From Portofino you can catch a ferry to Santa Margherita Ligure, one of the Riviera’s main resorts. Nearby is Rapallo, a city of nearly 30,000 people it’s one of the largest on the eastern Riviera. It lies sheltered from winds and currents in an inlet on the Golfo del Tigullio, and was inhabited in pre-Roman times. The castle overlooking the sea was built in 1550 by the Genoese. Today, Rapallo is an important tourist attraction because of the high quality of hotel accommodation and the important cultural events it hosts, such as a national literary prize for female writers and an international cartoon exhibition. It also boasts two ports that can hold up to 900 boats, a seaside promenade and many outdoor cafes, along with an 18-hold golf course situated next to the ruins of the Valle Christi, a Cistercian monastery founded in 1204.