Camogli
The wonderful town of Camogli is set in the green area of the Golfo Paradiso in the Riviera di Levante, about 30 Km from Genoa. According to the academics the name of this beautiful sea resort comes from Camulio, Etruscan God of the war.
The most ancient traces of settlements in the area of Camogli have been recently discovered in the point of Portofino: these finds supposed to date back to the Prehistoric age and witness that at that time people engaged in fishing and hunting.
Always in that area have been found roman archaeological finds.
The spirit of the inhabitants of Camogli has been always connected with sea and seamanship: the first historical mentions date back to 1000 when the town took part with its ships to the first Crusades, driven by fervent religious fire and by plans of commercial and economic conquests.
During the following Century Camogli fought next to Genoa against the other Maritime Republics (Venice, Pisa and Amalfi) and in 1191 we had the first records about Camogli harbour.
During the following centuries the maritime power of Camogli increased more and more until it reached its height in the 16th Century, when the harbour was enlarged and fortified.
During Napoleon’s Age Camogli was part of the French Empire which annexed the entire territory of the Republic of Genoa, and in that period the fleet and the harbour of Camogli reached their maximum splendour both commercial and military.
Camogli nowadays is renowned for its beauty and here the tourists can visit real Liguria, made by narrow streets among high coloured houses, one near the other and joined in an endless series of small windows overlooking the sea and the old town.
Not to miss in Camogli is the well-known the Festival of the Fish taking place between the first and the second week of May. This festival is organized to celebrate San Fortunato, Patron Saint of Fishermen who, with the help of some volunteers, light suggestive fires and the following day fry a big quantity of fish in a enormous pan (it weighs 26 quintals and has a diameter of 3,8 metres).
Another characteristic of Camogli is when the tunny fishing net is lain out to mark the beginning of summer.

Punta Chiappa
Punta Chiappa is the name of a volcanic point dividing the Gulf of Tigullio from the Gulf Paradiso. This wonderful terrace overlooking the sea can be reached through a footpath leaving from San Rocco di Camogli in about one hour. Most of the track is developed along the narrow streets called “creuze”, typical ancient mule tracks.
At the middle of the track there is the small hamlet of San Nicolò with its church dating back to the 12th Century. You continue among citrus fruit orchards and olive yards until you go down until sea level and reach Punta Chiappa, which eas in the antiquities very important for the rich economy connected with fishing. Still nowadays it is possible to see fishing boats and some tourist ferries. In the small town it is possible to find a restaurant and a small hotel.
Continuing the path you can reach the summit of the point from where it is possible to enjoy a wonderful panorama that, in the most limpid days, reaches even Genoa.

San Fruttuoso
San Fruttuoso abbeyis reachable by boat from Portofino or walking by the footpaths leaving from the town along the point: like that it is possible to understand how difficult was to reach that area in the past centuries.
The various historical information about the origins of this abbey are really discordant: some of them tell that the follower of the martyr Fruttuoso took his body here from Spain in 3rd or 4th Century, but this theory seems to be the leastbelievable. The most reliable sources tell that the transportation of the body of the Saintdates back to the 10th Century, the same construction period of the oldest part of the building, having a clear Greek origin.
The rest of the abbey was built in 11th Century and further changes were made by the Benedictine monks who lived there.
Doria Family, owner of the abbey, built the other parts, like the tower located east.
From here the story of the abbey continues beginning a long period of decadence until 1915, when a part of the church collapsed after a flooding. The Italian State restored it and in 1983 Doria family gave the structure to the F.A.I. (Italian Ambience found) which manages it still nowadays.
In the bay in front of the abbey there is the suggestive statue of the Abyss Christ: this statue was born from an idea of a scuba diver, Duilio Mercante, in memory of a friend dead during a diving in the waters of the bay. It was forged with seamen’ medals, part of ships, cannons and bells and the result was a statue 2,5 metres high representing Christ with his arms turned upwards. The Statue lays on a 17 metres deep depth since 1954.
At the end of July there is a ceremony with the blessing of the waters in order to remember people who died at sea and some scuba divers dive to put a laurel wreath on the Christ.

Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita Ligure has been defined “an elegant society salon in the Riviera di Levante”. Larger than Portofino and Camogli, the town is located about 40 Km from Genoa in a wonderful bay between Rapallo and Portofino. It is a well-known sea resort with a modern harbour.
The first historical document about Santa Margherita “Pescino” dates back to the 12th Century: we find two different towns, Pescino and Corte.
Santa Margherita has been for Centuries fee of Fieschi Family until it was dominated by the republic of Genoa (the domination ended in the 18th Century). The two quarters, which had been divided for Centuries where called San Giacomo and Santa Margherita and were reunited in 1812 by Napoleon who named the town Porto Napoleone. This union lasts little time: after the fall of Napoleon’s Empire the city was governed by temporary administrations until in 1863 a decree of the King Vittorio Emanuele II united the town with the name of Santa Margherita Ligure.
The town is typically Ligurian, with its narrow roads going through coloured houses and its deep vegetation hiding luxurious villas, symbol of the power and of the richness of the town.
From a tourist point of view worth a visit is the Spring Festival which has been taking place in Santa Margheritaevery year for 30 years in the week before 21st March; this festival takes place in the “Ghiaia” seafront, where the inhabitants offer to the visitors every kind of fritters. In the evening they light some fires on the beachto remember the ancientfires that were burnt to throw of winter and to welcome spring.
Between Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure there is the small hamlet of Paraggi that offers to the tourists a golden sandy beach.