The Harbor That Started It All
Portofino is tiny by design — a pastel harbor ringed by hills, reachable properly only by boat, train, or a hike from Camogli. The Italian Riviera trades the scale of the French coast for something smaller and more intimate, which changes the packing math: fewer pieces, each one working harder.
Where to Stay
Belmond Hotel Splendido occupies a 16th-century monastery on the hillside above the harbor, with its own pool and Terrazza restaurant looking straight down over Portofino Bay. Splendido Mare sits at the water's edge in the piazzetta itself. In nearby Paraggi, Eight Hotel Paraggi runs a private beach club directly on the bay's best swimming cove.
Beach & Dining
Paraggi's small, sheltered bay is the area's best actual swimming beach — most Portofino hotels run a shuttle there. Evening aperitivo happens in the piazzetta itself, framed by the harbor's yachts and the pastel buildings behind them.
Getting Around
Hiking trails connect Portofino to the villages of Cinque Terre for a day trip; the coastal train network makes most of Liguria reachable without a car.
What to Wear
A Balearic Edit bikini suits Paraggi's cove swimming; keep a Mediterranean Edit one-piece on hand for the boat ride into Portofino harbor itself, where the look matters as much as the swim.