Where Genoa meets the sea
The Old Port of Genoa is one of those places that can surprise even those who know the city well. Renovated for the 1992 Colombian Expo based on a design by Renzo Piano – Genoese by birth and one of the most important architects of the twentieth century – it has become the living room overlooking the city’s sea, a place where the thousand-year-old port history is intertwined with a discreet and intelligent modernity. It is not just any tourist guide waterfront: it is a piece of Genoa that has been able to reinvent itself without denying its identity, preserving the nineteenth-century warehouses, the historic piers and the profile of the Lanterna while transforming the entire area into a public space of exceptional quality.
“The Old Port was my heartfelt project: to give the Genoese their port back, transforming it into a place of encounter and wonder”
— Renzo Piano, architect
The Porto Antico borders directly on the medieval historic center: just cross the underpass of Piazza Caricamento or go down the steps of Piazza Banchi to pass from the labyrinth of alleyways to the open expanse of the port, with the sea in front and the unmistakable silhouette of the Lantern in the background to the west. This immediate proximity is one of the area’s strengths: you can spend a morning in the museums of the port and an afternoon in the alleys of the historic center, without having to take any public transport. The two souls of Genoa – the medieval one and the maritime one – meet here.
The Porto Antico is also the main hub for ferries heading to Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Tunisia and Barcelona: the Maritime Station is just a few steps away, and many visitors arriving by sea find the Porto Antico as the first real entrance to the city, with an immediate view of the seafront and the urban profile of Genoa that climbs the hill.
What to see at the Porto Antico
The most important attraction – and the most visited in the whole of Liguria – is the Aquarium of Genoa. Inaugurated in 1992 for the Colombian Expo and then expanded over the years, it is today the largest aquarium in Europe in terms of exhibition space, with over 70 tanks hosting more than 15,000 specimens of marine fauna from all the world’s oceans. There are dolphins in the outdoor space overlooking the port, Magellanic penguins in the refrigerated tank, belugas in the large cylindrical tank, fluorescent jellyfish in the most photographed section, and a reconstruction of the Ligurian Sea ecosystem which is surprising for the richness of the local fauna. The complete route takes at least 3-4 hours to visit carefully. Practical tip: purchasing tickets online in advance is almost mandatory on weekends and in the summer months, when the queues at the entrance can be very long. For families with children, the Aquarium is an unmissable stop on a visit to Genoa.
Next to the Aquarium is the Biosphere, a glass and steel sphere designed by Renzo Piano himself which seems to float on the port basin: inside a tropical ecosystem with exotic plants from all over the world, colorful butterflies in free flight and small birds. The structure is small – the visit lasts about 30-40 minutes – but fascinating both for its content and its architecture. It is worth the visit even just to admire from the outside the perfect glass sphere reflected in the water of the port, one of the most iconic photographic subjects of Genoa.
The Bigo, the metal structure in the shape of a port crane also designed by Piano, houses a rotating panoramic platform that rises up to 40 meters in height: from up there you have a complete view of the port, the historic center with its slate roofs and, on clear days, up to the hills of the Ligurian hinterland. At night, with the lights of the port reflected on the water and the profile of the illuminated lantern, it is a sight not to be missed.
The Galata Museo del Mare, located just outside the narrow perimeter of the Old Port towards Calata De Mari, is one of the most complete and engaging naval museums in the Mediterranean. Housed in the ancient arsenal of the Republic of Genoa – the largest in Europe in the 16th century – it tells the maritime history of the city with a modern and interactive narrative approach that involves adults and children. The jewel in the crown is the royal submarine Nazario Sauro, which can be visited outside the museum directly on the pier: entering the hull and walking through the narrow corridors where the sailors lived is an experience that no museum reconstruction can match. For those interested in naval history or Genoese history, this museum alone justifies a visit to Genoa.
The Magazzini del Cotone, an imposing nineteenth-century structure that overlooks the basin, now houses commercial spaces, restaurants, the conference center and some event rooms. The carefully restored industrial architecture is beautiful to look at, and the rooms on the upper floor offer panoramic terraces with direct views of the port and the Aquarium. The Children’s City, within the same complex, is an interactive scientific center dedicated to children aged 3 to 14: physics, chemistry and technology laboratories in a playful way, perfect for families on rainy days or when you want to give children an alternative to the Aquarium.
