Being small, Santa Margherita is easy to get around. There is a train station on the hill above the sea front with steps down to the main town. Hourly ferries take you to Portofino and Rapallo, or there is a truly beautiful bus ride along the coast road to Portofino.

 

 

San Giacomo di Corte

The Piazza Martiri della Liberta, and Piazza Vittorio Veneto are two seaside squares to sit in, either to watch the activities of the fishing boats, or to recover from a mornings exertions offered by the various water sports. There is sailing, waterskiing and canoeing to be enjoyed. Just off the seafront is the Basilica di Santa Margherita, which is worth visiting just to see the glorious gilded and lavish inside. Also dating from the same period is the Castle, situated near the sea. There are some remarkable churches, including the Basilica of Santa Margherita, a baroque structure containing paint works by Genoese masters. Santa Margherita is surrounded by a shore constellation of beautiful towns, which offer excellent opportunities for excursions of a few hours. They include Paraggi, Portofino, Camogli, San Fruttuoso, Zoagli, Chiavari, Sestri Levante and of course Genova. One full day allows time for a visit to the Cinque Terre, located east of Santa Margherita, towards La Spezia.