Portofino is a harbour the size of a courtyard, ringed by tall painted houses in ochre, pink and rust, with yachts tied up in front like expensive furniture. It sits on a rocky peninsula east of Genoa, in a regional park of pine, olive and holm oak that falls steeply into a clear sea. The village has long been a retreat for the wealthy, and the prices in the cafés reflect it, but the setting is real. Walk up the lane to the small church of San Giorgio or to Castello Brown, a fortress turned villa, and the view back over the harbour explains the fuss.
The road to get here is the better part of the story. From Santa Margherita Ligure, the coastal road winds along the shore for a few kilometres, clinging to the cliffs, passing the bay of Paraggi, with its tiny beach, and dropping to the harbour. It is narrow and busy, and in season it can become a slow queue of cars, scooters and coaches. Access is sometimes restricted on peak days, and parking in the village is limited and pricey, so be prepared to leave the bike in a designated bay and walk the last stretch. An early start or an evening visit makes the whole thing far more pleasant.
Nature on this headland is remarkable for a coast so close to a big city. Paths lead through the park to San Fruttuoso, a medieval abbey in a hidden cove reached on foot or by boat, where a bronze statue of Christ stands underwater offshore. The sea here is protected, and divers come to see the fish and the seagrass beds. On land, the Mediterranean scrub smells of resin and wild herbs after warm rain, and the light on the water shifts from turquoise to deep blue.
Fuel is not available in Portofino itself, so fill up at Santa Margherita Ligure, about four kilometres away, or at Rapallo, a larger town with a long promenade and a castle on the sea. Liguria is also the home of pesto, focaccia and farinata, a thin chickpea pancake, and all three are easy to find in the bakeries along the coast. A slice of focaccia is a fine lunch if the restaurant prices are too steep.
The road surface is mostly good, but with a lot of traffic and tight bends, ride with patience. The reward is a coastline that looks as though it has been arranged by a painter with a taste for contrast.