The verdict on Paraggi
- Who it suitsFamilies who want soft sand and calm, shallow, clear water near Portofino, and anyone happy to arrive early or pay a club for a small but genuinely pretty bay.
- Best spotThe narrow free public strip early in the day for the same emerald water at no cost, or a club umbrella when you want guaranteed shade and comfort.
- One thing to knowIt is small and expensive. The clubs take much of the sand and parking is very limited, so come by bus or boat and arrive early in summer.
Published 16 January 2026. Last reviewed 24 May 2026
Paraggi is the answer to a question families ask a lot on this coast, where is the nearest real sand to Portofino. The answer is this tiny bay on the road between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino, a pocket of soft sand and famously emerald water tucked into the green hillsides. It is the only proper sandy beach in the immediate area, and on the water it is genuinely lovely for children, calm, sheltered and clear with a gentle shallow entry that makes paddling easy and swimming relaxed.
The practical shape of a day here is shaped by two things, size and money. The beach is small, and a large part of it is taken up by smart beach clubs that hire umbrellas and loungers and are known to be expensive in keeping with the exclusive Portofino postcode. There is a free public strip, but it is narrow and claimed very early on a summer morning. So a good Paraggi day is either an early arrival for the free sand, or a decision to pay a club for the comfort and the shade, with eyes open about the cost.
The honest caution is access and crowds, not the swimming. Parking is very limited and pricey, and the road can be busy, so the easiest way in is the frequent local bus that runs between Santa Margherita and Portofino and stops right at the bay, or a seasonal boat to the area. In peak season the small beach fills and the free strip vanishes by mid morning, which turns a calm bay into a tight squeeze. Plan the logistics and the bay rewards you, turn up unprepared at noon in August and it can frustrate.
Treat Paraggi for what it is, a small jewel of a sandy bay with easy, clear water for children, set in one of the most glamorous corners of Italy and priced accordingly. Come early, travel by bus or boat, and decide in advance whether you want the free strip or a club umbrella. If you want a larger, less expensive sandy family day, the sheltered Baia del Silenzio at Sestri Levante and the long beach at Monterosso are easier on both space and budget. For the clubs we can confirm along the coast, see our Liguria beach clubs directory.
Beach clubs on Paraggi bay
Paraggi is known for smart, pricey beach clubs that take much of the small bay, alongside a narrow free public strip. We never invent venues, prices or status, so the named operators and any day rates are marked to be confirmed until verified. For the clubs we have checked along the Liguria coast, use the Liguria beach clubs directory.
Paraggi beach clubs
The smart clubs on the bay offer umbrellas, loungers, showers and service on the emerald water, the comfortable way to a Paraggi day. They are known to be expensive here, and operator names and day rates are to be confirmed, so we list them only once verified.
Spiaggia libera
The narrow free public strip gives you the same emerald water at no cost and rewards an early arrival. Bring your own shade and water, since it has no service and fills very quickly on summer mornings in this small, popular bay.
Paraggi, near Portofino, Liguria
Paraggi sits on the coast road between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino. The easiest way in is the frequent local bus that runs along this road and stops right at the bay, and seasonal passenger boats also call nearby, both far simpler than driving. Parking is very limited and expensive, so the bus or boat saves you the search for a space and the cost that comes with it on a busy day.
Bring sun cover and water, and arrive in the morning in summer to claim space on the narrow free strip before the small bay fills. Decide in advance whether you want the free sand or a club umbrella, watch younger swimmers in the gentle shallows, which deepen towards the mouth of the bay, and read any seasonal flags. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
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Paraggi FAQ
Does Paraggi have a sandy beach?
Yes. Paraggi is the only sandy beach in the immediate Portofino area, a small sheltered bay of soft sand and emerald water between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino. The sand and the calm, clear, shallow entry are exactly why families value it, since most of this coast is rock and pebble. It is small, though, so it fills fast in summer.
Is Paraggi good for families with young children?
Paraggi suits families well on the water, with soft sand, a calm sheltered bay and a gentle shallow entry that is easy for children. The catch is cost and size. Much of the small beach is taken by pricey beach clubs, the free public strip is narrow and claimed early, and parking is very limited. Arrive early or come by bus or boat, and the swimming itself is lovely.
Is Paraggi beach free or do you pay?
Both. Paraggi has a small free public section, the spiaggia libera, alongside paid beach clubs that hire umbrellas and loungers and are known to be expensive in this exclusive corner of the coast. Day rates at the clubs are to be confirmed with the operator. The free strip costs nothing but is narrow and fills very early on summer mornings.
How do you get to Paraggi?
Paraggi sits on the road between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino. A frequent local bus runs along this road and stops at the bay, and seasonal passenger boats also call nearby, both easier than driving. Parking is very limited and expensive, so the bus or boat is the simpler way in, especially on a busy summer day.
When is the best time to visit Paraggi?
June and September give warm sea and lighter crowds than the packed July and August peak. The bay is small, so a morning arrival is the difference between space on the free sand and a squeeze. Mornings are calmest and quietest before the day fills, and the sea is swimmable from roughly June into early October. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.