Luxury Rapallo Holidays

A colourful, characterful harbour town between Portofino and the Apennines

Rapallo

It’s easy to see why writers W. B. Yeats and Ezra Pound found inspiration in Rapallo. In many ways, the town is a bigger version of nearby Portofino. Townhouses come in summery sorbet colours – tangerine, lemon, pistachio, vanilla – and throw in elegant façades, green shutters and terracotta roofs for good measure. Italian-label clothes boutiques and classically dressed restaurants stock their ground floors.

But that’s where the similarities stop. Rapallo is bigger than Portofino, so there’s more for your to-do list. The harbour is busy with boats heading for neighbouring cliffside towns, and a 16^th-century pirate watchtower still guards the water. A handful of sand and pebble beaches scallop the town, too. Lido & Flora comes with a couple of swimming pools, while San Michele offers the best sea-view trattorias.

The foothills of the Apennines rise up behind Rapallo. You could dip into the local golf course (rare in these parts) or catch a cable car up to the marble Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro.

Our pick of the top hotels in Rapallo

Every one of our hotels is handpicked and personally visited by our team

Excelsior Palace

Liguria

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Things to do in RapalloCatch the cable car up to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro

A cable car runs from Rapallo railway station into the foothills of the Apennines. It winds up at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro – a marble-white church with sweeping Riviera views. The church is an artful affair of Byzantine-style doorways and spire-topped bell towers. It sprang up in the 16^th century to honour a local vision of the Virgin Mary, so the insides spill over with frescoes and shrines.

Things to do in RapalloTrace the coast to San Michele di Pagana

The hamlet of San Michele di Pagana is technically a neighbourhood of Rapallo, so it’s only a half-hour walk from the castle. Pastel townhouses cluster close to the waterfront, where San Michele Beach – one of the quietest dashes of sand in Rapallo – is hidden away by the hills. It’s also the starting line for footpaths that climb between orange groves and swathes of wild flowering jasmine. After an easier stroll? Follow the neat promenade that curves along the Gulf of Tigullio. It takes in views of the forested mountains and yacht-flecked waters of the Italian Riviera.

Flight Information

Direct flights from the UK to Genoa (usually the best airport for Liguria) take approximately two hours.

Transfer Time

Rapallo is around 40 minutes' drive from Genoa Airport.

When to go

Summer is a fantastic time to visit Liguria – temperatures can reach 30 degrees, and the coastline (particularly the colourful villages of the Cinque Terre) looks particularly lovely when the sun is shining. May, September and October are also great times to visit, with temperatures in the early 20s – ideal for walks along the coastal paths. From April to October, while the weather is pleasant, boats run up and down the coast stopping off various towns and villages along the way.

Visa Information

British citizens do not currently require a visa to visit Italy.

Tipping

When you dine out in Italy, you will generally be charged a coperto (cover charge), which is for the bread, tablecloth, cutlery, etc. Tipping in Italy is not customary, but is always appreciated.

Introduction to languages

The official language of Italy is Italian. English is widely spoken too, so getting by is easy.

Luxury Rapallo Holidays

Rapallo

Excelsior Palace

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