Portofino Photo Spots

Sophisticated, glamorous, and drop-dead gorgeous are just a few ways to describe Portofino, a true Mediterranean gem and one of Italy’s most beautiful places. In the Italian Riviera, squeezed between the Ligurian Sea and the verdant hills of Northern Italy, Portofino is an old fishing village with stunning pastel-coloured buildings housing many restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. Life mainly revolves around its ancient harbour, where jet-setter yachts anchor, and the bustling Piazza Martiri dell’Olivetta, from where sloping streets stem to offer you breathtaking views. 😍 Here are their top five tips for places to take photos in Portofino.

We easily connect people with trusted photographers for fun photo shoots and have captured over four million memories worldwide. The magic of Flytographer is both the experience and the photos. Explore the city with a fun, talented photographer and get wall-worthy photos to relive your trip, forever. Today, we asked our local photographers to show us all the best places to take photos in Portofino. 

Andiamo a Portofino e viva l’Italia! 🇮🇹

TLDR

1. Portofino Town: An ancient fishing port with pastel-coloured buildings facing the marina and the clear Mediterranean Sea.
2. Church of San Giorgio: This simple church with stunning views symbolizes hope and resistance to the region. 
3. Castello Brown: A fairytale-like castle built high in the hills and a favourite spot for wedding ceremonies.
4. Portofino Coast: The coastal region surrounding the old town has many hidden gems and secluded beaches to explore. 
5. Camogli: This tiny seaside village has a scenic church and a medieval castle by the sea.

    

Photo: Giulia in Portofino for Flytographer. Rosemarie and partner capture memories in Portofino with an anniversary photoshoot.

1. Portofino Town

The most celebrated spot in Portofino Town is the lively Piazza Martiri dell’Olivetta, also known as the Piazzetta, which faces the city’s scenic harbour. That’s where you can nail the perfect shot, capturing the colourfully painted buildings and the boats and yachts moored in the docks—a Portofino classic! 😉

A few steps from the Piazzetta is the Museo Del Parco, a hillside, open-air museum with a diverse display of classic and contemporary sculptures. This is another hotspot full of photo ops, especially if you capture the many artworks displayed in the garden with the stunning Mediterranean scenery as a background.

On Via Roma, Portofino’s main road, you can stroll through the glamorous boutiques lining the street and then choose one of the many superb restaurants for fresh seafood and fine Italian wine. 🍝 Once you’ve had your fix of Cucina Italiana, head to the picturesque small alleyways and roads that climb up the hills. As you do so, you can’t miss the Church of San Martino, a century-old church of Romanesque-Lombard style with a striped facade and a beautiful bell tower. A picture on the stairwell is another classic but do also go inside for a peek at its exuberant interior with marble columns, stunning frescos, and crystal chandeliers.

Extra tip: Portofino Town is well known for being an exclusive destination, meaning the prices of accommodation can be very high. But a day trip from Genova (also known as Genoa or the birthplace of the focaccia and pesto!) is a more affordable alternative. Genova is also a great base to explore other dreamlike destinations like Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, and the tiny coastal fishing village of San Fruttuoso. 👍

Photo: Gaia in Portofino for Flytographer. Alma and family capture memories in Portofino with a family photoshoot in Portofino Town.

2. Church of San Giorgio

The tiny Church of San Giorgio is modest, yet it doesn’t lack any charm and importance. Its lovely yellow facade and the white and black pebbles forming the stunning floor mosaics in front of the church make for some of the most beautiful places to take photos in Portofino. Inside you’ll find the relics of St. George, the patron Saint of Portofino. Legend has it these relics were brought to the town by sailors who returned after the Crusades in the Middle Ages. The church was built in the 12th century, but it suffered several destructions and reconstructions—including getting hit by a bomb during the Second World War. Standing in its elevated position today, it became a symbol of resilience for the entire region.

Speaking of position, from the church, you’ll get terrific panoramic vistas of the Ligurian Sea, the Portofino harbour, and the colourful houses that paint the little town. This is undoubtedly one of the best places to take photos in Portofino. 📸

Photo: Flytographer in Portofino. Zane and family capture memories in Portofino with a family photoshoot at the Church of San Giorgio.

