PORTOFINO MON AMOUR

A winter day in a delightful town

Picture postcards of the Ligurian Riviera, the truer and more authentic Italian version of the Côte d’Azur, with colourful li le houses overlooking the port and locals who still have the frank openness of seafaring populations. Portofino, the most elegant of the towns sca ered along the coastline, and the scene of celebrated love stories - including the passionate affair between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor - is beautiful in winter too, when the shu ers are down and the wind blows from the sea. As we hear from Luca Chiesa, Head Concierge at the Splendido, a Belmond Hotel in the hills behind the town and the Splendido Mare in the Piazze a - our guide for this winter excursion, land is preferable to sea in the colder months. So, starting at the Piazze a, we can walk towards Castello

Brown, set in its gorgeous mediterranean gardens, where we can admire exhibitions by illustrious visitors to the town in rooms still boasting their original furnishings. Or take the lovely walk from the town to the picturesque lighthouse: some 30 minutes uphill but rewarded with unparalleled sea views. On our way to the lighthouse we pass the church of San Giorgio, home to the relics of St George, patron of Portofino, which were brought here by local sailors on their return from the Crusades. A er a Bellini at the classic Bar Morena, it’s time for lunch. Until the town’s many restaurants and hotels reopen in Marchincluding the wonderful and completely refurbished Splendido Mare and its restaurant DaV Mare (although for the long-established Splendido in the hills, with its iconic La Terrazza restaurant and new Pool Grill, we have to wait until June, as it’s currently being restored) - in winter the choice is between da I Gemelli and Ö Magazin, overlooking the port. From late February onwards, don’t miss the unbeatable scampi at Ö Batti, just behind the Piazze a. Then a visit to the celebrated seafront boutiques La vela and L’Ancora, and we head for home as the sunsets.