Every time I return to the Liguria region of Italy (which is every summer) I find a new place to love. This year, it was Rapallo! I am so glad that I spent time here and used Rapallo as a base for a few days. I chose Rapallo because I love so many other towns along this same train line. I had read that Rapallo was a little more local and relaxed than some of the other towns I’ve visited. I wanted to see for myself!
How to get to Rapallo
By Train
Rapallo can easily be reached by train from many of the towns along the Genoa-Sestri Levante train line. You can also reach Rapallo from Milan/Rome or other major Italian cities with connections. The train station in Rapallo is easily walkable to the town center and promenade.
By Car
If you’re hiring a car you can also reach Rapallo by car. However, I would make sure to arrange parking prior to your visit as it can be challenging. Liguria is easily accessible by train, so unless you’re continuing on through other parts of Italy, the train is your best bet.
By Ferry
Rapallo is also connected to a number of other towns on the coast by ferry. Ferries here are easy to use and right off the main promenade in the center of town.
Where to Stay in Rapallo
I stayed at the Hotel Vesuvio a 3 star hotel on the main promenade. It had everything I needed as a solo female traveler for this trip. They had at 24 hour reception, a lovely breakfast, and a very kind and welcoming staff. My room had a balcony view over the sea and the main promenade. It was clean, comfortable, and most importantly cold! It had great AC! The bathroom was nice as well and large for European standards. Overall the price was right, the location was right, and this was an excellent spot for my stay.
IF I had been traveling with my husband, I would have checked out Hotel Excelsior Palace. This place is an absolutely gorgeous resort right on the edge of Rapallo. It has multiple pools, an incredible amount of rooms, beautiful grounds, and a stunning position overlooking the sea and the coast. It’s the kind of place you’d want to stay a few days and really enjoy and use all of the amenities and spend time on the property. I would love to come back someday and spend a few days here as a base for exploring the area.
Things to Do
Enjoy the beaches
It would be silly to not mention this first. If you’re visiting Rapallo in the summer you’re likely coming to enjoy the beaches. One thing I would suggest is that you DON’T actually go to the main beach right in front of the town. Instead go left or right to enjoy much better/cleaner beaches in the area.
My favorite beach in the area nearby to Rapallo was San Michele beach. If you are standing on the promenade facing the sea you would walk to your right. You can walk there easily from Rapallo in about 15 minutes and the walk is lovely. You actually walk past the Excelsior Palace hotel on the way. When you first arrive there are a few clubs with beach beds and a small public area. If you continue around the corner you find an even quieter little public beach right along side a strip of colorful homes. I found this to be the perfect spot for me to just throw down a towel and relax.
If you’re standing on the promenade facing the sea and turn left you’ll find a stunning little beach right to the left of the castle. It’s small, but it is beautiful! If you continue onward you’ll find little beach clubs dotting the whole coast as you continue down. You could honestly choose any of them to have a lovely little beach day.
Take the Cable Car from Rapallo to Montallegro
This is a fun little adventure that I really enjoyed. If you walk about 8 minutes through the old town and deeper into Rapallo you’ll come upon the funicular. It cost about 11 euro for a round trip and takes you up to Montallegro. The cable car can hold a pretty decent sized group of people and runs on average every 30 minutes.
It takes about 7-8 minutes to get to the top. Once at the top you can visit the Sanctuary of Montallegro. It truly is a stunning church. You can also walk to a few restaurants/guesthouses up here that serve drinks and snacks. There are trails up here you can explore as well if you are a hiker. Just make sure to be cognizant of the timing of the last cable car down the mountain depending on what time you go up!
Do a wine tasting at Cantina Du Pusu
This is the most lovely little wine shop in Rapallo and I couldn’t recommend doing a tasting here more highly! I emailed prior to my visit to let them know that I’d be visiting solo and hoped I could do a tasting. From the minute I received their response I knew I was going to be well taken care of. We discussed through email what kind of Italian wines I’d previously tried, and they gave suggestions for some holes in my game! I have tasted Ligurian wines a number of times at this point so I wanted to try something I hadn’t yet learned about! If you’re visiting this area for the first time you should absolutely try the local wine!
This place really lived up to the excitement that I had about going. They took me through 3 wines from the Peidmont region and I got to keep each of the bottles. I did this on my first day so that I could have them throughout the rest of my trip. They also gave me an excessive amount of focaccia and cheese to enjoy the wine with. All of the choices were FANTASTIC and surprising and things I likely wouldn’t have been able to try at home.
They were so incredibly kind and welcoming to me throughout the whole tasting. They even called one of the producers for me to see if I could go for a tasting when I visit the region someday. This is the kind of Italian experience that I dream about and I was so thankful for this delightful spot! Even if you don’t have time for a full tasting, stop in and grab a bottle and learn a little bit about the area and the wines if you’re in Rapallo.
