No.10 - Taormina, Italy
Located on the east coast of Sicily, Taormina is often described as the epitome of southern Italian beach towns. Home to as many poets and painters as playboys and boulevardiers, Taormina represents the creative cross-section that has made the region famous for the last 60 years.
Throwback spot: Hotel El Jebel is a classic Mediterranean five-star property that often serves as a meeting place for the many artists, celebrities and politicians that frequent this exotic seaside town. Its sun-drenched walls bring back the memory of the late 1960s when Taormina was just beginning to make waves on the European scene.
No.9 - Cassis, France
Cassis was once a small fishing village that retained the purity of southern France without the glitz and glamour of neighboring Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez. Cassis is still certainly less traveled by American tourists, but since the early 1950s it has become something of a hideaway for wealthy Europeans. Cassis is also home to some top-notch vineyards producing white wine and rose, and the town’s cosmopolitan air has made Cassis a quiet but powerful player in the world of Mediterranean beach towns.
Throwback spot: The Michelin-star rated La Villa Madie on the cliffs of Cassis may only be a few years old, but it is the type of restaurant designed to cater to the cabals of wealthy aristocrats and actors that call Cassis home, at least for a few months of the year.
No.8 - Port Grimaud, France
Conceived by architect Francois Spoerry in the 1960s as a “Provencal Venice,” Port Grimaud retains the same canals and islands of its Italian inspiration, but with a decidedly more exotic atmosphere. Designed to be the midway point between St. Tropez and Frejus, Port Grimaud is now home to some of the wealthiest yacht enthusiasts in the world. In fact, many of its only 4,000 residents moor small boats right outside their homes so that they may easily access their yachts whenever the mood strikes.
Throwback spot: The Relaise & Chateau Hotel on the road to St. Tropez is the quintessential hangout for those who have docked their yachts in Port Grimaud and are now making their way back down the four-mile road to St. Tropez. This hotel is an epic architectural relic of the 1950s glitz that dominated the area.
No.7 - Haifa, Israel
Many don’t think of Israel when they think of Mediterranean beach towns, but Haifa is one of the best. Due to its peninsular locale, Haifa is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and offers a luxuriously European environment with a Middle Eastern twist. Located a few miles outside Tel Aviv, Haifa is easily accessible and offers a more cultural experience than its European counterparts.
Throwback spot: Lolka Restaurant is hidden in a low-light alley but offers some of the most storied seaside dining in the region, and has been a favorite of locales and the wealthy tourists who have been coming to this seaside town for the last half-century.
No.6 - Naxos, Greece
Naxos is known as the greenest island in the area with high mountains and fertile valleys. The beaches are truly pristine and many of the island’s inhabitants still work on looms each day and live off the land. That said, the beautiful landscape has not gone unnoticed and lately the Aegean jet-set crowd is making its way down Naxos’ shores.
Throwback spot: The Lucullus taverna is a 100-year-old restaurant made famous by the freshest grilled octopus in the region. It has been a meeting place for locals, expats and celebrities alike. Since the early 1970s it has seen a dramatic spike in celebrity clientele as Naxos becomes more international.
No.5 - Positano, Italy
While this Amalfi coast destination may not have the same lush, sandy beaches of other resort towns, it makes up for it with views of rocky seaside cliffs. There is also a bountiful selection of luxurious hotels and restaurants from which you can enjoy a cocktail (or four) while overlooking the spectacular shoreline.
Throwback spot: The Hotel Il San Pietro is as luxurious as it comes on the Amalfi coast. The hotel is built into the side of a seaside cliff, and the hotel lobby lift takes guests directly to a private beach where you’re likely to see a modern-day Porfirio Rubirosa wining and dining his next millionairess.
No.4 - Murcia, Spain
Like Naxos, Murica isn't a town -- it's a province (whereas Naxos is an island). And like Naxos, Murcia is known for being removed from the party scene, but that makes it popular with the art crowd that typically paves the way for partiers. Murcia is a Spanish strip of long, desolate beaches that are most commonly completely nude.
