Missing the last boat does not mean you are stranded in Portofino. The normal backup is AMT bus 782 from Piazza della Libertà to Santa Margherita Ligure, with stops at Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the railway station. If the bus is finished for the night, badly crowded, or awkward with your luggage, use a road taxi. Walking is possible for roughly 5 km, but it is a last resort after dark because the pedestrian route includes steps and wooded sections.
For 2027, the key to Portofino after the last ferry is checking two separate schedules on the day: the boat timetable and AMT line 782. As of September 2026, the operators have not yet published their 2027 seasonal timetables. The 2026 pattern is useful for planning, but do not copy an old departure time into next year’s itinerary and assume it still applies.
The last ferry is not at the same time all season
Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio’s Line 1 links Portofino with Santa Margherita Ligure and Rapallo, but the final departure changes substantially during the year. The published 2026 timetable had the last departure from Portofino at 16:00 in late March, 17:00 in April, 18:00 on most dates from May through September, and 17:00 again in October and on 1 November. An additional 19:00 departure operated on specified peak-season dates, including daily service in August.
That is why a search result saying “the last ferry is at 6 PM” is not good enough for a 2027 trip. Check your exact date on the official ferry timetable page. Boats can also be changed or cancelled because of sea conditions or operational requirements, so a scheduled final sailing is not a guarantee that it will actually run.
The regular boats use Molo Umberto I, beside Portofino’s harbor. If the ticket office or crew tells you there are no more sailings, do not wait around the pier hoping another public boat will appear. Start moving toward the bus terminus while there is still a useful road connection.
Bus 782 is usually the best backup
AMT line 782 runs between Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure. In the published 2026 schedules it operated much later than the public boats, making it the obvious first choice after maritime service ended.
How to find the bus from the ferry pier
From Molo Umberto I, return to Piazza Martiri dell’Olivetta, the main Piazzetta beside the harbor. Take Via Roma away from the water and continue inland to Piazza della Libertà, also written simply as Piazza Libertà on some local addresses. This is the road-access area at the entrance to the pedestrian center and the Portofino terminus, or capolinea, for line 782.
Do not look for the bus beside the ferry landing. Portofino’s harbor streets are largely pedestrian and ZTL territory. The bus starts from the road end of the village.
Outbound stops toward Santa Margherita are shown in the timetable in this order:
- PORTOFINO, the terminus in Portofino
- PARAGGI, for Paraggi Bay
- COVO DI NORD EST
- S. MARGHERITA P.za V. VENETO, useful for the seafront and central Santa Margherita
- S. MARGHERITA FS, the railway station
If you need an onward train, remain aboard until S. MARGHERITA FS. The letters FS mean railway station. If your hotel is around Santa Margherita’s waterfront or town center, Piazza Vittorio Veneto may save you an unnecessary trip up to the station.
How late the bus can run
The 2026 summer schedule gives a useful idea of how different the bus and boat operating days can be. AMT ran line 782 every 15 minutes through much of the day, and the timetable included late-evening departures long after the final ferry. During the July and August intensification, departures from Portofino were listed as late as 00:30 and 01:00. Other parts of the published season included a 00:00 departure.
Do not treat those hours as confirmed 2027 service. AMT changes the timetable seasonally, and some very late runs operate only during specific date ranges. Before staying for dinner in Portofino, open the AMT provincial timetable, select Portofino or line 782, and look specifically at the PORTOFINO row for your date.
Giornaliero means daily. Feriale means a working-day service, while festivo refers to Sundays and public holidays. Pay attention to the small letter codes beneath late departures, particularly if you hope to continue beyond Santa Margherita.
Buying a ticket when shops have closed
Line 782 has its own fare. The standard AMT city ticket is not the normal tourist ticket for this route. AMT currently lists the dedicated single journey at €5, although the fare should be checked again for 2027.
The useful late-night option is contactless payment. AMT’s ILA contactless system is installed at the Portofino terminus and on line 782, allowing passengers to tap an accepted contactless bank card or supported phone wallet. A dedicated 782 ticket is also available through the AMT app.
If you use a paper ticket, validate it when you begin the journey and keep it until after you have left the bus. Do not assume that possessing an unused ticket in your pocket is enough. The Italian word to watch for is convalidare, meaning to validate.
What if the first bus is full?
Portofino’s buses are relatively compact, and the first departures after the boats finish can attract a lot of passengers. Queue at the terminus rather than trying to board at a later stop. If another scheduled departure follows shortly, waiting there is usually better than walking toward Paraggi and hoping to flag the bus down.
Once departures become less frequent late in the evening, check the actual timetable before deciding to wait. A 15-minute daytime pattern does not mean buses continue every 15 minutes until midnight.
Taxi is the better choice with luggage or a tight connection
A road taxi becomes attractive when you have a large suitcase, young children, reduced mobility, several people sharing the fare, or an onward train that leaves little margin for waiting for the next bus.
Unless your driver gives you a different meeting point, arrange the pickup around Piazza della Libertà, the same road-access end of Portofino used by the bus. Do not simply stand on Molo Umberto I expecting ordinary road taxis to circulate around the harbor.
Taxi availability is less predictable late at night than the bus timetable. On summer weekends, during weddings, or after special events, the cars that are present can be claimed quickly. If you already know you will dine well beyond the ferry schedule, ask your hotel or restaurant to arrange the taxi before the evening rush rather than starting the search after the final bus is approaching.