Stroll & Shop in the Old Town
The streets of Rapallo are so lovely. Make sure that you give yourself some time to just wander in the old town. There are so many stores and cafes that you can pop into and check out.
Visit Neighboring Towns by walk, train, or ferry
Rapallo is a great jumping off point for visiting neighboring towns. You can use the train to get to quite a number of different Ligurian towns. If you want some suggestions you can check out my post here —-> Liguria Posts
You can visit many other Ligurian towns by train, ferry, or walking! It’s so fun to explore along the coast and spend a few hours in different towns. I also love basing in many different towns in this area to get a feel for which one is best for you!
Walk from Rapallo to Portofino
One of my favorite things that I did on this trip was walk from Rapallo to Portofino. I had wanted to do this walk for a long time and I’m so glad I finally got to do it. The walk in its entirety took me about an hour and a half. This walk passes through Santa Margherita Ligure and you may want to spend some time there also. It also passes through tons of amazing looking beaches and swim spots as well as lovely beach club options.
Towards the end of the walk you reach Paraggi which is a famous and very expensive Italian beach. This spot is known for being one of the most fabulous spots in Italy to spend a day. I thought the price sounded extremely steep. Once I actually saw it in person, I could see why. It’s absolutely STUNNING. Almost dreamlike. Someday I’ll post up here for a day.
Finally, after a walk from Paraggi through a paved path in the woods, you reach Portofino. You can enjoy exploring the town here, have lunch, etc. I took the ferry back after wandering Portofino for a bit.
Take a boat out
The coast here is truly unreal and there are so many amazing and beautiful swimming spots. One of the best way to get to enjoy it all is by boat! There are so many options for an amazing boat day here. I recommend private as you get to see everything the way you’d like, but you can find one that suits you best and enjoy!
You can find some great options here —-> Boat Tours
Where to Eat
Sapore d’aMare (boat)
This was one of the top meals of my whole trip honestly. Maybe it was just the amazing vibe, and eating off a boat in the sunshine, but I’m pretty sure it was just THAT good. This is what you imagine when you imagine summer food in Italy. I walked up to the boat and ordered a simple fritto misto, a glass of white wine, and a sparkling water. I sat on a bench and enjoyed my meal in the sunshine. They made this right in front of me and handed it to me so hot and fresh I had to wait a bit to eat it. It was the most incredibly flavorful fritto misto.
Il Salotto Atelier Gourmet (Michelin)
Yes, I’ll do everything from a fishing boat to Michelin dining. Have to have balance right? Honestly, I sometimes wonder about how many amazing places these Michelin guys must skip to be giving places like this recognition. This was a VERY good meal no doubt. If you’re looking for a very good solid meal in Rapallo this is an excellent spot. But if you’ve been to a lot of Michelin spots or are used to fine dining you may wanna lower your expectations just a tad.
Overall the food was wonderful and I really enjoyed what I ate. I have to say the bread was actually a highlight. I had a seafood tartar trio and a delicious pasta. I had my favorite wine of the trip which was a Vermentino from Portofino.
Sole 1936
I came upon this spot after my wine tasting and was able to get a table. If you’re going to eat here I suggest making a reservation on the terrace. The views are lovely and it’s right by the castle of Rapallo. I had just finished a 3 hour wine tasting before coming here so I needed a meal. I got a blue lobster spaghetti and it was delightful. I did feel that the lobster/price ratio was a little off. I would have loved to have done the tasting menu. It looked excellent and was at a really fair price point. Overall I’d say this place is worth a visit but get a spot on the terrace and do the tasting to get your moneys worth.
Hostaria Vecchia
I had a lovely little lunch here upon arriving in Rapallo. I enjoyed a mixed fried fish dish that was cooked very well. I loved that they included some veggies with it too. The staff was super kind and there seemed to be both locals and tourists enjoying this spot. I liked that it was off the main drag so it was a little more peaceful.
Explore Liguria
Rapallo can be an amazing base for exploring other towns of Liguria. I always love having an affordable base and a town with a lot of great dinner options to come back to. If you’re interested in more of Liguria I have some posts here that may be very helpful!
First of all I’d be remiss to not mention that the Cinque Terre is very nearby. You can find all of my posts about the Cinque Terre here (I have visited 6 times so I have a ton of info) —-> Cinque Terre Posts
My favorite town in Liguria is called Camogli. I have visited the past 3 summers and I hope to buy property here someday. This is my #1 recommendation for a base and for a vacation in this area. If you want more information about Camogli, you can check out my post here —–> Camogli Mini Guide
If you’re interested in this area of Italy but aren’t sure yet exactly what your vibe is, this post my be helpful —–> Find Your Liguria Travel Style
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