Throwback spot: The Hotel Rincon de Pepe sits at the town center of Murcia and its hotel bar, La Muralla, is known for its selection of liquor. Also, this is the only area of town where original Arab walls still stand. The town center is the heart of Murcia’s art scene, and has been for more than 50 years.
No.3 - Abruzzo, Italy
While Abruzzo faces the Adriatic, not the Mediterranean, the town’s attitude is nothing short of quintessentially Med. Abruzzo is only 50 miles east of Rome and is home to 21 ski resorts, which makes the region popular both in the summer and winter, a rarity indeed.
Throwback spot: Ernesto is an often-recommended classic Italian restaurant that brings back the heydays of 1950s Rome and the bon vivants who made the short drive east to Abruzzo.
No.2 - Menton, France
Menton has some of the most desirable real estate on the planet, sitting snugly between Monaco and Italy. While not wild and raucous like either of its neighbors, it has proved to be a luxurious and lush playground for those looking to relax, rather than party, while on vacation.
Throwback spot: What would the French Riviera be without its casinos? The Casino Menton is a grand old establishment offering high-stakes gambling and entertainment for its patrons. Be warned, casino employees only speak French and Italian, just as they should.
No.1 - Portofino, Italy
Portofino is the golden child of the Italian Riviera, one of the most beautiful locations in the world and the playground for everyone from Brigitte Bardot in the ‘60s to Berlusconi today. It has been and will continue to be one of the best seaside towns on the planet due to its premiere location and unbelievable beauty. The bay of Portofino is so stunning, it has been recreated at Tokyo Disney, Universal Orlando and on the Hibiscus Coast, New Zealand. As they say, imitation is the best form of flattery, but none of the tributes come close to the charm, style and glamour of the real Portofino.
Throwback spot: Hotel Splendido has played host to the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, and Ava Gardner. The property remains intact and focuses on authentic Portofino cuisine while overlooking what we think is the No. 1 Mediterranean beach town in the world.
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Located on the east coast of Sicily, Taormina is often described as the epitome of southern Italian beach towns. Home to as many poets and painters as playboys and boulevardiers, Taormina represents the creative cross-section that has made the region famous for the last 60 years.
Throwback spot: Hotel El Jebel is a classic Mediterranean five-star property that often serves as a meeting place for the many artists, celebrities and politicians that frequent this exotic seaside town. Its sun-drenched walls bring back the memory of the late 1960s when Taormina was just beginning to make waves on the European scene.
No.9 - Cassis, France
Cassis was once a small fishing village that retained the purity of southern France without the glitz and glamour of neighboring Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez. Cassis is still certainly less traveled by American tourists, but since the early 1950s it has become something of a hideaway for wealthy Europeans. Cassis is also home to some top-notch vineyards producing white wine and rose, and the town’s cosmopolitan air has made Cassis a quiet but powerful player in the world of Mediterranean beach towns.
Throwback spot: The Michelin-star rated La Villa Madie on the cliffs of Cassis may only be a few years old, but it is the type of restaurant designed to cater to the cabals of wealthy aristocrats and actors that call Cassis home, at least for a few months of the year.
No.8 - Port Grimaud, France
Conceived by architect Francois Spoerry in the 1960s as a “Provencal Venice,” Port Grimaud retains the same canals and islands of its Italian inspiration, but with a decidedly more exotic atmosphere. Designed to be the midway point between St. Tropez and Frejus, Port Grimaud is now home to some of the wealthiest yacht enthusiasts in the world. In fact, many of its only 4,000 residents moor small boats right outside their homes so that they may easily access their yachts whenever the mood strikes.
Throwback spot: The Relaise & Chateau Hotel on the road to St. Tropez is the quintessential hangout for those who have docked their yachts in Port Grimaud and are now making their way back down the four-mile road to St. Tropez. This hotel is an epic architectural relic of the 1950s glitz that dominated the area.
