Portofino is a picturesque village that looks like it’s straight out of a painting. It’s only a small fisher village on the Italian Riveria coastline. But the colored houses, the perfect harbour, the cobbled streets, the yachts lining the coast, make Portofino a match made in heaven. So far, this is definitively one of my favorite stops on this cruise…I fell in love with everything Portofino was about, and I honestly felt like I was in a movie the whole time I was there. Celebrities like Audrey Hepburn, Maria Callas, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable and even our prinses Paola stayed there. I am struggling to put into words just how perfect this place is. It is truly magical! And to add even more magic to this place is that my grandmother was on holiday in Portofino in her youth. She looked so stylish and beautiful with her black rimmed hat and her white skirt and blazer…The picture of her below with her schnautzer dog ‘Daisy’ must have been in 1933…And now I’m here in 2023…I wish she could see me…
Portofino is a popular tourist location. Each day there are a few ferries and cruise ships like ‘Celebrity’ that arrive in Portofino. In my opinion, there are too many tourists in this little town. But it seems that in the evening, when all the tourists have gone back on the ferries, Portofino becomes a much quieter Italian village again. This is probably when you see the real Portofino, the stylish locals and handsome Italian men with their pretty women and their families come out for drinks and dinner. Then is probably when the place oozes with glamour and sophistication. It just has that vibe…Unfortunately I was one of those cruise tourists and not a stylish local. But if I would be a stylish tourist, I would definitively want to stay in Hotel Splendido, a Belmond hotel, one of the best hotels in Italy. This hotel guested many international celebrities like the Duke of Windsor, Winston Churchill, and more recently the famous influencer Chiara Ferragni. Splendido offers glorious rooms with the most epic views of Portofino. A room with sea view and balcony costs about 2 000 euros per night during high season. Absolutely no problem to park your Ferrari in the hotel garage, or just outside the main entrance. Just check out their website…heaven…on my dream list is also a meal at the newly opened Michelin star restaurant Cracco Portofino. I would like to go, not only for the sea snails and blue lobster, but also for the sophisticated interior by Laura Sartori Rimini. Read the whole story here.
We did go up to visit the Brown Castle with its medieval relics, its neo-gothic architecture, its gorgeous garden and the 360° views of the sea, the national park and the town. This Genovese-built castle stood strong against the Venetians, Savoyards, Sardinians and Austrians, and later fell to Napoleon. In 1867, it was bought by a British diplomat and transformed into a private mansion. I would not mind living there at all :). I also visited the beautiful Parc that exhibited some modern art
Of course, I was curious to know more about this beautiful fisher’s village. The area of Portofino was previously known as the port of dolphins. During the jet-set era, in the late 50s, Portofino’s popularity exploded. The entire world’s socio-economic elite would spend their summers here. For about 30 years, Portofino was the summertime centre for the entire world’s upper classes. Anyone who was someone would absolutely have their superyacht in the harbour. Parties lasted until early hours at restaurants and nightclubs in the harbour. Then the party continued on one of the billionaires’ yachts. During Portofino’s heyday, the term “paparazzi” was invented. Photographers, who documented the lives of the rich and famous with cameras and super long lenses. The popular Italian song “I found my love in Portofino” is also related to the town. Several Italian and American movies were filmed in Portofino. In the mid-1990s, however, there was a major change in Portofino’s status as the epicentre of decadence and summer residence for the wealthiest. No one really knows why it happened. Perhaps it was the economic crisis that spread in the world. Or, the locals got sick and tired of everything. Anyway, the billionaires moved their superyachts and champagne-fuelled parties to the then quite unknown village of Saint-Tropez in France..
I must admit that I also absolutely adored the shopping in Portofino. Some brands like Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Dior have their stores here. But they also have gorgeous little boutiques. Overall, it’s a luxurious place, but accessible to anyone. I even bought 2 pairs of beautiful Italian shoes :).
It’s the elegant shops, the beautiful colors of the houses and the fine restaurants surrounded by nature and the Mediterranean Sea that make Portofino ‘a match made in heaven’. But what I will remember most is the magnificent scent of jasmin, the perfect glow of the sun on the water, the beautiful colored houses and just the sheer beauty of it all.
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