizabeth Taylor and where Sophia Loren, Ernest Hemingway and Frank Sinatra came to escape the crowds
Cruise ships, ferries and day trippers: at 11am this small village is under siege
Paul and Karen Warren, who were among the many cruise ship passengers who came to town
This little paradise is Italy at its best. But as the Mail discovered during a visit this week, the morning’s calm is short-lived.
Because on the horizon are two colossal cruise ships, black smoke rising from their funnels. Together they carry more than 4,000 passengers from the US, UK and several European countries.
And thanks to a local law that allows these giants to anchor up to 600 meters from the sheltered bay, a swarm of visitors can hop onto tenders from the mothership to Portofino in just minutes.
Cruise ship hordes flock to the city several mornings a week just as other tourists are disembarking from the crowded ferries of the neighboring coastal towns of Rapallo and Santa Margherita.
But visitors don’t just come by sea. At 10 a.m., the main public car park has already reached its capacity for 250 vehicles. Motorists are turned away as buses from Genoa, 22 miles away, bring their own crowds. Cruise ships, ferries and day trippers: at 11am this small village is under siege. Hundreds of tourists come from all directions.
Portofino now finds itself in a battle between those who want to protect its charm and those who argue that everyone has the right to visit whenever they want.
As the crowds arrive, residents are forced to retreat from the chaos while luxury holidaymakers retreat to their yachts and five-star hotels.
An American couple who have been regulars at the Splendido Mare Hotel for two decades, where rooms can cost up to £3,000 a night, tell me they’re locked into the grounds and can’t leave because of the tourist crowds.
The couple, in their 60s, say they fell in love while exploring the romantic village together. Today they were too afraid to venture into the crowd, mainly because the gentleman has a medical condition.
The cruise ship hordes flock to the city several mornings a week – just as other tourists are disembarking from the crowded ferries of the neighboring coastal towns
Added to this is the logistical pressure of the many tender boats, of which about ten arrive and depart every hour
Cruise ships with up to 3,000 passengers land in the small, quaint little town of Portofino, where they crowd the narrow streets and don’t spend money in the shops
At 10 a.m., the main public car park has already reached its capacity for 250 vehicles. Motorists are turned away as buses from Genoa, 22 miles away, bring their own crowds
He said, “Having been here for more than 15 years, we were shocked that at times we couldn’t even leave our hotel and enjoy the village.” The place where we found our romance has become a place of destruction. Who allowed this and why? “We are shocked and leave sad.”
A veteran manager working in the hotel industry in Portofino said: “Obviously we want people to see Portofino.” It’s an iconic place and everyone is welcome. But for security reasons, in view of crowds and to preserve the village, we should think about attracting smaller ships as it is a small place.”
The cobblestones are now barely visible beneath the sandals and sneakers of what the locals call “hit and run” tourists.
Holidaymakers brandishing selfie sticks ignore signs warning they could face a £240 fine if caught staying in “no waiting zones” and “red zones”. The city’s mayor, Matteo Viacava, introduced the policy earlier this year to prevent what he described as “anarchic chaos” caused by tourists blocking narrow streets when they stop to take photos for Instagram to make or shoot videos for TikTok. The regulation states that “serious obstacles and potential hazards” must be prevented – not least at the quay, which has no safety barriers. I watch as two teenage girls shoot a TikTok video in which they hop to an imaginary rhythm and force pedestrians to avoid them. No fines will be imposed.
“I’ve never seen anyone fined.” “It’s unstoppable,” says a young man who works at the marina. Many tourists also brazenly ignore the village’s dress code, which forbids them to go shirtless, barefoot or in a bikini.
The rules were put in place to protect Portofino’s reputation for elegance and sophistication. So why don’t the authorities take more vigorous measures to deter the tourists?
The truth is that the municipality also has an interest in keeping tourist numbers up – they benefit from a £5 tax on each cruise passenger.
“We don’t like a limit on the number,” the mayor told the local press. “Portofino belongs to everyone and everyone must enjoy it.”
“However, like all jewels, it must be respected and treated with care.”
The mayor did not respond to our request for an interview.
Holidaymakers brandishing selfie sticks ignore signs warning they could face a £240 fine if caught staying in “no waiting” and “red zones”.
Portofino now finds itself in a battle between those who want to protect its charm and those who argue that everyone has the right to visit whenever they want
One might expect local shops to welcome so many potential customers. But many of the higher-end stores are closing their doors to the crowds and enforcing strict one-in-one-out policies
Certainly the number of cruise ships visiting Portofino hasn’t slowed down – around 85 have disembarked here since April.
And with 20 more expected in the next few months, the total for this year will surpass last year’s record 98.
One might expect local shops to welcome so many potential customers. But many of the higher-end stores are closing their doors to the crowds and enacting strict one-in, one-out policies.
An assistant at women’s shop 100%Capri, which sells crisp white linen outfits from £860, tells me: ‘It’s nice that people want to come here.’ But some of the cruise passengers have no decency. They will just sit on the floor in front of the store and start having a picnic.
“We had to put up signs discouraging people from sitting in front of our store. It’s not a pretty thing, but we have no choice.” “It’s a customer room.”