3. Castello Brown

Another building in a privileged position, overlooking Portofino’s marina, is Castello Brown, a bucket list spot filled with Insta-worthy corners and vistas. Completed in the 15th century, the castle is surrounded by fairytale-like gardens with flower beds, cypresses, pine trees, and gorgeous pergolas—combine all this with striking views of Portofino, and you have a true Italian gem. The beauty and romantic allure of the gardens make Castello Brown the perfect place for photo shoots. No wonder they’re extremely popular with couples getting married. 💍

The castle’s interior is as magical as its exterior. It displays original furniture, stunning gothic windows, wooden roofs painted with images of saints and rulers, and a staircase covered in gorgeous majolica tiles. Everything is on museum display now, and you can explore the building’s iconic rooms (one of them named the “Dolcevita” room, for obvious reasons), where you’ll see images of some illustrious visitors like Walt Disney, Hemingway, and Liz Taylor. Liz, by the way, spent not just one but eight honeymoons in Portofino. 😮

History buffs will also love going up the castle’s tower, where a multimedia installation titled Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow explains the history of how the small town came to be.

Photo: Gaia in Portofino for Flytographer. Stephanie and family capture memories in Portofino with a family photoshoot near Castello Brown.

4. Portofino Coast

Sure, Portofino is stunning, but not everything is about the old town itself. There are many gems to explore near the city—many of them sitting right by the coast, which is dotted with other small fishing villages and incredible hidden beaches. There are different ways to explore the Portofino coast. You can do it by car, boat, or even kayak. The latter is a great way to get up close to the rugged cliffs as you find your way exploring. 🚣‍♂️

A must-visit is Paraggi Beach, a mere 20 minutes from Portofino. This little beach of crystal-clear waters is a snorkelling paradise with corals very close to the shore. Paraggi is also the only sandy beach close to Portofino, so it’s perfect for lazing and basking under the sun. Not to mention, this beach is one of the best places to take photos in Portofino to capture the dazzling sea and lush hills.

To the other side of the coast, more gorgeous beaches await you. Spiaggia dell’Olivetta is one of them, a tiny beach that looks like a secret heaven, and it’s indeed remote: it sits on the foothills of Brown Castle, reachable on foot or by sea. Further down, on the western tip of the peninsula, is the still active Portofino Lighthouse, from where you’ll get unforgettable views and the fresh ocean breeze. Sunsets are particularly Insta-worthy, when everything is tinted in golden hues. ✨

Photo: Gaia in Portofino for Flytographer. Drew and partner capture memories in Portofino with a proposal photoshoot on the Portofino Coast.

5. Camogli

On the peninsula’s west side, a 30-minute drive from Portofino, Camogli is a seaside village that will delight you in every sense. The town also has a lovely marina and historic pastel-coloured buildings close to the shore, forming an idyllic background. You can stroll the seaside promenade feeling the chilled-out vibes of the place as you try to pick one of the many-starred restaurants.

The true postcard attraction of Camogli is the 12th-century Church of Santa Maria Assunta, a baroque structure on top of a rock facing the ocean. One of the best pics you can take in town is standing on the far end of the rocky shore of Spiaggia Libera with the beautiful structure behind you, framed by the sea and the bright buildings of the village. Another important symbol of Camogli is Castello della Dragonara, also known as Castel Dragone. 🏰 It was first built in the 12th century, also on a cliff, as a defence structure. With its medieval look and the waves hitting the rocks, the castle is another excellent spot to watch the sunset and one of the most perfect places to take photos in Portofino! 🌅

Up for a bit of adventure? There’s a popular three-hour trail connecting Portofino to Camogli, cutting through stunning Mediterranean vegetation and ancient olive trees. If you have the energy, it’s one of the best ways to explore the magnificent nature of the Liguria region. 👌

Photo: Giulia in Portofino for Flytographer. Jenna and family capture memories in Portofino with a family photoshoot at Camogli.

Capturing Memories in Portofino

Together with the nearby Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast to the South, the coast of Portofino is among the best near-shore regions in Italy—and, dare we say, Europe? The city’s unique charm will also make a great impression on you, and it will be hard not to fall in love with it. To make your visit to Portofino even more incredible, book one of our local Flytographers and let them capture all your magic moments in this Italian paradise. 💚