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Reservations can be made in several ways:
During certain periods, especially in the high season, there may be a restriction on the minimum length of your stay.
For example, if the minimum length of your stay is two nights, searching for a one-night stay will not return any results, even when the rooms are vacant. In this case, you can get in touch to ask if we can make an exception.
If you want to search for multiple rooms for a group of people, you cannot enter the total number of people on our website, as you would on other websites such as Booking.com. Instead, you must search by family unit. For example, if there are nine people in your group, divided into a family of four and a family of five, you should search for availability for the group of four first and then for the group of five, using the same date.
Reservations can also be accepted for the same day. However, you should get in touch with us via Whatsapp or call us.
Empty rooms are always set up as doubles. Additional sofa beds are prepared if we receive the reservation before the front desk closes (around 1:00 pm). Otherwise, you can make it yourself with the additional sheets provided in the room closets.
The cancellation policy is flexible. Cancellation is free up to seven days before arrival. From the sixth day to the day before arrival you will be charged 50%, and from the day before arrival you will be charged 100%.
In special cases, this percentage can be reviewed.
Currently, our property is affiliated with:
Yes, it’s located just outside the Old Town area, on a street going up to the residential neighborhood of Castelletto. See the ARRIVAL section for instructions on how to reach us.
No, the road is accessible to cars. It’s mostly a Blue Area reserved for residents, but we have a pass that allows you to park here. See the PARKING section for instructions on parking options.
The Genoa Aquarium is about a 15-minute walk away. Following the link to see the route: View in Google Maps
Via Garibaldi, the street where the Palazzi dei Rolli is located, is just 3 to 4 minutes away on foot. The Piazza De Ferrari and Cathedral of San Lorenzo are about 10 minutes away, and the Porto Antico can be reached in less than 15 minutes.
The scenic area of Spianata Castelletto is located just behind our B&B. We have a passageway that crosses several gardens with a steep staircase and exits directly onto the main road of Castelletto (Circonvallazione a Monte), just a few steps from the lookout. You may only use this passageway accompanied by a member of staff.
However, you can also reach the lookout in a few minutes by descending along Via Caffaro to Piazza Portello and taking the historic Castelletto Levante public elevator, built in the early 20th century and mentioned in a famous poem by Giorgio Caproni, When I decide / to go to Heaven / I will take the / Castelletto elevator
By car: we recommend taking the freeway exit Genoa Ovest. Then, take the Aldo Moro elevated road and take the exit that says “Centro”. Following Via XII Ottobre, go around Piazza Corvetto and enter the Galleria Nino Bixio tunnel. As you exit the tunnel, turn right at the first traffic light onto Via Caffaro. Alternatively, from the Genoa Ovest exit, follow the signs for “Stazione Principe”; after a few minutes, you will reach the Di Negro interchange parking facility, which costs €6 per day and includes a bus ticket. To get to our property from here, it takes about 15 minutes by public transportation (bus 18 direction “centro”).
Timing when there is no traffic:
Genoa Ovest exit: 10 minutes
Genoa Est exit: 12 minutes
Nervi exit: 14 minutes
Find the route from your location on Google Maps
Piazza Principe station: buses 34 and 35 going towards the “centro” (city center) stop directly in front of the train station. Get off at the “Portello/Interiano” stop and walk uphill for four minutes along Via Caffaro. Alternatively, for the hillside route, take bus 36 from Via Fanti d’Italia and get off at the stop “Paganini/Ponte Caffaro”. From here, go down to Via Caffaro using the steps or the elevator in the parking silo located at the intersection of Via Paganini and Via Acquarone. Both routes take about 15 minutes. From Piazza Principe, you can also reach us on foot, walking for about 20 minutes through the historic streets of Genoa: via Balbi, Piazza della Nunziata, via Cairoli, via Garibaldi, Piazza Fontane Marose, and Piazza del Portello.
Brignole station: for the sea-facing route, there is a bus stop for buses 18, 39, and 40 in front of the train station, going towards the center (“centro”). Get off at the stop “Portello/Caffaro” and walk uphill for four minutes along Via Caffaro (15 minutes in total). Alternatively, for the hillside route, take bus 36 from the same stop in front of the station, and get off at the stop “Paganini/Ponte Caffaro”. From here, go down to Via Caffaro using the steps or the elevator in the parking silo located at the intersection of Via Paganini and Via Acquarone (about 20 minutes in total).
Find the route from your location on Google Maps
By plane: from Cristoforo Colombo airport take the shuttle bus Volabus (tickets on AMT Volabus) to Principe or Brignole stations, then follow the instructions for arrival by train.
Alternatively, you can take a cab.
The nearest bus stops to Via Caffaro are in Piazza Portello and Piazza Fontane Marose in the center and Corso Paganini in the area of Castelletto.
From the bus stop in Piazza Portello, it’s about a five-minute walk, slightly uphill.
