Castello Brown

Insta: @planterik If you’re visiting Portofino and want to escape the touristy crowds for a bit, climbing up to Castello Brown is an absolute must. Once you make it up the steps, you’re greeted by a charming historic castle with incredible panoramic views of the harbor and the open sea. And the best part? It’s only €5 to enter, and totally worth it. We went before noon and it was surprisingly quiet—even on a weekend. No queues, no crowds—just peace and beautiful scenery. The castle itself is cool inside (literally—air conditioning in summer is a win), and there’s a lovely little café with a terrace offering amazing views. Prices were super reasonable too: €2 for a croissant and €4 for an iced latte. There are no discounted tickets for students, kids, or seniors, but honestly, the views alone make it a great value. Every corner offers a new breathtaking photo op. Highly recommend this spot if you’re in Portofino. It’s a peaceful break from the bustle and gives you a fresh perspective—literally and figuratively.

The walk up to the castle was lovely. It’s mostly shaded and there are benches/ picnic areas along the way to sit down and rest. You will get an amazing view of Portofino from the top. There are some fascinating pieces of art and history to look at/ read about . There is also a bar outside if you wish to have a drink and there is bathroom.

Very nice place to visit, wonderful view on sea and Portofino town. The castle is a silent witness to famous visitors from the world of cinema of the 60s and 70s and you will find numerous photographs of them in the halls of the permanent exhibition organized here.

Castello Brown, a 16th-century castle in Italy, is now a museum, event space, and art gallery with beautiful gardens and stunning bay views. Castello Brown, overlooking Portofino’s harbor, is a 30-minute walk from the harbor up the hill 350 steps. A stairway path leads uphill from the harbor. A small cafe, featuring espressos, cappuccinos, themed exhibitions, classic Hollywood posters, original furniture, and a beautiful staircase, awaits you inside. From the gardens, you can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of Portofino and its coastline. Always check the website for opening times, as the castle may close early for private bookings. Functioning as a museum, it’s open to the public and showcases themed exhibitions and original furniture. The castle boasts elegant interiors and beautiful gardens for visitors to explore. There is a small entrance fee of 5 Euro to enter Castello Brown.

The views are nice and the castle history is interesting. It's also a nice walk through a nature area. A walk to the lighthouse from there is ok, and there's a basic café.

🎟️ Entrance: €8 📸 A must-visit spot! The castle offers breathtaking views and is perfect for photos. Absolutely fascinating, worth every cent!

The Castello allows for views of a stunning Vista overlooking the port, and has a wonderful old world charm throughout the venue. Highly recommend visiting.

If you visit Portofino this is a must! €8 per person to get the best view of the bay you could imagine. Also lovely little cafe up there, the cold beer tasted fabulous after the climb. The gardens are stunning and well kept, this was our highlight of Portofino.

This is worth the walk up for the wonderful views of the marina. The home has some amazing history along with a cafe inside. The garden area has plenty of seating and it was an area with a cool breeze. Glad we made the trip for the tour. Enjoy!

The views alone are worth the trek up to the castle! Take heed though, there is an easy way and a hard way up. We just got lucky and came up the easy way, went down the other way. The entire way down, all we could say was, "Thank goodness we didn't come up this way!" So, the easy way starts up a side street off the main square, where the boats dock. You'll head uphill on a cobbled road past a gelato shop on your right and a souvenir shop on your left, toward the San Giorgio Church. Follow that road on up until it forks. To get to the castle, head left at the fork. Although, I'd recommend detouring right to see the church before continuing on to the castle. Once you take the fork towards the left, you will see ample signs pointing you to the castle. Follow those. The other route leaves from the port and is a steep, rocky, winding trail uphill the entire way. Avoid, avoid, avoid! Unless you're coming down of course, then it's a nice, pleasant, downhill stroll with killer views the whole way.

Honestly one of the coolest places I have ever been. So I have to re-research the entire history but basically this castle belonged to a wealthy German woman who saved the entire town from being bombed by Hitler. She also adopted a daughter and only left her this castle when she died; the daughter didn't marry and got her own ap't in Rome which is when this castle opened I am guessing. I will update later with better info. Maybe it's because it was less busy than my other major stops with very few Americans and zero Canadians (mostly German, Austrian and English tourists) but this was one of my most memorable stops in all of Italy. The hike was hot and grueling in flip flops and 33 degree heat but so worth it. And there is a clean (single stall) bathroom at the top, plus the nicest views I had seen where I wasn't crawling over people. Win-win!!