The Italian Riviera

We booked this timeshare resort through RCI. There are only four hotels in Portofino and this one is located just outside the little township - approximately a 500-metre walk along a path which overlooks the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.

The hotel is built right on the side of the road and is 3 stories high. The room we were given was on the 1st floor at the rear of the building. We had a small courtyard-ish area off the room, however since the hotel is built into the side of the hill face the rear wall of our courtyard was actually the hillside and was about 10 metres up to a road which runs behind the hotel. We were also beside the hotel’s housekeeping room. We think we may have been given the worst room in the place. They have some rooms with terraces and beautiful views over the cove and sea but I was told you have to be paying top dollar to get those rooms. As usual in Italy you get nothing for nothing.

Our room was fairly pleasantly decorated and was one large room separated by a floor to ceiling wardrobe which sectioned off the bedroom from the lounge. There was a double bed, TV, small lounge, small dining table and minibar fridge. The bathroom is very small but quite modern and contained a shower, bidet, toilet and sink. The hairdryer didn't work and although reported to the hotel, they never fixed it. A number of the bathroom towels we were given over our stay had holes in them and were very old.

There are no tea and coffee making facilities so if you are like me and need your caffeine to get moving, ensure you bring your travel jug and coffee making supplies. This hotel is supposedly a four-star hotel; however, you can't get a cup of coffee in the place until after 7.30am, and even then they look at you like you’re a huge pain in the b***.

The worst part about staying in this hotel was that on arrival we were slugged an extra 250 Euro (AUS$500 approx) which is an extra mandatory charge the hotel has introduced (since 26 March 04 apparently). You must pay this direct to the hotel, even though you will have paid RCI for your exchange. The hotel gives no good reason for the extra charge apart from "There are only 4 hotels in Portofino. If you don't like it go somewhere else".

The staff and management are rude to the point of obnoxiousness. Really if you want to go to Portofino give the thieves at Hotel Piccolo a miss. Save your money and stay further up the hill at the Hotel Splendido, which is magnificent (see story on it in this journal).

Even if you just go to The Splendido Hotel for a look around, make sure you don’t miss it if you are in Portofino. It is set high up on the hillside off the road into the town of Portofino and has magnificent views of the bay and the promontory from Portofino. This is one of the "Luxury Hotels of the World" and it is beautiful.

We arrived at about 5pm for cocktail hour on the terrace. We had seats overlooking the bay below us (see photos). The whole terrace is covered in masses of flowers, The staff are wonderful and then the pianist arrived to play the Baby Grand Piano while we had our drinks. We booked for dinner as well and although The Splendido is very very pricey it was without doubt the best meal we had in Italy. Don’t miss it!

Our best memories of visiting Italy and, in particular, Portofino involve hiring a self-drive boat to tour the coast around Portofino.

We hired the boat in the harbour at Portofino. The boat we hired is a Portufin boat, modern versions of the typical old Ligurian boats that were once used by fisherman in the area. It was easy to use and extremely secure and safe.

Before we set off, we purchased bread and ham from the local bakery, and wine and cheese from the local store. The owner of the hire-boat business lent us an esky (or cooler box). The boat had a large sundeck covered by mattress cushions, an excellent spot to lie in the sun. Before we left Portofino the owner also erected a sunshade across the middle of the boat so that we had some protection from the sun as the day got hotter.

At 9am, we headed out of the harbour and turned right to make our way around the Portofino headland with the lighthouse and along the coast toward Genoa. We were headed for San Fruttuoso. Along the way, passing steep cliffs plunging into the ocean you will see the Batterie, so called because here there are the remains of German anti-aircraft gun emplacements built into the side of the cliffs.

In the small bay at San Futtuoso there is a Benedictine Monastery called the Abbey of San Fruttuoso. You can only reach this abbey by sea or a very long hike. There are tour boats which travel from Portofino and Comogli to this bay so we felt very lucky to be there on our own little boat with no one else around.

There is only the abbey, its tower, and a small beach. A couple of tacky looking restaurant/café type buildings are also there and I think they tend to spoil the area. Annexed to the abbey complex at San Fruttuoso is the Ristorante da Giovanni, which is recommended for fish specialities, shellfish, and lobster straight from the lobsterpots anchored in the bay; however, we didn't try it as we visited early in the morning.

