Whether you approach from sea or land, Portofino appears almost abruptly from beyond the last bend or bluff, and in the same breath makes you fall in love. The ships are never moored too close one to the other; from afar, they make it look like the harbor and the promenade is always bustling with activity, with skiffs and yachts like alike always about to drop the anchor or set sail.
The verdant green of the headland looks like it's always about to bust the old town into the crystal clear green of the sea, but a thousand and one pictures have eternalized that line of houses and restaurants that hug the cove. Neither the furious wind nor the stormy sea has managed to wound the Lady of the Gulf for too long.
Your feet carry you to the middle of the old square, and it doesn't matter if it's the quiet calm of a winter evening or a crowded summer afternoon, when the sun paints a tattoo on your neck and the couples about to be married take the steps to Castello Brown. What you're breathing in is peace and beauty, an otherwordly calmness that pervades even the most hectic moment and placates the most troubled spirit.
Is it any wonder then that the world has been in love with Portofino for over a century now? How can anyone blame those who cross half the world to spend just a few hours in this corner of paradise, and then make the journey many times more? Evocative sights and the sea, flat as a board, have ensnared the hearts and provoked the imagination of artists, painters, and directors alike; big names of the entertainment and fashion industry have found their table set for them at the Da ö Batti Restaurant in Portofino, and there's one waiting for you too.
