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| Wellness facilities increasing on the Portofino Coast |
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On this famous strip of land dotted with picturesque villages, many of the historic hotels overlooking the sea are building spa facilities that make use of the therapeutic properties of the salt water
 
The stretch of shoreline between the villages of Recco and Moneglia, at the eastern gates of Genoa, is the location of one of Italy’s most popular tourist areas. Thanks to its year-round mild climate and the presence of hotels, almost all of which have enhanced their amenities with spas exploiting the therapeutic effects of sea water, the Portofino Coast is hankered after by millionaire yachters and jet-set personalities.
In these tiny towns, set between sea and mountains, the colourful 1880s houses huddle together to valorize every inch of free flat space, or generate a maze of narrow lanes where the fishermen can still be seen making their nets by hand, or where housewives cook age-old recipes, while aristocratic gardens of Mediterranean maquis frame the countryside and give it the same appearance it had in the eyes of many Romantic painters who sought haven here.
These are places that suggest life should be taken at a gentle pace, aiming for relaxation, in venues like Rapallo’s Grand Hotel Bristol and Excelsior Palace Hotel, with their brand new spas; or at Santa Margherita Ligure’s Grand Hotel Miramare, a great spot for watching dolphins; not to mention the newly-opened spa in the Hotel Portofino Kulm, at Ruta di Camogli, in the heart of a regional park that offers trekking itineraries to reach historical watchtowers that searched out Saracen ships. All these hotels are high-profile, 4 or 5-star properties accommodating events of up to 450 participants, and almost all members of the Consorzio Portofino Coast, an organisation operating as a convention bureau. |
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PORTOFINO COAST AT A GLANCE
Airport
Genoa Airport, 30km from Portofino
Turin Airport, 220km from Portofino
Milan Malpensa Airport, 210km from Portofino
Milan Linate Airport, 170 km from Portofino
Places of Interest
Recco, Camogli, Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Zoagli, Chiavari, Lavagna, Sestri Levante, Moneglia
• HOTELS
• CONFERENCE AND EVENT VENUES
• DMCs
Destination Bureau
Consorzio Portofino Coast |
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 Make contact
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 Enjoying the challenge
History and nature blend into a unique combination, offering a whole range of solutions for open-air activities, and short distances – never more than 10 or 20km – mean the entire area can be visited in just a few days. In Portofino (20km from Genoa), a Coast Rally that covers the entire bay in just a few hours can be organised; anyone preferring high-speed competitions can opt for the nearby go-kart circuit, at Carasco, which offers 400m of track for organising mini Grand Prix, by day or by night; hanging bridges, lianas and steel cables, on the other hand, make up an adventure path near Borzonasca, in Italy’s largest Indian Forest. For getting to know the coast’s main localities, what better than the “Portofino Coast Puzzle”: a full-day treasure hunt taking participants from one town to the next. Alternatively, orienteering contests are held in the splendid Portofino and Aveto regional parks. Right behind the coastal towns, there is the suggestive “via dell’ardesia”, an itinerary exploring local slate sites and a multisite ecomuseum in Valle Fontanabuona dedicated to this local stone; here visitors can actually go underground through the Isolona di Orero and Sangiacomo quarries.
While land activities will reveal the historical sites of Cervara Abbey, for instance, or Villa Durazzo, at Santa Margherita Ligure, or Canevaro Castle, at Zoagli, the waters are equally tempting. Regattas on the Tigullio gulf are not to be missed, flanked by professional skippers, and sampling the thrill of a real sailing competition; a local WWF branch is the partner for organizing watching of eight species of whales, exploring in under seven hours Liguria’s lavish sea sanctuary, aboard a motorship.
Not least of the region’s many advantages is its extensive culinary offering: many local restaurants serve not only the renowned “pesto alla Genovese” sauce, but draw participants into cookery contests that are great for fostering teambuilding.
February 2008 |
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