On weekdays and Saturday mornings, you can also use the TaxiBus line l12. It’s a service that provides transportation by cab at the cost of a bus ticket, but you must reserve it. This service has a fixed timetable and ends in Piazza Verdi, opposite Brignole station. It also stops halfway down Via Caffaro, a short walk away from La Sosta della Tartaruga. The ride must be booked in advance, so let us know if you would like to use this service.
From Piazza Portello, you can also take the Castelletto Levante Historic Lift or the Sant’Anna Funicular up to the scenic neighborhood of Castelletto.
We don’t have private parking on site, but we can offer the following options:
Parking passes can be reserved directly on our website lasostadellatartaruga.it when you reserve a room or can be requested by email or phone; we have one available for each room. The parking box can only be requested by phone or email and is subject to availability. Requests are honored on a first-come first-serve basis.
Passes and the remote control for the box are handed out upon arrival or left inside the room if you arrive at a time when the front desk is closed. Payment will be required at the time of check-out.
Free parking spaces in Genoa are marked by white lines. However, most of the parking spaces are marked by blue lines. This is the so-called Blue Area, reserved for residents of the various neighborhoods. Our pass allows parking in zones F and G of the Blue Area, which include all of via Caffaro and some neighboring areas. With this pass, you aren’t necessarily guaranteed a parking spot. However, it’s quite easy to find a spot during the day, while it’s more difficult in the evening.
More detailed explanations can be found following the link to the Blue Area Instructions or on the Genova Parcheggi website
Below you will find a list of major paid parking facilities (in order of distance), with a rough indication of daily costs (subject to change).
Garage Caffaro | €20 | weekdays only, 7:00 am – 7:00 p.m. |
Royal Park | €25 | check opening hours |
Minerva Park | €20 | check opening hours |
Autopark Piccapietra | €23 | always open |
City Park | €25 | always open |
Marina Park | €15 | always open |
Piazza della Vittoria underground parking | €17 | check opening hours |
The Caffaro garage is just a few meters away from us, but it’s only open during business hours.
The nearest parking facilities are Minerva Park and Royal Park. Marina Park also has RV spaces at a cost of €30 per day.
It’s also worth mentioning the Dinegro interchange parking facility, which is farther away but costs less (€6.50 per day).
For a short stop, just long enough to take your luggage to your room and get your passes or remote control, you can leave your car in front of our gate 12B, just before the crosswalk.
You can park motorbikes and bicycles – and possibly small-sized cars with a little more effort – inside gate 12B. The access ramp is not very wide or high, which makes maneuvering to get inside not so easy. If you are interested, please get in touch.
The online check-in is used to pre-enter the information of all guests and save a copy of at least one identity document per group. We will consider this person the “head of family” or “group leader”.
The link to check in online along with the password is sent to guests in the first email notification of the reservation. If you experience any problems with this procedure, you can send the information via email or Whatsapp, and we will enter it into the system for you.
We also need a copy of at least one form of ID to activate the process of sending the access code (see below).
Self check-in allows you to arrive at the B&B Il Giardino della Tartaruga at any time, even when the front desk is closed. After booking and submitting the documents, you will receive a 6-digit access code which you must type into the keypad to open the front door of no. 14, the door to unit no. 9 on the fourth floor and the door to your room. If you have booked La Tana della Tartaruga apartment, the code opens gate 12B and the green door to the accommodation.
Instructions for accessing the B&B and Apartment are also sent by email.
The access code is valid for your entire stay starting from 1:00 pm on the day of arrival. If you arrive before 1:00 pm you need to ring unit no. 9 on the brass intercom to the right of the front door.
After 1:00 pm, enter the 6-digit code on the black keypad to the left of the door, then press the key symbol in the lower-right corner. The same goes for opening the gate to 12B, and the doors to the apartments and individual rooms.
Inside the rooms, you will also find a key card that you can use instead of the code for convenience. Place it near the center of the keypad over the numbers (5 6 7 8). The key must be left in your room or at the front desk at the end of the stay.
Certainly. Rooms are usually ready between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. If you arrive before this time, you are welcome to leave your luggage in a small room next to the B&B’s breakfast room. It may be possible to complete check-in at that time; otherwise, it will need to be finished the next morning.
La Tana della Tartaruga apartment is located at street level, so there is no need for an elevator.
On the other hand, the B&B Il Giardino della Tartaruga is located between the fourth and fifth floors. The elevator is at the end of the lobby and takes you to the fourth or fifth floor. Then, you must go up or down a flight of stairs to get to the door of unit no. 9.
Press the elevator floor buttons with some force to start the elevator, and it’s best not to open the doors before the elevator has come to a complete stop.
No, out of respect for the neighbors, nothing can be left in the lobby. If there are any items you don’t want to bring to the room, let us know, as you can leave them in a room on the ground floor.
Rooms must be vacated by 10:30 am (11:00 am La Tana della Tartaruga apartment). B&B guests are welcome to leave their luggage in a small room next to the breakfast room and pick it up in the afternoon. For those staying in the ground floor apartment, you can leave your luggage in the adjacent room.
