Hello! 3 adults and 3 teens travelling to Santa Margherita Ligure in July. Staying there. Looking for ideas for things to do, day trips, boat trips, restaurants etc. on or off the beaten path. We will not have a car. Usually the group is up for anything.
Also staying in Milan on way fromSML to Interlaken Switzerland. Ideas for Milan? Hotels with easy access to train?
Thanks!
"Hike" to Portofino (it's very easy, more like a stroll). At Portofino you can hike above and around the town - not hard. If you are up for more serious hikes, there are some moderate to difficult hikes you could take from there around the peninsula. You can hike to the monastery at San Fruttuoso or up to the town of San Rocco. (There are two alternate trails; one of them, via Batterie, is more scenic but difficult, in spots requiring you to hold on to chains to scale across part of the "trail" with no footing. That's the one I hiked.) From San Rocco it's basically a few hundred steps down, down, down to Camogli, a really lovely town to explore, probably pretty busy with Italian tourists in July. There is a train between Camogli and SML. There is also ferry service between Rapallo, SML, Portofino, and San Fruttuoso. (Maybe to Camogli too? I don't remember.)
There is great train service up and down the riviera between Genoa and La Spezia, so there are lots of little towns to check out, including big Genoa if you want. The Cinque Terre will surely be overrun with tourists in July, but a lot of people would want to day trip there.
Portofino, Camogli, the Cinque Terre all good! Stay in central Milan and visit the Duomo (including roof), Sforzesco Castle (as of March Sala delle Asse under renovation), and The Last Supper (need advance booking) to name a few. Take a day trip from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and then up in the mountains to either Wengen or Murren.
In Milan, the flagship Campari bar (Camparino) is right off the Duomo Plaza. Absolutely beautiful space...but don't go into the cafe and sit down. Stand at the bar and absorb the atmosphere. A Campari Spritz was only 9 Euro and came with a plate of delicious snacks. We assumed we would be gouged going in and it was the exact opposite. Also the Duomo Museum is amazing. Be sure you visit it and not just the Duomo (also amazing).
If you don't want to "hike" to Portofino, there is a local bus.
A day trip to the Cinque Terre is easy. Train is quickest but I believe there may be a ferry as well.
Or take a boat to Portofino! We loved staying in SML and have visited there twice.
