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Our favourite day trip on the Italian Riviera is the Camogli to San Fruttuoso hike in the Portofino Regional Park.
The day includes pretty seaside villages, a forest hike, good food, a swim in the turquoise sea of an isolated bay, an ancient abbey, and a ferry ride along the beautiful Ligurian coastline.
There is no road to the abbey and beach at San Fruttuoso, so you can only visit on foot or by ferry. If you have the time and energy, I highly recommend hiking in and taking the ferry out.
In this post, I share all the practical details of the hike from Camogli to San Fruttuoso including transport links at each end, plus what to expect on the trail and at the spectacular San Fruttuoso bay.
At the end, there’s a map with everywhere mentioned.
Contents
- Camogli to San Fruttuoso Hike Details
- Camogli: The Start of the Hike
- Camogli to San Rocco Trail
- The Trail to San Fruttuoso
- San Fruttuoso Beach and Abbey
- San Fruttuoso Ferry
- Camogli to San Fruttuoso Hike Map
- Portofino to San Fruttuoso Hike
- Is Hiking to San Fruttuoso Worth It?
- More Liguria Posts
Camogli to San Fruttuoso Hike Details
- Location: Camogli in Liguria, Italy – 40km (25 miles) from Genoa
- Length: 6.6 km (4.1 miles) one way from Camogli Station to San Fruttuoso
- Time: 2 – 3 hours (our latest hike took 2 hours and 10 minutes)
- Elevation Gain: 425 metres (1394 feet)
- Difficulty Rating: Intermediate
- Terrain: Stairs then rocky, dirt trail
- Highlights: Forest, coastal views, San Fruttuoso Abbey, beach
- AllTrails Page: San Fruttuoso di Camogli via Portofino Vetta
These stats are taken from my Apple Watch for the easier route to San Frutttuoso, starting at Camogli Station. There’s also a longer, harder coastal route, but it’s currently closed (details below).
Hiking shoes, or at least running shoes with good traction, are recommended for the trail.
Be sure to bring a swimsuit, lightweight towel, hat, suncream, and water. Bringing snacks is a good idea, just in case, but you can buy food in San Rocco and San Fruttuoso. There are taps to top up your water bottle at various points.
We’ve hiked Camogli to San Fruttuoso while staying in Camogli and also from Rapallo. Both are great bases in the Italian Riviera.
For more details, see my Camogli travel guide, Rapallo Italy travel guide and my post on the best things to do in the Italian Riviera.
Another Italian Riviera trail we love is the Corniglia to Manarola hike in Cinque Terre. It’s busier than this one, but it’s stunning with coastal views, vineyards, and colourful villages.
Camogli: The Start of the Hike
Note: This post was originally written about our September hike while staying in Rapallo. We recently hiked it again in May while staying in Camogli, and I’ve updated details as necessary (including the stats above).
Our day began with the train ride from Rapallo to the fishing village Camogli, just nine minutes away.
We got the 8.18am train so we could start before it got too hot (our hike was in mid-September when it was still warm) and have plenty of time in San Fruttuoso before the last ferry out.
It’s an easy walk from the Camogli train station down to the waterfront where we ate slices of focaccia (Focacceria Revello is our top pick) in the warm morning light overlooking the harbour of pastel coloured villas and fishing boats.
Camogli is much smaller than Rapallo and Santa Margherita with a quieter, laid-back vibe.
The pebbly beach is a more pleasant place to relax as there’s no busy road running along the seafront like there is in the larger towns.
We’d like to have had more time to explore this cute village, but we wanted to get started on the hike to San Fruttuoso. (A few years later, we returned for 10 nights!).
Camogli to San Rocco Trail
From the seafront, we could see our next destination—the church of San Rocco perched disturbingly high above the cliffs on the wooded peninsula.
At least we knew which direction to head, so we followed the harbour road until we reached a parking lot and police station where there are signs for the trail to San Rocco.
Look for the Via San Rocco trail marker on Google Maps to find the start of the trail. The trailhead is only 500 metres (a 6-minute walk) from Camogli San Fruttuoso train station.