What to do at the Porto Antico
The Old Port is the place where the Genoese come for a walk when they want the sea but don’t want to stay still. The walk along the pier, from the Maritime Station to the Darsena, passing in front of the Aquarium, the Biosphere and the Bigo, is one of the most pleasant routes in the city: about a kilometer and a half with the sea always nearby, a light scent of salt, benches in abundance and a view that constantly changes between boats, architectural structures and the city profile in the background.
Summer transforms the Porto Antico into an open-air stage. The Piazza delle Feste – the large paved esplanade in front of the Magazzini del Cotone – hosts concerts, music festivals, sporting events and outdoor shows that attract tens of thousands of people in the evenings from May to September. It is the place where the Genoese meet for great collective occasions: the nights of San Giovanni, the free summer concerts, the neighborhood parties expanded to a city scale. During the warmer months you can rent a pedal boat, a kayak or a small dinghy directly from the port piers for a few hours of navigation in the basin. The Ferris wheel, present in the spring and summer seasons near the Magazzini del Cotone, offers a view of the city from above.
In the Darsena, the innermost basin of the port towards the west, the piers with sailing boats, catamarans and motorboats are concentrated: it is a quieter and more genuinely nautical corner than the main front, frequented by yachtsmen and those looking for a bit of quiet with the sound of the ropes banging on the masts of the boats in the background. At sunset, sitting on the steps of the pier in front of the Lanterna – the mighty lighthouse tower that has watched over the port for over a thousand years – is one of those moments suspended in time that remain etched in the memory of anyone who visits Genoa.
Eataly, inside the Magazzini del Cotone, is the right destination for those who want to take home quality Ligurian products: artisanal pesto, packaged focaccia, wines from the Eastern and Western Riviera, fresh and dried pasta. The selection is carefully curated and includes products from small local producers that are difficult to find elsewhere. It is not a tourist place in the negative sense of the term.
Where to eat and drink in the Porto Antico
Catering in the Porto Antico area tends to be more touristy and less economical on average than in the historic center just a few steps away. With some care, however, you can eat well here too. The universal secret remains the same: avoid places with photos of the dishes on the menu, signs in five languages and white plastic chairs at the outdoor tables.
The Marin, the Eataly restaurant on the third floor of the Magazzini del Cotone with a panoramic terrace overlooking the port, is one of the best gastronomic experiences in the entire area: high quality Ligurian seafood cuisine, excellent raw materials selected from the best producers in the region, a well-constructed Ligurian wine list and a view of the port that transforms any dinner into a special occasion. Expensive but justified (€€€). For something more affordable, the trattorias under the porticoes of Via di Sottoripa – the medieval porticoes that connect the Old Port to the historic center passing under Piazza Caricamento – offer complete meals at reasonable prices with a more authentic and less aesthetically refined atmosphere (€€).
For a quick snack between one museum and another, the kiosks on the harbor front sell sandwiches with Monterosso tuna, warm focaccia and local artisanal ice creams — practical and honest, without pretensions (€). In the evening, the Darsena bars come alive for the aperitif: some bars with tables directly on the pier where you can drink a glass of Vermentino or an Aperol Spritz while watching the boats cradled by the water – the evening ritual of the Genoese in the warm months, what in the city they simply call “going to the port” (€€).
How to get to and around the Old Port
The Porto Antico can be reached on foot from the historic center in just five minutes: just go down from Piazza Caricamento through the underpass or from Commenda di Prè towards the sea following the signs. From Prince Station you can arrive on foot in 15-20 minutes along Via Antonio Gramsci, along the port, or with the AMT bus line 20 to Caricamento. From Brignole Station the most convenient connection is with the subway to the San Giorgio stop – one stop beyond De Ferrari – from which you exit directly on the east side of the Porto Antico.
Those arriving by ferry get off directly at the Maritime Station, inside the Old Port: it is one of the most cinematic arrivals you can imagine, with the city gradually materializing before your eyes from the deck of the ship as you enter the port. By car, the Porto Antico car park is convenient but requires an hourly rate; alternatively, the Piccapietra car park or the one in Piazza della Vittoria are a 10-15 minute walk away through the historic centre, with generally cheaper rates.
