Rapallo travel guide

Rapallo holiday highlights

Lying on the eastern side of the Lugurian Riviera, just 20 minutes north of Portofino, is the classic seaside resort of Rapello. Here you’ll find a great choice of excellent restaurants and bars along the palm-lined promenade – Lungomare Vittorio Veneto. Popular with yachting crews, Rapallo also offers plenty of golf and tennis facilities, including one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious golf courses.

Rapallo is guarded by a 16th-Century castle that juts out from the harbour and once protected the city from pirate invasions; today is houses art and cultural exhibitions. Ride a cable car up to Santuario Basilica di Montallegro, a pretty church built on the spot of a rumoured sighting of the Virgin Mary in the 16th Century. From the top you can enjoy breathtaking views over the town to Portofino and the sparkling sea beyond.