It’s telling that Dolce & Gabbana’s popular café, where visitors enjoy cappuccinos crafted from china bearing the fashion house’s famous logo, is closed on Mondays, the busiest day for cruises.
A woman who runs a cashmere goods store stresses that more cruise ships don’t mean more customers.
“The bigger the ship, the less the passengers often spend.” “We rely on the yachts for the majority of our business,” she says.
Most of these cruise passengers book expensive all-inclusive packages, and since their ship is only 20 minutes away, they don’t want to spend as much in Portofino as single travelers — especially on food.
Eating here is not cheap. A starter in any of the restaurants rarely costs less than £25, while a main course can range from £40 to £125. As one waiter tells me: “The other day a group from the ships took a table for four and spent a long time sharing a starter or two.” They ended up spending a total of 87 euros (£75) in the midst of the midday rush while the average person alone would normally spend more than that.”
A British couple tells me they sat down at DAV Mare – one of the most exclusive restaurants on the port – only to be put off by the prices.
Rather than face the embarrassment of leaving, they reluctantly ordered a coffee before moving to a restaurant within budget. “We didn’t know there were Michelin-starred chefs there, so we had a cappuccino—and even that was expensive,” they complained.
Some bars and restaurants have resorted to banning people from sitting at their tables unless they order lunch instead of coffee.
More than 700 locals have now signed a petition urging Portofino to follow Venice’s example, which banned cruise ships from its lagoon in 2021
“People are running away, normal life is impossible due to the purchasing power of tourists and the lack of services”
One jeweler told me, “It’s pretty busy.” “We want people to enjoy Portofino, but some of the cruise passengers have no respect.”
A Brit, one of nearly 3,000 passengers who arrived from the giant £1billion cruise ship Celebrity Edge, which was moored outside the city, confesses she is returning to eat on board. “I’m saving my money, I’ll have lunch instead when we stop in Florence,” she says as she rushes to retrieve the next tender.
Fellow travelers Esther Ferrer, 26, from Barcelona, is on holiday with her family. With each paying £1,200 for the cruise, she admits they won’t be dining in Portofino either.
“We will explore and visit Castello Brown.” [the 16th-century castle] I will go back to the ship for lunch though. “It’s all inclusive, so we don’t have to pay extra,” she says.
Others admit that while they enjoy shopping and trying the local restaurants, they are put off by the crowds.
John McNab of New Jersey says he’s going back to the ship because of the crowd. “It’s just too crowded now, there’s no seating and nowhere to get a table.” I realize we’re probably part of the problem,” he admits.
Some of the visitors queue up outside bakeries and ice cream parlors, but since there are only a handful of benches in the main square, they sit on the ground to eat their purchases – to the dismay of Italians. One jeweler told me, “It’s pretty busy.” “We want people to enjoy Portofino, but some of the cruise passengers have no respect.”
In addition, it is about the “facilities”.
A shop owner explains: ‘We only have two public toilets here and there is always a queue.’ There are people trying to get into the shops.’ Staff are under strict instructions to forbid non-customers to use their restrooms.
A Splendido Mare employee says: “We are a very high quality hotel, so the ships don’t affect us that much. But we have to close our doors because when it’s full, people try to use our toilet.”
Added to this is the logistical pressure of the many tender boats, of which about ten arrive and depart every hour. Gabrielle, who has worked at the local boat rental since she was a child, says the marina gets crowded.
“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” he says. “There are a lot of near misses.” Some of the tenders are not well advanced. “One of the boats damaged the pier while being parked this morning,” he adds, explaining that a piece of wood came loose.
In the afternoon heat, those wanting to return to the cruise ships often stand in line for hours in 37°C while the stewardess distributes cold water and wet towels.
“When it’s at its busiest, the wait can be as long as three hours if passengers are standing in direct sun. “Some are older or very young,” says Gabrielle, adding that the problem could be mitigated with better planning. “The ships shouldn’t all dock at once and the flow of tourists should be staggered over time.”
Gabrielle, like many others, fears that Portofino is under serious threat.
More than 700 locals have now signed a petition urging Portofino to follow Venice’s example, which banned cruise ships from its lagoon in 2021.
Francesco Gastaldi, associate professor of urban planning at the IUAV University of Venice, warns that the sea around Portofino has “become like a motorway”. He adds: “Portofino is like little Venice.” There is, of course, the right to vacation, but it’s now impossible for the ordinary family to live there.” He says the city’s population once numbered more than 1,000 inhabitants , but in winter the 355 inhabitants dropped to just 200.
“People are running away, normal life is impossible due to the purchasing power of tourists and the lack of services.”
At 6 p.m. the last cruise ship dinghies and ferries leave the marina. Calm returns.
In the cooler evening air, overflowing bins are emptied, tables are rearranged to welcome locals and wealthy travelers from the yachts and hotels, and chatter and the clinking of glasses replace the crowd’s cacophony.
Nevertheless, the locals are already talking about the next raid – three mammoth ships with around 10,000 people on board are already on their way. The liners, all from Celebrity Cruises, will land on Monday morning – two in Portofino and a third in nearby Santa Magherita.
Portofino’s battle to retain its quiet elegance is far from over.