Located in the middle of the Portofino promontory, the beach of San Fruttuoso is a mixture of large and small sand grains of conglomerate sedimentary and metamorphic rock overlying limestone reflecting nearby Portofino geology with recent addition of some biogenic sand grains. The historical architecture of the Benedictine monastery combined with natural environmental features is a popular tourist attraction.
Geographic Overview
Only accessible by 2-hour hike or by sea, the San Fruttuoso beach was created by debris flows from torrential floods in 1915. Structural damage to the 10th century Benedictine monastery has been repeated repaired and recently restored to the present-day picture book romantic Romanesque monastery. San Fruttuoso under consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sand Gallery
San Fruttuoso beach is a mixture of larger and small sand grains reflecting the minerals of the adjacent Portofino mountainous terrain with occasional biogenic sand grains from the Ligurian Sea. Being a relatively young beach, smaller sand grains have sharper angles while larger sand grains are more worn and relatively smooth. The majority of sand grains originate from the surrounding mountainous terrain.
