Being on the Italian Riviera, we could not resist visiting three resorts which are world famous: Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Portofino.

Rapallo

Rapallo, a popular seaside resort, is situated in the Riviera di Levante, Liguria region, North-West Italy. It is not only the largest town in the Bay of Tigullio, but also the town with the most ancient history in the district, it goes back to 964. It presently have about 30,000 inhabitants.

It finds itself in a privileged location at the eastern end of the Bay of Tigullio, in the bay’s innermost and best protected point, at the head of the Rapallo Gulf.

It is close to Genoa, and is only a 20 minutes bus drive to Portofino; along the way you’ll come across Santa Margherita Ligure, another major resort.

Rapallo enjoys a mild climate and is a much desired resort. It has beautiful hotels, and golf courses. Its main economic activity is tourism, but there is also production of olive oil, pillow lace, cement and textiles.

Its long history is evident in a beautiful church consecrated in 1118, “Basilica dei Santa Gervasio e Protasio.” Also worth a visit is the “Sanctuary of Montallegro,” built nearby in 1557. Finally, you have “The Castle on the Sea,” built in 1551 to defend the town against pirate invasion.

Since we were there to enjoy the natural beauty of this town, we didn’t visit any of the above places.

The elegant seafront promenade, the lungomare “Vittorio Veneto” is a delightful place with palm-tress and flower beds, which offers its visitors a vast, breathtaking view of the bay.

In the center of Rapallo, near the promenade, are beautiful beaches; but since it was winter, there were no bathers.

We came to Rapallo more than once to enjoy the promenade, the views, and to walk along the beaches.

We brought our lunches with us, and spend as little as was possible; remember that after all we were refugees!

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