Hidden in the Bay of Camogli, along the rigid Mediterranean coast of Italy’s Liguria region, unreachable by car or train, is the majestically beautiful San Fruttuoso.
In the summer you can catch a fast ferry hourly for most of the day from nearby destinations like Genoa, Camogli and Portofino for about 12 euro one way. Or you could, you know, hike the rugged mountainous trails from the nearest towns… if you’re into that sort of thing.
Either the abbey or the beach on their own would be enough to get people out here, but together they’re even more spectacular.
San Fruttuoso Abbey is the large white stone building dominating the little cove, and the beach wasn’t always there, the arches at the bottom of the part medieval/part Romanesque monastery used to be where boats pulled up to let people out (including pirates). Since the beach naturally arrived though, it has become popular with both locals and visitors. The neighboring towns are port towns with a lot of boat traffic and the water here is so clear you can see each and every pebble from deep enough that most people can’t swim down without a tank.
Photo via Flickr/Irene Grassi
For a small fee, you can tour the inside and explore the historic archways, artifacts and catacombs… yep… wouldn’t be a Catholic Italian abbey without an old time-y wealthy family resting inside.
Photo via Flickr/Irene Grassi
San Fruttuoso is a great getaway because that’s really all that’s there, and oddly enough the beach never gets overwhelmingly crowded. It’s a great place for summer travel in Italy because you can get a little bit of that old world history and scenery, and then stay cool. Oh, and there are a few bars available, but they’re a bit expensive since they know they’re the only option, so I suggest packing a snack.
I’d never heard of San Fruttuoso but yes please, beach + beautiful historical monument + catacombs = win!
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