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Postcards from the Pastel Coast

I recently traveled to the quaint Italian destination Rappallo for the wedding of two of our closest friends and whilst the trip itself was very much a holiday, we had the most amazing few days exploring the area.

The Liguira Coast of Italy, similarly to it’s southern partner The Amalfi Coast, has some of the most beautifully built up shores in the world, with scattered pastel architecture tiered above the turquoise edges of the Mediterranean. Thw location is just a short flight from the UK and yet you feel as though you’ve travelled through time as well as space when you reach the authentic mirage-like coastline.

As per request of the bride and groom we spent the few days we had in town staying at the Excelsior Palace. The luxury 5 star hotel is beautifully located on the coast and oozes with decadence and traditional Italian charm, rooms are large and spacious and the interiors of the whole residence are in keeping with the expensive and flamboyant style.

The best thing about the Excelsior was the location not just in town but also on the coastline itself. The hotel features a spa, health centre and beach club that can be accessed by all hotel guests as well as residents who have a paid membership and it’s an amazing feature to boast. There are two large outdoor infinity pools looking out over onto the Mediterranean and the cliff’s edge leads all the way down through a trail of suns beds to the sea itself. Once plunged there are floating sun beds and loungers anchored in the water so you can spend a few moments (or hours if you’re keen!) bobbing on the light waves and catching some rays. Mr C and I spent the majority of our time here 😉

With limited time in Italy, we decided to do all we could with our one free day exploring and as you’ll know by now, water is my baby and I am a baby of the water, so naturally we were inclined to head out to see. We speedily hired a boat for an afternoon which was really easy to arrange with the harbour. We jumped in a small chug chug boat from and it cost around 300 euros for 5 hours for four of us, then, with just a map and good sense of direction we headed north along the pretty coastline. Anyone can jump into one of these small six pax boats and drive them and in my opinion it’s the very best way to see the beauty of the Liguria coast.

We drove from Rapallo past Portofino and to a small isolated beach called San Fruttusso. Paying just a few euros to one of the resident speedboats allows you to tie up the boat in the middle of the sea and venture in to the beach area itself.  It was like something I’ve only ever seen in a glossy coffee table took and though terribly busy in the heat of the summer weekend, it was truly stunning. The water was crystal clear and the flurry of lilac sun parasols that lined the beach just added to the postcard-perfect scene. We had some lunch in one of the couple of beachside restaurants, went for an obligatory dip in the med and then got back into the boat to explore more of the area.

Just a few minutes further down from Santa Frutosso we found one of the truest scenic gems in Italy, Camogli. Most people travelling to this area of the country will make a bee-line for the pretty pastels of Cinque Terre or Manarola and as much as both of those two places were on my radar as potential spots to visit, this final scene we ended up at was so ridiculously gorgeous. With tight timing we didn’t jump off at this stop off but admiring the view from the boat was well worth the ride round!

After a day at sea and a freshen up we decided to trade in the chug for some wheels and Mems and I headed back North to have a sunset dinner in the glamorously traditional quarter of Portofino.

If you are in the area, anywhere near you must at least grab some food in the cobbled cove of Portofino. The streets here are alive with charm and intrigue and the terracotta colour palette is every much the dreamy destination you had in mind, when scrolling through instagram. Pictures can’t quite do justice to it and it was especially gorgeous for us two driving into the town with the open air and comfort of our rented moped. We booked out a vespa from our hotel with the concierge, it was such an amazing way to spend the evening.

Short and sweep synopsis of a short and sweet trip 😉 xX

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2 Comments

  1. August 21, 2018 / 9:09 am

    Looks like another place to add to my Italy list!

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