Soggiorna
With children Camogli has an advantage that is rare in Liguria: everything you need is within a few hundred metres, and the most fun part, the boat, leaves from the harbour in the middle of the village. The catch is the pebble beach, which with little ones needs the right gear. Prices and rules below come from the boat operator Golfo Paradiso and the Camogli tourist office.
The boat as an outing
For a child the half-hour crossing to San Fruttuoso, beneath the Portofino mountain, is worth the day on its own. The operator's rules:
- up to age 3 children travel free with a parent;
- ages 4 to 12 pay the reduced fare: in 2026 7 euros one way and 11 return to San Fruttuoso, 4 and 7 euros to Punta Chiappa;
- buggies can come on board; when boarding by the bow gangway they must be folded;
- dogs travel free, on a lead;
- a San Fruttuoso ticket also lets you get off at Punta Chiappa.
Tickets are sold at the harbour ticket office and the operator suggests arriving half an hour early. Monthly times and adult fares are in the Camogli guide.
Looking for dolphins
Camogli lies inside the Pelagos Sanctuary for marine mammals, and Golfo Paradiso runs whale-watching trips with a biologist on board explaining what you see. What a family should know:
- in 2026 departures from Camogli run from mid-June to September; in the other months trips leave only from Genoa Porto Antico;
- it costs 43 euros for adults, 25 euros for ages 4 to 12, free up to 3;
- the trip lasts at least four hours: there are toilets on board, no bar, and you can bring a packed lunch;
- if no animals are sighted, the ticket can be reused within a year;
- under-14s must be accompanied.
For anyone prone to seasickness the operator suggests asking a doctor beforehand: on board there are only sick bags.
On the beach
The village beach is pebble: rock shoes for everyone and a thick towel. Between the beach clubs there are free stretches and the town's Spiaggia Lilla, with boardwalks to the water that also help with a buggy. There Club Vela Camogli has two transparent canoes for looking at the seabed without diving. The list of beach clubs and swimming at Punta Chiappa are in our guide to the beaches of Camogli.
According to the tourist office the bathing season runs from May to October; for the youngest the best months are June and the second half of September, with warm water and fewer people.
In summer the association SMILEVIL runs the Camogli Campus day camp for children (phone 320 239 0081).
Walks for short legs
- Camogli - San Rocco: the mule track near the Carabinieri station, 900 steps and about half an hour. You can also ride up on AMT bus 973 and walk down. In San Rocco's church square stands the monument to the dog: since 1962 Camogli has held a Dog Festival with a prize for loyalty.
- Camogli - Punta Chiappa: 2.5 kilometres and about an hour, rated easy by the tourist office; you come back by boat, so children do one leg on foot and one on the water.
- Ruta - Portofino Vetta: a 3.7-kilometre loop of about two hours, in the shade.
The Batterie path to San Fruttuoso, with exposed stretches and chains, is not suitable for children. The Park authority reminds walkers that the mountain paths need shoes with a proper tread, water and, from May to October, a sun hat. Along the way to San Rocco there are drinking fountains, benches and an outdoor fitness area.
Festivals children enjoy
- Sagra del Pesce, second Sunday of May: the 3.8-metre steel frying pan and, on the Saturday evening, the bonfires on the beach built by the town's neighbourhoods.
- Stella Maris, first Sunday of August: at night the sea in front of Camogli fills with floating candles.
- The Dragun: the twelve-oar, two-sail boat, 10.50 metres long, is on show in winter in Largo Simonetti and in spring goes back to sea through the streets.
- The mechanical nativity scene in Via Isola, near the basilica, at Christmas.
Practical matters
- Arriving by train is easier with children: the station is in the village and the Pro Loco has left luggage. By car, parking is paid; areas and prices in How to get to Camogli and where to park.
- Pharmacies: Farmacia Camogli at Via della Repubblica 4-6 (0185 771081), Farmacia Armonia at Via della Repubblica 97, Farmacia Ruta at Via Aurelia 207 (0185 770487).
- Children's hospital: the Istituto Giannina Gaslini in Genoa, phone 010 56361.
- Emergencies: 112. In the village there are defibrillators at the harbour, in Piazza Schiaffino, in Via Garibaldi by the "padellone", in Ruta and in San Rocco.
Frequently asked questions
Do children pay for the boat to San Fruttuoso?
Not up to age 3. Ages 4 to 12 pay the reduced fare: 7 euros one way and 11 return in 2026.
Can you take a buggy on the boat?
Yes. If you board by the bow gangway the buggy must be folded.
Can you go dolphin watching from Camogli?
Yes, with Golfo Paradiso's whale watching: from Camogli it runs from mid-June to September, 25 euros for ages 4 to 12, free up to 3.
Is Camogli's beach good for small children?
It is pebble, so bring water shoes. The town's Spiaggia Lilla has boardwalks to the water that also help with a buggy.
What is an easy walk to do with children?
Camogli - Punta Chiappa: 2.5 kilometres and about an hour, coming back by boat.