However, it’s a good idea to let us know at what time you will be picking it up, so we can extend the validity of the code to open the door or gate.
Payment is made in the morning when the front desk is open, unless you choose to pay by bank transfer. You may also pay at check-out.
Before leaving, you must return the room key card and any parking passes or the garage remote control. The parking pass can also be left in the mailbox (unit no. 9). As for the remote control, it should be handed in at our front desk; alternatively, you can also leave it inside the parking box.
In the B&B rooms, housekeeping is included in the price. There is a cleaning fee only for La Tana della Tartaruga apartment. This charge will be waived for guests with mobility impairments.
All rooms (including La Tana della Tartaruga apartment) are equipped with:
For last-minute reservations received on the same day after the front desk closes, sofa beds may not already be made with bedsheets. In this case, you can make it yourself with the additional sheets and pillows that can be found in the pockets inside the sofas.
Bathrooms are equipped with shower, soap and shampoo, hair cap, and hair dryer.
All showers have a thermostatic valve with two controls: the top handle adjusts the water pressure of both the shower head and hand shower, the bottom handle adjusts the temperature.
The bathroom in La Tana della Tartaruga apartment has a toilet shower instead of a bidet, and two showers, one of which is flush with the floor. It’s equipped for use by persons with mobility impairments.
All common areas have high-speed Wi-Fi.
Guests are also welcome to use the garden.
The breakfast room has a self-catering corner for guests with a microwave, coffee machine, and cookies in glass jars. Cups and utensil are located in the cabinet below. We leave some coffee capsules in the rooms, but if you need more just ask for them. Given the communal use, we cannot guarantee that the microwave is free from gluten contamination.
For the little ones, we have a high chair, a high chair booster, and a camp bed.
The microwave in the breakfast room can be used to heat milk.
We also have some games for children.
In each room, there is a book with a detailed explanation of how to use the various amenities.
Breakfast at B&B “IL giardino della Tartaruga” is served between 8:00 am and 10:00 am in the breakfast room or the garden.
In an effort to reduce waste and promote environmental sustainability at our establishment, a small part of breakfast is available buffet style while the rest is served to order.
Guests are asked to fill out a menu card the night before, specifying roughly when they would like breakfast and what they would like to eat. For a gluten-free breakfast, choose the green cards. This information helps us prepare the food faster and more efficiently and prevents a large part of the food from being thrown away.
Breakfast is provided for the guesthouse only. With regard to the flat “La Tana della Tartaruga“, it is advisable to ask at the time of booking.
There is a continental breakfast that also includes Genoese focaccia, fruit, and various pastries.
The same food items can all be served gluten-free. Our staff is fully trained on the subject through the AIC (Italian Celiac Disease Association) course and is accustomed to dealing with the issue of gluten cross-contamination. Tableware used for celiac customers can be distinguished by its green color.
La Sosta della Tartaruga is in the center, so there are plenty of restaurants and pizzerias just a few minutes away. Click here to see a list of restaurants ordered by distance (in minutes) from our facility.
Yes, you can order and enjoy take-out food at our facility. If you have a room with a kitchen area, you can take the meal to your room. Otherwise, you are welcome to eat in the breakfast room. Plates and utensils can be found inside the cupboard. There is also a microwave oven in the buffet area that you are welcome to use. However, we cannot guarantee the absence of gluten in the microwave, so please be careful.
A distinction should be made here between Il Giardino della Tartaruga B&B on the fourth floor and La Tana della Tartaruga apartment.
Unfortunately, the B&B on the fourth floor is not yet fully accessible. The elevator isn’t designed for wheelchair users and there are about ten steps from the elevator landing to the door of the B&B.
Meanwhile, the apartment on the ground floor is specially designed to allow access for people with mobility impairments:
Since we cannot accommodate guests with mobility impairments on the fourth floor due to the elevator issue, we decided to offer you some perks, such as free cleaning and free breakfast delivered directly to the apartment.
La Sosta della Tartaruga is part of the “eat-out” network of the Italian Celiac Disease Association (AIC). This means that the staff have been specially trained and there is always a gluten-free breakfast menu.
Customers with celiac disease can enjoy all the same standard breakfast items in a gluten-free version. For extra safety, gluten-free food is served on green tableware, so it can be distinguished immediately, preventing possible mistakes.
Given our experience with celiac disease, we feel confident addressing other food intolerances as well. However, we ask guests with any dietary requirements to let us know in advance to verify whether we can manage their needs.
Compagnia della Tartaruga – Cooperativa Sociale IBAN: IT21Y0333201400000000968676
Via Caffaro 14/9 16124, Genova CIN: IT010025B4ZKYOTWK7 CITR: 010025-AFF-0169
Via Caffaro 12B 16124,Genova CIN: IT010025B4B9JYVM5V CITR: 010025-CAV-0096
tel. +39 010 80 50 021 | +39 378 086 5504
email. booking@compagniadellatartaruga.it