Visiting Portofino 2
The appeal of Portofino becomes more obvious once you first see it with your own eyes. Many people will have seen photographs of the famous views down into the harbour without realising where it was. The village is tucked into a protected inlet which is surrounded by rocky slopes covered in cypress and olive trees. This is an A-list resort in every sense and has been attracting high end celebrities and their entourage for a number of years. This is confirmed if you arrive by ferry from one of the nearby towns as you pass the giant yachts that are usually anchored just outside. When we arrived as you can see from the photos there was a large very dark green yacht moored right up to the main jetty. As a colour statement it made a change from the more normal white with everything, including the life belts in the same shade. It turned out that it belong to Georgio Armani but more about that later.
Portofino is actually a very small place but manages to be both attractive and over whelming at the same time. The entire main part of the town is made up of expensive waterfront restaurants and bars. I few streets further back are equally expensive boutiques and designer shops. However search around a few more streets and you can find some hidden gems, we managed to purchase a number of presents at what was a very reasonable price. If you are here on a few hours visit then after a climbed up to the castle there is not much to do other than watch all the other people wandering around.
You can happily spend an hour at one of the harbour side tables drinking a couple of beers which will cost around €20 (2014). While we did this Georgio and his entourage paraded around the harbour before selecting a table at which he would have a coffee. He called over a couple of passing girls to join him and pose for some photos. He then went back to his yacht and made a point of walking around on the back deck on while taking calls on his mobile.
Accommodations in the town are not surprisingly very expensive as luxury is really the rasion d’etra of Portofino. The Edenis is probably the lowest cost option if you want to stay in the town. It is set within its own garden area back from the harbour. If you want the best deal on rates then choose a midweek or out of season stay. If however your numbers have come up on the lottery then the place to stay is The Splendido. It has two parts, the main building is high above the village with well-kept grounds and great views. The second and smaller location, The Splendido Mare, is for those who want to be close to the harbour. Either way rooms start at close to €1000 per night.
Eating out for a main meal is similarly costly, but worth it if you eat the seafood at the Splendido’s Chuflay restaurant which is right on the harbour or at the Il Pitosforo which is also on the waterfront.
The Delfino seafood restaurant first opened around the 1800s and is on the main village square that faces the harbour. Delfino is possibly Portofino’s most fashionable dining spot, although it vies with Il Pitosforo for the honour. It has an informal charm and offers virtually the same food as Il Pitosforo. Many of the dishes include troffiette al pesto; this is a regional pasta with basil, oil, and pine-nut sauce. The fish dishes are freshly caught and the best choice. My favourites would be the zuppa di pesce which is a spicy soup made of fresh-caught fish and the spaghetti with shrimp, sole, squid, and other seafood. As ever if you can get a table near the front then you can enjoy both the view and the parade of those wanting to be seen.
The appeal of Portofino becomes more obvious once you first see it with your own eyes. Many people will have seen photographs of the famous views down into the harbour without realising where it was. The village is tucked into a protected inlet which is surrounded by rocky slopes covered in cypress and olive trees. This is an A-list resort in every sense and has been attracting high end celebrities and their entourage for a number of years. This is confirmed if you arrive by ferry from one of the nearby towns as you pass the giant yachts that are usually anchored just outside. When we arrived as you can see from the photos there was a large very dark green yacht moored right up to the main jetty. As a colour statement it made a change from the more normal white with everything, including the life belts in the same shade. It turned out that it belong to Georgio Armani but more about that later.
Portofino is actually a very small place but manages to be both attractive and over whelming at the same time. The entire main part of the town is made up of expensive waterfront restaurants and bars. I few streets further back are equally expensive boutiques and designer shops. However search around a few more streets and you can find some hidden gems, we managed to purchase a number of presents at what was a very reasonable price. If you are here on a few hours visit then after a climbed up to the castle there is not much to do other than watch all the other people wandering around.
You can happily spend an hour at one of the harbour side tables drinking a couple of beers which will cost around €20 (2014). While we did this Georgio and his entourage paraded around the harbour before selecting a table at which he would have a coffee. He called over a couple of passing girls to join him and pose for some photos. He then went back to his yacht and made a point of walking around on the back deck on while taking calls on his mobile.
Accommodations in the town are not surprisingly very expensive as luxury is really the rasion d’etra of Portofino. The Edenis is probably the lowest cost option if you want to stay in the town. It is set within its own garden area back from the harbour. If you want the best deal on rates then choose a midweek or out of season stay. If however your numbers have come up on the lottery then the place to stay is The Splendido. It has two parts, the main building is high above the village with well-kept grounds and great views. The second and smaller location, The Splendido Mare, is for those who want to be close to the harbour. Either way rooms start at close to €1000 per night.
Eating out for a main meal is similarly costly, but worth it if you eat the seafood at the Splendido’s Chuflay restaurant which is right on the harbour or at the Il Pitosforo which is also on the waterfront.
The Delfino seafood restaurant first opened around the 1800s and is on the main village square that faces the harbour. Delfino is possibly Portofino’s most fashionable dining spot, although it vies with Il Pitosforo for the honour. It has an informal charm and offers virtually the same food as Il Pitosforo. Many of the dishes include troffiette al pesto; this is a regional pasta with basil, oil, and pine-nut sauce. The fish dishes are freshly caught and the best choice. My favourites would be the zuppa di pesce which is a spicy soup made of fresh-caught fish and the spaghetti with shrimp, sole, squid, and other seafood. As ever if you can get a table near the front then you can enjoy both the view and the parade of those wanting to be seen.