Italian Riviera

After soaking in the sun and settling into our hotel, we decided to venture into downtown Portofino to explore the famous resort town.  The small, picturesque harbor is nestled into the hills hidden from view until you arrive.  The buildings are painted shades of red, yellow, and orange with their shops and restaurants at the bottom opening up to the blue Mediterranean sea.  Portofino is located in Liguria which has become known as the Italian Riviera, and is truly a beautiful Italian gem!

For October, we had unseasonably warm weather and were in luck because most of the summer crowds had gone! After strolling around the harbor area and stopping for gelato, we went up the hill to see the Church of San Giorgio (pictured above) and Castello Brown.  The Church of San Giorgio is perched about halfway up the hill and overlooks both the harbor (on one side) and the sea (on the opposite side).  After enjoying the views, we continued our walk up to Castello Brown and when we arrived, we were not disappointed.  The most incredible views of the whole town, harbor and even our hotel, the Belmond Splendido!  After taking about a hundred photos and enjoying the view with a glass of champagne, we continued on to the lighthouse located at the very edge of the hill.  There, we found stunning views overlooking the rocky coast and the bluest waters I’ve ever seen!  We were pleasantly surprised to find the lighthouse had the cutest little bar with a charming bartender and great tunes.

We ended this amazing day at the Chuflay Restaurant at the Belmond Splendido Mare (the hotel’s seaside building) for the ‘Truffle Dinner.’  It did not disappoint!

I’m dreaming of going back to Portofino again soon 🙂