The trail marker is two red dots and a red ring—at San Rocco, those two trails will divide for alternative routes to San Fruttuoso.
The walk from Camogli train station to San Rocco Church took us 30 minutes including 20 minutes of steep climbing up stairs. It really gets your heart rate going. This is probably the hardest part of the San Fruttuoso hike.
At the top, in San Rocco village, we found views back down to Camogli, a public toilet (bring hand sanitiser and toilet paper), and a water tap at the start of the trails to refill your bottle.
There are also a few places for food and drinks. The first place you pass, before the church, is Panificio Maccarini (closed Wednesdays and lunchtime) where you can get coffee, baked goods, and everything for a picnic.
You can also get coffee and food at Bar Pippi (closed Mondays or in our case, on a random day).
The Trail to San Fruttuoso
Just to the right of San Rocco Church is the trailhead where the trail divides with two options to get to San Fruttuoso.
The Harder Coastal Trail to San Fruttuoso (Currently Closed)
Update: Since May 2024, the Passo del Bacio section of this route has been closed and won’t reopen until 2026 at the earliest. You can still walk part of the way to Punta Chiappa (a lovely walk that took us 35 minutes from San Rocco), but you won’t be able to get to San Fruttuoso.
The coastal trail via the Batterie with its World War II bunkers has the best views, but it is harder and only recommended for expert hikers.
It includes a section where you have to use chains to navigate the slippery rocks above steep drop-offs. Many describe it as terrifying. Shoes with good traction are essential.
This trail is estimated to take 3.5 hours from San Rocco and the trail marker is two red dots.
From Camogli, the coastal route is about 7.5km (4.7 miles) one way and takes 4 hours.
The Inland Trail to San Fruttuoso
We were scared off by the horror stories of the coastal trail and took the easier inland trail through Pietre Strette. It is marked by one red ring and is easy to follow.
It’s estimated to take two hours from San Rocco to San Fruttuoso (it took us 1 hour 40 minutes without breaks).
From the trailhead, take the left fork that goes up steps. Unfortunately, you still have some climbing to do.
Eventually, it gets easier with a mix of ups and downs on a rocky, dirt trail through chestnut and olive groves and pine forest.
About 30 minutes after leaving San Rocco, we reached a junction in the forest. The trail to San Fruttuoso is right (each junction is well signposted). There’s a water tap just to the left (nice and cold). There are also picnic tables here if you need a break.
The forest trail is shady and peaceful.
Eventually, in the middle of the peninsula, you head downhill towards San Fruttuoso. It takes about 50 minutes with many switchbacks. The steep trail really works your legs.
Although we managed in hiking sandals on our first hike, we were glad for hiking shoes on the rocky trail the second time we did the hike.
You start getting views of the sea as you near San Fruttuoso.
About 15 minutes before the end, we passed Agririfugio Molini, which has accommodation and a rustic restaurant.
We passed by too early to eat here, but it looks like an interesting option with tagliere (tasting platters), pasta, and a full lunch on weekends. They make their own olive oil.
San Fruttuoso Beach and Abbey
Arriving in San Fruttuoso is such a treat.
The hamlet consists of a few restaurants, a 10th-century Benedictine monastery of golden stone, and a 16th-century watchtower that overlook the small pebble beach and vibrant turquoise sea.
With the dramatic mountain backdrop, it feels secluded and far from the real world, despite the crowds on the beach.
We enjoyed the view as we ate a tasty pesto lasagne lunch with local white wine at Da Giovanni.
There are a few other restaurants in San Fruttuoso, but they close in winter (or if the ferry isn’t running) so check ahead or bring your own snacks (there’s no shop).
If you don’t want a sit-down lunch, Da Giovanni has a bar with snacks like focaccia and pizza slices as well as soft drinks, coffee, and ice cream.
La Marina Bar right on the beach also has focaccia (as well as full meals), but it wasn’t very good. You’ll spend much less and have higher quality if you bring some from Camogli.
