The bucket-list things to do — and who runs each one.
Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, who runs it, and how to book it direct — so you can weigh it against your ship’s excursion and pick what suits you.
In port at Santa Margherita, the bucket-list move is Private Boat Tour of the Portofino Marine Reserve. Below: 6 bucket-list things to do on a Santa Margherita port day — worth weighing against whatever your ship offers.
Glide through the protected waters of the Portofino Marine Reserve on a private crewed boat, anchoring in hidden coves for swimming and snorkelling. This is the Ligurian Riviera at its most exclusive — on your own terms, at your own pace.
Book itBoat tour of the Portofino and San Fruttuoso promontory$64 per person
Paddle the dramatic Portofino coastline on a small-group sea-kayak tour, dipping into sea caves and snorkelling the crystalline Marine Reserve. A visceral, human-scale encounter with one of Italy's most celebrated stretches of coast.
Book itEasy Kayak Tour to Portofino with Optional Snorkeling$53 per person
Sail by sea to both Portofino and the breathtaking 13th-century San Fruttuoso Abbey, set in an unreachable-by-road cove. Two of Liguria's greatest icons in one unforgettable small-group day on the water.
Book itPortofino: Small-Group Boat Tour to San Fruttuoso & Camogli$103 per person
A private, chauffeur-driven full-day journey to the UNESCO-listed Cinque Terre — five jewel-like villages clinging to vertical cliffs above a cobalt sea. This is the quintessential Ligurian landscape, explored with expert, personalised guidance.
Book itSanta Margherita Ligure: Cinque Terre Guided Day Trip$157 per person
A private guided immersion into the twin jewels of the Ligurian Riviera — the glamorous harbour village of Portofino and the elegant promenade of Santa Margherita Ligure. Art, gardens, hidden alleys, and the very soul of la dolce vita.
Book itFrom Rapallo: Coastal Highlights Cruise with Portofino Stop$99 per person
Venture into the Pelagos Sanctuary — a protected international marine park shared by Italy, France, and Monaco — in search of fin whales, sperm whales, and dolphins in one of the Mediterranean's richest cetacean habitats.
Book itGenoa: Pelagos Sanctuary Whale Watching Cruise$50 per person
Your day in Santa MargheritaNothing picked yet — tick what you fancy
$0for two, booked direct
Now plan the rest of it
You know what to do on the day. Here is the trip it belongs to —
each one opens as a whole plan, not a list: where to fly in, every port, what it runs.