VITAMIN SEA

Jump aboard your private boat and enjoy a memorable day at sea. Your skipper will meet you at the port of Portofino and lead you on a boat excursion along the Gulf of Paradise. Sit back, relax and watch the glorious spectacle of the Riviera as it unfolds before your eyes. You will bathe in crystal-clear waters, explore a quaint coastal town and soak up fabulous views of the Ligurian landscape.

Weigh your anchor and reach your first port of call, Camogli, stopping en route for a refreshing dip in Punta Chiappa. In olden times a thriving harbour, boasting a fleet of almost seven hundred ships at the peak of its glory, today Camogli is a charming fishing village and a popular summer resort. The town’s history is inextricably linked to the sea. According to a local belief, its etymology derives from the shortened words Casa delle mogli, meaning house of the wives, which is thought to be a reference to the women who guarded the town while their husbands – fishermen, sailors or captains – were away at sea. Rows of houses painted in shades of red, pink, apricot and amber once helped sea workers find their way back to the port and today provide a delightful pastime for visitors who enjoy spotting the illusions that decorate their facades. Lifelike inhabitants peer out of the windows, a graceful cat perches perilously on the window sill… and are those real shutters casting shadows on the wall?

After a leisurely stroll through town, set sail for the secluded – though much sought-after – bay of San Fruttuoso. This inlet, tucked away between the sea and woodland slopes, can only be accessed by boat or by descending a steep trail from the mountain above. As far back as the 700s this isolated corner was chosen as the ideal location for a church. According to legend Saint Fructuosus himself, martyred in the 3rd century, indicated this spot as his final resting place. He is said to have appeared in a dream to 8th century Archbishop of Tarragon Prospero who had fled from Spain and the Moors in search of a site on which to preserve the ashes of the saint. The church was rebuilt by the Benedictine monks in the 11th century and from the 13th century to 1983 the noble Genoese Doria dynasty patronized the abbey, renovating its design and transferring the family’s burial ground here. Also located in this cove are a handful of restaurants, a 16th century watchtower and an underwater bronze statue of Christ of the Abyss, protector of all those who venture out to sea.

After some free time for lunch and a healthy dose of “vitamin sea”, rejoin your skipper and cruise back to Portofino.