After lunch, we relaxed on the beach. You can rent sunbeds and umbrellas from Bagni San Fruttuoso (in May, two beds and an umbrella cost €15 for one hour or €60 for the day). Or the other half of the beach is free.
Floating in the clear water looking back at the abbey and the mountain we’d descended was a special experience.
There’s also some decent snorkelling (I brought goggles) by the rocks on the left .
There are public toilets up the steps from the beach (on the right facing the sea) towards where the ferries depart.
You can also visit the 10th century monastery, the Abbazia di Fruttuoso. It’s open every day from 10am – 5.45pm from June to mid-September with slightly shorter hours in the shoulder season months. In winter, it closes at 3.45pm and on Mondays. It also closes if the ferry is cancelled.
Entrance is €9 for adults and €5 for children.
We’ve never made it inside as it can be busy with tour groups, and the beach always calls us after a hike.
San Fruttuoso Ferry
The only way to leave San Fruttuoso is on foot—back to Camogli or on to Portofino—or by ferry.
When we were there in mid-September, the last ferry was at 3.30pm, even though the online schedule said 5.30pm, so it’s best to get an early start.
More ferries are scheduled on weekends and in peak season (June to August). Be sure to check the timetable in advance.
Bear in mind that the ferries do get cancelled if the sea is rough. We called them before our hike to check they were running so we wouldn’t be forced to hike out as well.
To Portofino and Rapallo
To get from San Fruttuoso to Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Rapallo, take the Line 1 ferry with Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio. Walk up the stairs from the beach and down the other side for departures.
In the summer, they leave San Fruttuoso once an hour from 11.30am until 5.30pm. The journey to Rapallo (which we did) costs €15 one way and takes one hour.
You might want to stop in Portofino (15 minutes from San Fruttuoso) if you haven’t visited yet. Or do as we did and walk there another day from Santa Margherita on the easy coastal walk—our Italian Riviera travel guide has more details.
We really enjoyed the ferry trip. The coastline is spectacular, and we were able to get the best views of Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Rapallo from the sea.
To Camogli
You could also take the ferry in the other direction back to Camogli. These leave right next to the beach. There’s a desk where you can buy tickets (card payments accepted but I’d take cash just in case).
Check the Golfo Paradiso schedule for the Blue Line. It costs €10 to Camogli and takes 30 minutes.
If you are visiting San Fruttuoso during the Camogli Fish Festival in mid-May, they usually put on extra ferries so check the special timetable in the events section of the website.
Camogli to San Fruttuoso Hike Map
Portofino to San Fruttuoso Hike
Another way to access San Fruttuoso is to hike there from Portofino (or vice versa).
The one way trip is about 4.5km (2.8 miles) and takes around 1.5 hours with some steep climbs at either end.
See the AllTrails San Fruttuoso to Portofino trail page (note the distance given is for the return journey).
If you are feeling very energetic, you could even skip the ferry and do a Camogli to Portofino hike with a break in San Fruttuoso. Allow at least 3.5 hours (not including breaks) for this 10km walk.
Is Hiking to San Fruttuoso Worth It?
San Fruttuoso is one of the most special places on the Italian Riviera, and I highly recommend you visit, even if you take the ferry rather than hiking in.
Nothing beats the feeling of having earned your lunch and swim after a hike, though, so if you can hike it’s well worth it.
It really was the perfect day.
