Ferrari Portofino: At home in Balesin’s Italian-inspired village

Parked against Balesin’s Italian-inspired village, the Ferrari Portofino looks and feels at home.

THERE are things you expect to see in a beautiful island paradise like Balesin: gorgeous villas, natural breathtaking horizon, awe-inspiring landscapes and warm individuals who make sure things run smoothly for the guests.

But one day earlier this month, there was a rather unusual “visitor” on the island — a Ferrari Portofino. It was an extraordinary occurrence, a once-in-a-blue-moon happening. The Portofino, after all, is a GT sports car and the Balesin Island Club is an exclusive, relatively remote island. The sight of a luxury car isn’t one of the things guests on the island usually see.

The Ferrari Portofino’s retractable hard top, combined with a roomy boot and generous cockpit space, makes for a handsome yet comfortable car.

It was the first time that a Ferrari car reached the island, earning a lot of admiring looks, and getting photographed left and right, like it were a celebrity.

The Portofino traveled all the way to Balesin for a special event — a photo shoot to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of Dennis Valdes and Tessa Prieto-Valdes. And what a photo session it was!

The event felt like a homecoming of sorts for the Italian car; the venue for the photo shoot was at Balesin Island Club’s Italian Village, the Toscana. Parked against imposing and grand villas, the Portofino looked and felt at home.

The Portofino was named after one of Italy’s most charming villages on the Italian Riviera, an eponym for stylish elegance. The Portofino is a Ferrari designed to put the fun in functional.

As befits the muse of Ferrari, the couple seemed to really enjoy the session, alternating between striking a pose and admiring the handsome Portofino. They gamely posed with the luxury car, against the fabulous Balesin backdrop.

The photos expectedly came out looking like postcards. Only Prieto-Valdes could pull off something this grand — it was the result of a year of master planning during which a bunch of passionate and determined individuals were able to seemingly will things into existence. Many prayers were thankfully answered.

Valdes was right, after all, when she thought of bringing the Ferrari to the island because it would be fun and different and exciting.

Tessa Prieto-Valdes is right; bringing the Ferrari to the island would be fun and different and exciting.

But while the Ferrari Portofino looked super amazing in the photos, the beast truly came alive once the engine revved. Roaming the island, it showed why it is one of the most powerful cars in the world. It’s the Italian car manufacturer’s most feature-packed convertible, taking only 14 seconds to convert from an authentic Berlinetta into an open-top Spyder, even in low-speed driving. The Valdes couple rode along as a professional driver from Ferrari took the car for a spin.

Thanks to the Portofino’s perfect combination of outright performance and versatility, in addition to a level of driving pleasure and on-board comfort, the Prancing Horse was a delight for the driver and passengers alike.

Able to sprint from 0 to 200km/h in just 10.8 seconds, the Portofino is a true showstopper. Its retractable hard top, combined with a roomy boot and generous cockpit space, makes for a handsome yet comfortable car.