There is no sensible single taxi price to quote for every journey because your destination, waiting time, supplements, and the applicable local tariff can change the total. Confirm the destination and fare conditions when arranging the car, especially if you want to continue beyond Santa Margherita to Rapallo, Genoa, or another town.
Walking to Santa Margherita is possible, but know what the route involves
The coastal road distance between Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure is about 5 km. It is a reasonable recreational walk in suitable conditions, but it should not be confused with a perfectly flat, continuously lit urban sidewalk.
The particularly pleasant pedestrian section between Portofino and Paraggi is the Passeggiata dei Baci. Portofino Regional Park describes its Paraggi to Portofino route as 1.7 km, with roughly 100 metres of ascent and descent and a walking time of 40 to 50 minutes. The Paraggi entrance involves a staircase, and the path then runs above the provincial road through woodland. You can check the official Portofino Park route description before relying on it.
From Portofino, follow signs for Paraggi and the pedestrian route. At Paraggi, continue toward Santa Margherita along the coastal corridor and its pedestrian sections. Allow roughly 90 minutes or more for the full trip to central Santa Margherita rather than planning it as a quick stroll.
Walking after dark
The park section passes through wooded terrain, so do not assume it has the continuous street lighting of a town promenade. After full dark, carry a charged phone and a proper light, stay on marked pedestrian routes, and avoid shortcuts onto unfamiliar trails. Rain makes stone steps and paths a much worse proposition.
If you are tired, alone and uncomfortable with the route, or dressed for dinner rather than a 5 km walk, pay for the taxi. Portofino is a pleasant place for a coastal walk when you choose to walk. It is much less appealing when the walk begins because you have accidentally exhausted every other option.
Do not choose the scenic path with a rolling suitcase
The Passeggiata dei Baci includes stairs and changes of level. A wheeled suitcase turns an easy pedestrian outing into an awkward haul. With substantial luggage, prioritize the bus or taxi rather than planning to drag cases to Santa Margherita.
AMT also has baggage rules on provincial buses, and oversized or additional pieces may depend on space and require an extra ticket. Keep cases out of aisles and door areas. If you are travelling with several large bags, a pre-arranged taxi removes both the crowding problem and the uncertainty over available storage.
Families, strollers and reduced mobility
The walking route is not a reliable step-free fallback. The Paraggi pedestrian path uses stairs, so wheelchair users and anyone who cannot manage steps should not count on it.
AMT’s provincial rules permit wheelchairs only on equipped buses and at suitable stops. Strollers may need to be closed or secured in the designated position depending on the vehicle, with wheelchair users having priority for the accessible space. If accessible transport is essential, verify the particular bus or arrange an appropriate taxi rather than leaving the decision until late at night.
If you need a train after reaching Santa Margherita
The bus getting you to S. MARGHERITA FS does not guarantee that a useful train is still running. Check your actual railway departure before deciding how long you can remain in Portofino. A 00:00 bus is little help if your final train left much earlier.
This matters especially for travelers sleeping in Genoa, Levanto, the Cinque Terre, or farther along the railway. Build the journey backward from the last train you are willing to take, then choose a 782 departure that gives you a sensible connection margin. If you are fitting the coast into a longer trip, you can organize the rest of your Italy route around those fixed transport cutoffs rather than treating the ferry, bus and train as interchangeable services.
Some published 782 departures have continued from Santa Margherita toward Rapallo under line numbers 706 or 707. These extensions apply only to particular runs and date ranges. If the timetable has a letter beside your departure, read the footnote instead of assuming every Portofino bus carries on to Rapallo.
What to do when the ferry is cancelled unexpectedly
A cancellation in mid-afternoon is different from simply missing the scheduled final boat. If sea conditions stop the ferries, go to the 782 terminus immediately and use the road network while you still have plenty of departures available. Do not keep returning to Molo Umberto I waiting for the sea service to restart unless the operator has specifically announced another sailing.
Private taxi boats can sometimes be found around Molo Umberto I, but they are not a guaranteed replacement for the public ferry. If public boats have stopped because of poor sea conditions, a smaller private craft may also be unable or unwilling to operate.
If a road incident or closure affects the Portofino to Santa Margherita corridor, the problem is more serious because buses and road taxis use the same narrow coastal connection. Check AMT service notices before setting off on foot. If both road and sea transport are disrupted, an unplanned night in Portofino can be safer than attempting an improvised route through the promontory after dark.
A simple order of backup plans
- Public ferry still running: take it if its destination suits you.
- Ferry finished but 782 still running: walk from the harbor via Via Roma to Piazza della Libertà and take the bus.
- Heavy luggage, mobility needs, children, or a tight onward connection: arrange a taxi rather than waiting until the last possible bus.
- No useful bus and no taxi: walk only if conditions are dry, you have suitable footwear and lighting, and you are comfortable covering about 5 km.
- Road disruption as well as ferry disruption: do not assume walking solves the problem. Check the coastal route and be prepared to stay locally.
The easiest mistake is checking only the boat timetable. For a late Portofino visit in 2027, save the final ferry departure, the last useful 782 from PORTOFINO, and your last onward train before you leave Santa Margherita in the morning. Three times written down in advance turn a missed boat into a routine change of transport rather than a very expensive surprise.