More Liguria Posts
Camogli
- Camogli, Italy Travel Guide: Our Favourite Town on the Italian Riviera
- Camogli Fish Festival (Sagra del Pesce): What to Expect
- Hotel Cenobio dei Dogi Review
Elsewhere on the Italian Riviera
- Hiking Corniglia to Manarola in Cinque Terre
- 11 Stunning Things to Do in the Italian Riviera
- Rapallo Travel Guide: The Best Italian Riviera Base
- Finale Ligure, Italy: The Quiet Side of the Italian Riviera
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Erin,
Thanks for your commentary on this hike. I actually printed your description and took it with me from Scottsdale to Camogli. I was staying in Camogli near the south end of the beach and had no problems finding the TH, but did download the hike from Camogli to Portofino on Alltrails (could not find one that was Camogli to SF by way of Inland) which was helpful getting to the steps that lead to the Church San Rocco. The steps seemed to go on forever as you noted. However, you did say this was the hardest part and I found the constant up through the forest also challenging. I was a solo hiker and glad to pair up with a Swiss Father/Daughter team for company at the beginning of the steps. They had a slow and deliberate pace so we were much slower than you noted even though I normally hike about a 20 min mile in the desert. We had a longer break at the intersection of the inland and coastal as they were fueling up to continue on to Portofino. I got my second wind after the break and finally catching a few glimpses of the Abbey from above, but it was approx 50 minutes of steep downhill to get there. My total hiking time with stops for photos and not the big break was 3:15. I did this trail on 9/16. It was warm and humid. I packed a swimsuit, enjoyed a swim, relaxed on a rented chair, celebrated with an Aperol Spritz and took the 4pm Golfo Paradise ferry back to Camogli. Perfect day! Thanks so much for sharing your experience as it definitely helped me plan my route and exit plan.
Thank you so much for your trip report, Cindy!
We hiked out on the inland route with our (heavy!) 3 year old in a backpack and our stoic 8 year old. We took our time with a nice visit at San Rocco and plenty of breaks and it took us around 4 hours. We were cooked with the switchbacks on the way down.
But then – the ferry wasn’t running! So we had to hike out to Portofino. Thank goodness we took lots of snacks (all restaurants were closed). I’m very proud of us for making it but very cross I didn’t double check the ferry. I was so confident it was a lovely day!
Thank you for your great advice (I wish I had heeded it!)
Thanks for the trip report, Hayley. What a nightmare that the restaurants were closed and the ferry wasn’t running! I’m glad you were prepared.
We’ve just completed the inland route with the boat back to Rapallo at the end. We are in our mid-sixties and whilst it is glorious we found it tough. The steps up to San Rocco are tough and then there are hundreds more before you reach the forest path. And the descent is tricky and long. Please add caveats to your difficulty levels. We were young once!
Thanks for all the great detail Erin. How long would you say the ferry ride back is? I’ve found online over two hours and another only thirty minutes lol.
Ours was 30 minutes from San Fruttuoso to Rapallo.
Took the inland route.
Met my wife who came by ferry from Comogli.
Had a swim
Also had the pesto pasta ( twice ).
Ferry back to Comogli.
A perfect day.
During a later trip to Italy I highly recommended the hike to friends.
They at that stage were travelling separately .
Unfortunately it did not occur to me to warn them of the difficulties of the coastal route.
They are usually carry out their own research.
They got to San Fruttuoso eventually, but they probably still harbour a grudge.
Oh dear! I’m glad you had a lovely day though!
I wish I had read this post before we did the coastal work from San Rocco to San Fruttuoso. I have done big walks before (e.g. NZ great walks) but was absolutely petrified when I had to use the chains, and absolutely no warning that there are sections like this on the walk. There are several sections where you are holding on to a chain while you rock climb, each more scary than the last :-(. I was in tears by the end of it. I was walking with my partner and teenage daughter – they coped well, but honestly, it is scary having a cliff drop underneath you while you are moving feet along a cliff face while holding a chain. Absolutely terrifying – and there should be sign at the beginning of the track warning people. I saw a couple of families hiking with small children and even babies in a backpack, who had to turn back once they got to the sections of the track with the chains.
But – it is a very beautiful part of Italy – so sounds like taking the inland track is the way to go.
Sorry you had such a scary experience, Nikki. You’ve made me glad we took the inland route!
I am a seasoned hiker, albeit a quite old one, and I would not recommend the coastal side of the two trails; for me it was scary. The hike down to San Fruttuoso and out (three times) is one of my favorite experiences in Italy, having traveled to different parts of Italy every year since forever ago. Enjoy the many chestnuts along the way! It’s important to check the ferry schedule and to respect all signs, etc.
I promise you: The memory of this hike will remain with you, with every aspect of your being.
You’ve made me feel better about skipping the coastal route! Glad you enjoyed the hike as much as we did.