Note: This article was first published in June 2022 and some details may be out of date.
Is this where you’re heading this summer?
Kourtney Kardashian recently chose to say yes to her Travis Barker in magical Portofino. The little fishing town on the Italian Riviera in northern Italy is a must for many travel-loving souls and aesthetes.
Perhaps not so strange.
The picturesque town, or fishing village as it is so nicely called, is built so close to the water’s edge that the pastel-coloured buildings in pink and yellow with green shutters are almost mirrored in the azure Mediterranean. Meanwhile, tall green stone pines and palms creep up the hillside.
Portofino has a number of stylish luxury hotels, restaurants and bars to offer.
Ristorante Puny, where the Kardashian family had their welcome dinner before Kourtney and Travis’s wedding, Taverna del Marinaio, which has been going for 25 years, and Trattoria Dei Pescatori, which has been in Portofino since 1910, are just some of them, according to The Culture Trip.
Among the luxury hotels worth mentioning, which most likely host the fashion crowd and the stars, are Belmond Splendido Mare, with only 14 rooms and glamorous 50s vibes, and its sister hotel Belmond Hotel Splendido, in a 16th-century monastery with spectacular views, according to The Telegraph.
Kourtney Kardashian is of course not the only one to have fallen for the charming seaside town.
In fact, the Italian town has always been close to the hearts of stars and jet-setters.
As early as the 50s, big Hollywood celebrities, actors and singers went to the Italian town. We’re talking Rita Hayworth, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, as well as international stars such as Italy’s Marcello Mastroianni and France’s Alain Delon.
Later, names like The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Robert De Niro, Liza Minnelli, George Clooney, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart and Denzel Washington have all holidayed here. And before them, both Winston Churchill and Rainier III of Monaco and his Grace Kelly, according to Portofino Coast.
There’s every sign that the world has a bit of Portofino fever. NRK is even showing the TV series Hotel Portofino, set in – yes – Portofino. We predict a rush of tourists here in the time ahead.
Now Dior is opening a pop-up in Portofino too.
The French fashion house is launching its annual Dioriviera beach collection at the beach club Bagni Fiore, outside the town. It’s said to be one of Italy’s most exclusive, according to WWD.
It’s in the Paraggi bay, where boats are not allowed, and the historic location has had visits from personalities like Brigitte Bardot.
Dior has even created a temporary Dior spa by the water’s edge, and its citrus fragrance Escale à Portofino will be on sale at the luxurious Splendido Hotel.
Has Dolce & Gabbana, known for cultivating its Italian DNA, got a French competitor?
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