Portofino & Santa Margherita: Boat Tour, Pesto Class & Lunch

4.85

(131 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We met our guide right by the pier in Santa Margherita Ligure—she waved at us with a bright scarf, which made it easy to spot her in the little crowd. The ferry ride out along the Italian Riviera was quieter than I expected. You could smell salt and sunscreen, and the water had that deep blue-green thing going on. Our guide pointed out painted facades as we drifted past them; honestly, I’d seen photos of Portofino before, but seeing those houses curve around the Piazzetta for real just feels different. There’s this hush when you pull into the harbor—everyone sort of pauses, even if they’re locals.

Walking through Portofino felt like wandering onto a movie set, except there were fishermen mending nets and a kid chasing pigeons near the water. We ducked into a small place for a focaccia tasting (still warm, olive oil everywhere), and then got handed mortars and pestles for the pesto class. I tried to say “basilico” properly—our instructor laughed and corrected me gently. Crushing pine nuts is harder than it looks, by the way. The basil smelled so strong my hands carried it for hours after. Lunch was trofie al pesto right on the harbor, glass of wine in hand. It wasn’t fancy but tasted like summer.

I liked that we could take our time after—the return ferry ticket meant we weren’t rushed out of Portofino. Some people wandered off for gelato or just sat by the water watching boats come and go. There was this older couple next to us who said they do this day trip from Santa Margherita every year; I get why now. I still think about that view as we left—the colors don’t really fade in your memory.