Overall:
Great trip, wonderful location. Theresa provided great service.
Enjoyed Most:
Spectacular views.
Enjoyed Least:
Noisy at night.
Surrounding Area:
Hiking, shopping, boating.
Nearby Events or Locales:
Santa Margherita was about 5km - nice walk.
Tips or Restaurants:
Hotel Splendido dining was excellent.
Directions:
Location makes it difficult with luggage.
Jim, June
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Overall:
In a nutshell, my family (me, my husband, our two teenagers, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my sister-in-law, and her two teenagers) ADORED Villa San Fruttuoso. It was heaven on earth. It's location is nothing short of stunning. While your web description is 100% accurate, it just isn't possible to express in words the spirit and beauty of such a magnificent place. If we were to go again (and I'd LOVE to), I would spend more time just relaxing at the villa or on the water. It is just a very, very special place.
Enjoyed Most:
It is tucked into a cliffside overlooking the Ligurian Sea. It is absolutely private, with access only being by a gorgeously kept, winding walking path that leads from the Portofino piazzetta to the lighthouse. The other alternative is by boat. The villa and its grounds are completely surrounded by lush plantings, vibrant flowers and lemon and olive trees. While it is true that the villa requires lots of walking and negotiating many steps, that is part of the beauty and privacy. The swim platform is magnificent, and we put it to great use -- leaping off of it daily to bask in the salty and blue, blue sea. The solarium is another incredible asset -- with a view to die for. And, speaking of views, most of the villa bedrooms look to the east, over the sea and towards the Cinque Terre coastline which means that the sunrises are BREATHTAKING from either the bedrooms or the solarium. You can also walk onto the roof of the villa and view them from there. Wow.
And, of course, the natural beauty is just one part of the allure of this location because it is also a destination for some of the most magnificent privately owned yachts in the world. We were agog time and again as the world's largest yachts (both motor and sail) glided by or moored out in the bay. It is so much fun to sit in the piazzetta in the evening and people watch! When speaking of the villa itself -- it is charming and very comfortable. The owner has a taste for art (I believe she is an artist), and the villa is filled with interesting art and arty decor which was a big hit with our teenagers. The living room is very comfortable and welcoming. The bedrooms are great, and there are plenty of bathrooms. The real treasure, though, is Teresa -- the housekeeper and cook. She adopted us, and we adopted her right back! She is a gifted cook -- making us wonderful pesto and pasta carbonara along with other local delicacies such as squid and anchovies (which I never thought I'd eat but, trust me, they were delicious!). My son got ill on our second day in Italy -- fever, sore throat, etc. etc. She calmly found us a local doctor and arranged for an appointment. (We don't speak Italian.) And, she took wonderful care of him, making sure he had something soft and bland to eat until he got better. One day, there were dramatic thunder storms -- she made sure we had umbrellas and plans for the day. The list goes on and on -- she was just a total love.
Nearby Events or Locales:
When speaking of some of the things we did in the area, here is a short list:
1. Shopping, dining and people watching in the Portofino piazzetta. Wonderful! We also toured the churches, etc. in Portofino and took a hike (very short) to the lighthouse.
2. Snorkeling to see the underwater statue of the Christo at San Fruttuoso -- we took a boat from the Portofino harbor. It is also accessible by a two-hour hike.
3. Day trip to the Cinque Terre. We used Benvenuto Limos as the tour company. We used them for many things throughout the week -- they were absolutely professional and reliable. I recommend them wholeheartedly.
4. Day trip to my father-in-law's ancestor's villages in the hill country south of Piacenza. Again, we used Benvenuto Limos.
5. Day trip to Genoa. We took the train from Santa Marguerita.
Tips or Restaurants:
Interestingly, the villa (and the other villas on the promontory) were apparently built as military buildings during one of the world wars. For the private residents of the promontory, there is an elevator that shortens the walk up from the piazzetta which is accessible by walking down a misty, rocky tunnel into the inside of the cliff from the piazzetta -- this was apparently excavated during the war. Villa San Fruttuoso's swim platform and solarium both date from this period -- I understand that the solarium was intended as a lookout and perhaps a gun/cannon platform. Its expansive view over the entrance of the harbor would certainly support this potential explanation.
Laura, August
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