No.7 - Haifa, Israel
Many don’t think of Israel when they think of Mediterranean beach towns, but Haifa is one of the best. Due to its peninsular locale, Haifa is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and offers a luxuriously European environment with a Middle Eastern twist. Located a few miles outside Tel Aviv, Haifa is easily accessible and offers a more cultural experience than its European counterparts.
Throwback spot: Lolka Restaurant is hidden in a low-light alley but offers some of the most storied seaside dining in the region, and has been a favorite of locales and the wealthy tourists who have been coming to this seaside town for the last half-century.
No.6 - Naxos, Greece
Naxos is known as the greenest island in the area with high mountains and fertile valleys. The beaches are truly pristine and many of the island’s inhabitants still work on looms each day and live off the land. That said, the beautiful landscape has not gone unnoticed and lately the Aegean jet-set crowd is making its way down Naxos’ shores.
Throwback spot: The Lucullus taverna is a 100-year-old restaurant made famous by the freshest grilled octopus in the region. It has been a meeting place for locals, expats and celebrities alike. Since the early 1970s it has seen a dramatic spike in celebrity clientele as Naxos becomes more international.
No.5 - Positano, Italy
While this Amalfi coast destination may not have the same lush, sandy beaches of other resort towns, it makes up for it with views of rocky seaside cliffs. There is also a bountiful selection of luxurious hotels and restaurants from which you can enjoy a cocktail (or four) while overlooking the spectacular shoreline.
Throwback spot: The Hotel Il San Pietro is as luxurious as it comes on the Amalfi coast. The hotel is built into the side of a seaside cliff, and the hotel lobby lift takes guests directly to a private beach where you’re likely to see a modern-day Porfirio Rubirosa wining and dining his next millionairess.
No.4 - Murcia, Spain
Like Naxos, Murica isn't a town -- it's a province (whereas Naxos is an island). And like Naxos, Murcia is known for being removed from the party scene, but that makes it popular with the art crowd that typically paves the way for partiers. Murcia is a Spanish strip of long, desolate beaches that are most commonly completely nude.
Throwback spot: The Hotel Rincon de Pepe sits at the town center of Murcia and its hotel bar, La Muralla, is known for its selection of liquor. Also, this is the only area of town where original Arab walls still stand. The town center is the heart of Murcia’s art scene, and has been for more than 50 years.
No.3 - Abruzzo, Italy
While Abruzzo faces the Adriatic, not the Mediterranean, the town’s attitude is nothing short of quintessentially Med. Abruzzo is only 50 miles east of Rome and is home to 21 ski resorts, which makes the region popular both in the summer and winter, a rarity indeed.
Throwback spot: Ernesto is an often-recommended classic Italian restaurant that brings back the heydays of 1950s Rome and the bon vivants who made the short drive east to Abruzzo.
No.2 - Menton, France
Menton has some of the most desirable real estate on the planet, sitting snugly between Monaco and Italy. While not wild and raucous like either of its neighbors, it has proved to be a luxurious and lush playground for those looking to relax, rather than party, while on vacation.
Throwback spot: What would the French Riviera be without its casinos? The Casino Menton is a grand old establishment offering high-stakes gambling and entertainment for its patrons. Be warned, casino employees only speak French and Italian, just as they should.
No.1 - Portofino, Italy
Portofino is the golden child of the Italian Riviera, one of the most beautiful locations in the world and the playground for everyone from Brigitte Bardot in the ‘60s to Berlusconi today. It has been and will continue to be one of the best seaside towns on the planet due to its premiere location and unbelievable beauty. The bay of Portofino is so stunning, it has been recreated at Tokyo Disney, Universal Orlando and on the Hibiscus Coast, New Zealand. As they say, imitation is the best form of flattery, but none of the tributes come close to the charm, style and glamour of the real Portofino.
Throwback spot: Hotel Splendido has played host to the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, and Ava Gardner. The property remains intact and focuses on authentic Portofino cuisine while overlooking what we think is the No. 1 Mediterranean beach town in the world.
Add rep if you like this post.
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Thanks bro! 