Where to sleep near the Porto Antico
Choosing accommodation in the Porto Antico area or in the adjacent historic center means having the sea within sight and the medieval heart of the city a five-minute walk away. It is the ideal solution for those who want to combine culture and relaxation in a natural way, for families with children visiting the Aquarium and Galata, and for those arriving or leaving by ferry and not wanting to waste time traveling.
The area is well connected to the rest of the city thanks to the metro, buses and the proximity of the train stations, and remains lively until late in the evening in the summer months when the port squares fill with life. It is worth considering apartments facing the internal side or on the upper floors to enjoy the privileged position without sacrificing the quality of a night’s rest.
Explore the nearby neighborhoods too: if Porto Antico has intrigued you, also discover our guides on Centro Storico, Sampierdarena and Fiumara, Foce and Brignole and Carignano. Each area of Genoa has its own character and its own surprises.
In the Porto Antico area and the adjacent historic center we manage several apartments perfect for families, couples and groups who want to be at the center of everything. Discover our residences on genovabb.it and choose your ideal base for exploring Genoa. For direct bookings: book online on genovabb.it.
La Lanterna: the oldest lighthouse in Europe still in operation
No visit to the Old Port is complete without a tribute to the Lantern of Genoa: the lighthouse symbol of the city, visible from every point of the port and from afar in the open sea, 77 meters high and still fully functional as a navigation lighthouse after over nine centuries of uninterrupted service. The first certain documentation of the Lantern dates back to 1128, but it is believed that a light signal on the promontory existed even before. Today the structure can be visited on weekends and holidays: you climb the internal steps up to the actual lantern, with progressively more spectacular views of the port and the city as you go up. On the ground floor a small museum tells the story of the lighthouse and Genoese navigation. The Lanterna can be reached on foot from the Porto Antico in about twenty minutes by walking along the port towards the west, or by taking the AMT bus.
There is an ideal time to see the Lantern: in the evening, when the lighthouse turns on and its white light slowly scans the darkness of the port and the open sea. Sitting on one of the stone boulders in the small green area around the base, in the late summer afternoon, with a tuna sandwich bought from a nearby kiosk, is one of the most authentic and least frequented moments you can experience in Genoa.
The Darsena neighborhood and beyond
Beyond the official Porto Antico, towards the west, extends the Darsena district which in the common perception of the Genoese is considered part of the same waterfront. Here the nightclubs overlook the water, the wine bars occupy the renovated warehouses from the 1990s and the evening atmosphere is more informal and less touristy than on the main front. It’s the place where Genoese people under forty come for a summer aperitif: a craft beer in a plastic glass sitting on the edge of the pier, their legs dangling over the still water, the music coming out of some nearby venue.
Even further west, reaching the Sampierdarena neighborhood through the pedestrian tunnel under the port, you enter a different Genoa: more working-class, more multi-ethnic, less aesthetically pleasing but extraordinarily vital. Here the local markets sell African spices and Middle Eastern products alongside Genoese cured meats, the bars open at six in the morning for port and shipyard workers, and focaccia still costs fifteen cents less than in the centre. It is not a tourist destination in the traditional sense, but for those who want to understand how Genoa really lives it is one of the most enlightening experiences.
The Museum of World Cultures at Castello D’Albertis
Above the Old Port, on the Montegalletto hill, there is one of the lesser-known but most fascinating destinations in Genoa: the Castello D’Albertis, a neo-Gothic villa built in 1886 by the sea captain Enrico D’Albertis which today houses the Museum of World Cultures. D’Albertis was an explorer and navigator who traveled the oceans for decades collecting objects, customs, artefacts and curiosities from every corner of the planet: pre-Columbian America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific, Asia. The result is a chaotic, marvelous and completely out of the ordinary collection — a 19th-century cabinet of curiosities on an architectural scale, with crenellated turrets, exotic frescoes and a panoramic terrace overlooking the harbour. It can be reached on foot from the Porto Antico in about twenty minutes of climbing, or by the AMT bus.
The calendar of events at the Porto Antico
The Old Port is the heart of Genoa’s events agenda. Among the most important recurring events are the International Boat Show in September – one of the most important in Europe, which transforms the port into a floating exhibition of boats of all types – the Science Festival in October and November, which brings conferences and interactive workshops throughout the port district, and the large summer concerts in the Piazza delle Feste which attract international artists. Checking the calendar of events on genovabb.it in the events section before planning your trip is the best way to frame a visit with something special.
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