Frolicking in the Mediterranean Sea, soaking up the sun, sipping perfectly chilled rosato (Italian-style rosé), and savoring seafood spaghetti is the stuff of summer vacation fantasies. At least it was for me, and that’s why I planned a holiday to the Italian Riviera in late June.

We stayed in a quaint fishing village on the Golfo Paradiso in Liguria, the crescent-shaped coastal region in northwest Italy that’s home to the glamorous hotspot of Portofino, larger yet still darling Santa Margherita Ligure, and some smaller, less-trammeled towns that are well worth exploring. On this magical sojourn, one place in particular — San Fruttuoso — somewhere that hadn’t even been on my radar prior to jetting off, left an indelible mark.