While on our Mediterranean cruise this October, the ship stopped for a day in Genoa, Italy. In my excitement, the night before, I booked a 40 min boat ride to Portofino.

I was amazed of the Italian colorful architecture along side of the Italian coast

Arriving Portofino we were able to relax away from the hustle and bustle of large vacation spots. The beautiful harbor invited us to take a relaxing stroll, as did the narrow streets of the old town. As you can see below, the bay of Portofino resembles a postcard motif

Unlike in many tourist resorts in Italy, I experienced the Italian attitude to life in its most original form. Dolce Vita is very important in Portofino. The idyllic fishing village invited us to spend a relaxing afternoon there.

The harbor and the many small bays in the village are particularly popular with guests. The food prices are not cheap I have to say, nevertheless I ordered a 14 Euro ice cream cup. We had free appetizers for consolidation with our order, which we enjoyed.

The village quickly became popular as an exclusive resort for Europe’s richest people. Many notable families built summer residences in the area.

The town in the Italian province of Liguria has numerous historical sights, including the Church of San Giorgio and the Castello Brown. Between Mediterranean forests and olive groves, many celebrities have discovered the tranquility and seclusion of the fishing village of Portofino

Luxurious Villas can be found at the coast near Portofino

We concluded our 4 hour adventure, and when we arrived late in the afternoon in the harbor of Genoa we walked back to retire in our room on the cruise ship