Portofino is a living postcard, or so it wants you to believe. Luxury cruise boats dock in the harbor for a day, their passengers spilling into the streets by the thousands and staying just long enough to snap a photo and depart. Some come for a sea-view lunch or an aperitivo in the famous Piazzetta. Few walk beyond the tiny maze of streets in the center.

One of Italy’s most popular, visited, and crowded resorts is, in fact, also one of the least lived-in, beyond the facade of colorful little houses on the harbor. Portofino fills up at 10 AM, but, at dinner time, it is deserted; this is when the town slips off her bella figura costume and puts on her house clothes, so to speak. After the sun goes down, Portofino is quiet.