You can snorkel here and be sure not to miss the underwater view near the Cristo degli Abissi, a statue of Jesus placed 15m below the surface of the bay.

After having our breakfast on our boat we turned around and headed back in the direction we came (back past Portofino), heading for the town of Santa Marguerita Ligura. It was wonderful to see the coastline from the boat and to check out the beaches.

We headed back around to the cove near our hotel to have a late lunch on the boat and to swim and sunbathe the rest of the day away. It was a fantastic way to spend the day and we got to see places we would normally not see unless accompanied by hoards of tourists on a tour boat.

The Cinque Terre is 5 villages dotted along 18km of coast which can only be reached by hiking or by the train which runs from Genoa to Le Spezia. They are all situated on cliffsides beside the sea.

We set off from Portofino to visit the Cinque Terre as a daytrip. We caught the bus to the railway station at Santa Margherita caught the train from there. Remember to validate your tickets, particularly when you leave the Cinque Terre, or you will be fined by the ugly little mean-spirited railway inspectors (as we did).

The main thing to do in these villages is wander around, eat, swim or just hang out and admire the view. The day we visited was extremely hot so we trained between the first three villages, and planned to walk between the last two villages. Unfortunately, the train bound that way was cancelled, so we didn’t get to see the last two villages as by the time the next train was due it would be far too late.

Here’s our short view of the three villages we did visit:

Monterosso – From the train you walk left along the seaside and through a tunnel to the old village. The old village is quite quaint and if we weren’t starving we would have enjoyed wandering around. The beachside square really stunk – like a sewer. We didn’t stay long.

Vernazza –This is my favourite of the villages we saw. It is fairly touristy; however, it was clean. The wander down to the seaside is past all sorts of shops, some catering to tourists and others such as the fishmongers there for locals. At the seaside is the harbour and. a small dark sand beach which is good for swimming. The water was crystal clear. At the end of the trail there are two large rocks that the ocean rushes in between and kids climb the rock face and jump in when a wave comes in. Vernazza has character and a pleasant little harbour with a few restaurants surrounding it where you can sit and enjoy the view.

Corniglia – from the train you have two options to get to the village. Wait for the little bus or walk the 352 steps up to the village along a zigzagged pathway. The day we visited was really hot and it wasn’t long before we wished we had caught the bus. We did have a very nice lunch here at a restaurant just past the main entry to the village with a nice terrace with a good view and lovely breeze.

Overall, the Cinque Terre seemed overrated. My lingering memory is of hordes of loud American tourists comparing "the cute little villa we’re staying in" stories. Apparently visiting outside of the main tourist months offers a much better experience. I also suggest you stay overnight in one of the villages to give yourself more time to take in the scenery rather than clock watching for the next train.

Portofino is really a small collection of shops, restaurants and bars surrounding the tiny, boat-filled harbour. It doesn’t take long to wander around the harbourside and look through the pricey shops, so I recommend you grab a bottle of water and head off for a walk up to Castle Brown for magnificent views of Portofino, and then along the promontory out to the lighthouse for a view of the coastline and an ice cream at the little shop below the lighthouse.

Follow the path from the harbourside up to Castle Brown. You will pay a few euros entry. It is worth it for the views and the sense of history you’ll get. Apparently this place began life as a military lookout/fort and then became a privately owned home and now is owned by the local council. It would have made a stunning home, and the views from the windows are fantastic. Apparently, different exhibitions are held there. When we visited, the walls were filled with old framed photographs of legendary movie stars visiting Portofino – John Wayne, Sophia Loren, etc., etc. It gives you a real feel for the ‘glamour days’ of the Italian Riviera. The castle is surrounded by a beautiful garden brimming with flowers. From the yard, the views stretch out across the Mediterranean, and there are amazing views down on Portofino.

Continue on the path that took you to the castle and you will reach the lighthouse at the end of the Portofino promontory. The walk takes about 30 minutes, and the Italian bushland is beautiful, and you will be able to glimpse some of the fantastic homes tucked away along the hillside. Be sure to follow the path down to the left and beyond the lighthouse or you won’t find the ice cream shop. From here you can enjoy the views along the coast of the Mediterranean.