Rapallo Anyone?

It is on the Portofino Peninsula. We prefer to stay nearby in Santa Margherita Ligure or Camogli, pretty seaside towns with lots to enjoy and have visited SML twice.. Take a train to the Cinque Terre.

I stayed in Rapallo last year. Chose it as a stopping point for a couple of days before continuing on to Turin and then Alsace. Plus, I wanted to take a boat ride to Portofino for the day. It was a great surprise. It is a vacation area for Europeans who have second homes there. I remember saying to myself if I ever go back I would rent an apartment so I could take advantage of the fresh market, the butchers and most importantly, the fresh pasta shops. It has a great promenade along the water. I definitely recommend staying there. Enjoy your trip.

Pam,
We stayed in Rapallo many years ago (October 2008) We enjoyed the promenade by the water and the serene atmosphere.
We mainly used it as a base to visit Santa Margherita and Portofino (by bus), before heading South to the Cinque Terre.

We enjoyed visiting the Brown Castle in Portofino, and Villa Durazzo, in Santa Margherita. The food was delicious, especially the pesto and the fresh fish.

We loved our stay in Monterosso (Cinque Terre), but I've read that it gets super crowded nowadays with cruise ship visitors.

When is your trip?

Have a wonderful trip!

Hi Pam. I spent two nights in Rapallo this May. It's a nice town, but right now, it is not very pretty on the waterfront due to clean-up ongoing from damage from a massive storm last October that damaged the harbor. E.g., ferry boats can't dock there yet. I got the impression that the clean-up and repairs would take a few more months - but I'm not sure.

Two years ago, I spent three nights just to the north in Camogli and I adored the town. Santa Margherita Ligure also mentioned above is nice, too, but a little bigger than Camogli. There's otherwise nothing wrong with Rapallo. I found Camogli a little smaller and quieter, that's all. You'll find people who love one of these places more than the others. They're all nice. Take your pick.

If there is still storm clean-up ongoing in Rapallo, you might at least get a better deal on lodgings for now. At my little hotel, the front desk guy said business was way down this year so far (as of May) for obvious reasons.

Yes, it's easy to get down to the Cinque Terre by train from Rapallo. There's one early direct regional train running at around 8am. There are others too but most require a connection somewhere. Even the direct regional train may take almost an hour one way.

If you really want to visit the Cinque Terre, you could stay closer in a town like Levanto. That would let you stay later in the evening (to enjoy the towns more after many of the tour groups have left). I've stayed in Levanto a few times as a cheaper gateway to the Cinque Terre towns, which are popular so lodgings are often not cheap. Levanto is a nice town (not as nice as the others) and one train stop north of Monterosso. You can even hike back from Levanto to Monterosso if you want to hike from there. A ferry runs from Levanto south to the five villages, too.

Lovely area. Be sure to take the cable car to Montallegro. There are great views and a restaurant, Casa del Pellegrino. Also worth a visit to Camogli and the abbey of San Fruttuoso. Cinque Terre is a bit of a long train ride but doable, but there is plenty to enjoy in and around Rapallo.

Thank you all so much for your input! It has eased my curiosity as to whether or not we were making the right decision. I think it'll be a great place to be based out of. Plus, we will be on the last week of our month-long European trip (and, our 19 year-old will be somewhat entertained). We have secured an apartment there, so the idea of fresh pasta, veggies and meat (and, of course, wine!) sounds perfect! This is what we were hoping for!

Priscilla, we are going in June of next summer.

Any other suggestions, please definitely let me know!

The ferry resumed Rapallo operation in early August.

Two years ago, I visited Rapallo from Santa Margarite Ligure, and it was lovely. I second the suggestion for the cable car ride up to Montallegro. Also, just a short train ride away is Chiavari, a charming town with arcades that cover the sidewalks--perfect for a rainy day (or an excessively sunny one). I had one of my best-ever Italian meals at Chiavari's family-run Luchin restaurant. Even closer to Rapallo is Zoagli, which I didn't have time to visit but is reputed to have a beautiful seaside esplanade. Enjoy!

While Rapallo is a larger town than S. Margherita Ligure, I found the harbor front and architectural styles very similar, so it did not feel larger. I enjoyed my stay there, as well as good value at Hotel/Residence Il Convento.