Liguria

Slender, often vertical, the Ligurian region is home to the beguiling villages of the Cinque Terre. Expect spectacular coastal topography, beautifully preserved architecture, and some of Italy’s most memorable cuisines. The coast is made up of ascents and descents with breathtaking views overlooking the sea. I visited Liguria in the summer of 2021, dedicating 10 days to a complete tour of this fascinating region. You think you will go on a beach holiday, but in reality sometimes you will find yourself wondering if you have gone on a holiday to the mountains!

1. hiking the fabulous trails along sea cliffs in cinqueterre

The Cinque Terre are 5 fishing villages that have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore. They are a spectacular view especially from above, in fact we have decided to take the trail that, passing through elevated promontories followed by descents to the sea, runs through all the 5 lands. It is a long and quite challenging path, but the view is totally worth it. We started from Monterosso, where we were staying, and from there we visited them all on foot. The last piece of this path is called the Via dell’Amore, a romantic 3km path on the sea, which goes from Manarola to Riomaggiore. It will be magical, after having walked the promontory, to begin to see the small colored houses that begin to appear on the horizon. Alternatively, you can also visit them via a boat that makes all the stops except Corniglia, because this is on a promontory and cannot be reached from the sea, or by train.

2 take a walk through the small illuminated lanes in verezzi

Even if the Cinque Terre are undoubtedly magical and extremely fascinating, also the Riviera di Ponente has some little gems that will leave you speechless. A small village that we came across by chance and that we found incredible is Verezzi. It is said that the Saracen pirates fell in love with this landscape and abandoned their trades to retire to live here. In Verezzi the hands of the clocks go back half a century. After passing the hairpin bends that take you away from the sea and the liveliness of the center of Borgio, you will enter a silent village, where no cars pass through the stone-paved streets. Verezzi is a small village on the hill a few kilometers away from Borgio, which, however, seems out of this world, enchanted, made up of small alleys full of flowers and an open square that allows a spectacular view of the sea below. Verezzi is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, certainly in Liguria.

3. Watch the fish from the movie “finding nemo” at genoa aquarium

The Genoa Aquarium is an aquarium located in the sixteenth-century ancient port of Genoa. 27 thousand square meters, 70 tanks and over 12 thousand animals of 600 different species, the Aquarium of Genoa is the largest exhibition of aquatic fauna in Europe. A journey to discover underwater life among dolphins and sharks, penguins and manatees, jellyfish and seals, tropical fish and Antarctic animals will await you. The aquarium of Genoa can be visited in about two hours, it includes 39 tanks in addition to the 4 in the open air of the Cetacean Pavilion inaugurated in the summer of 2013. You can visit it in an intermediate stop between your visit of the Riviera di Levante and Ponente. There are tons of fascinating animals and habitats, you just need to find your favorite tank! Mine? The tropical fish one, of course, where you will watch the fish from the movie “finding nemo” live!

4. be surrounded by luxury yachts in portofino

Portofino is one of the symbolic places of Liguria and of tourism in the Mediterranean. Famous in the world and all to be seen: a seaside village built around a bay, with tall and colorful houses leaning against the marina and the famous square. If you want to feel really poor, it will happen here for sure! As soon as you enter the pedestrian area you will begin to see high fashion brand shops, and at the end of the pedestrian street, when you reach the square, you will see the port where you will find moored luxury yachts. Portofino is now famous for its elite tourism, in Portofino a coffee costs 3.50 euros!!! We walked around Portofino and then went to Santa Margherita Ligure, the adjacent town, and rented a boat for 4 hours. We arrived as far as the southern part, namely Camogli and San Fruttuoso, to then go back and stop in the bay of Portofino, surrounded by luxury yachts of all shapes and sizes. The next day we returned to spend the whole day at the beach in Baia di Paraggi, a naturalistic jewel: a tiny and enchanting cove in front of a crystalline and extraordinarily clear green sea. Surely, renting a sunbed and umbrella in Paraggi won’t be cheap, but it’s worth it!

5. take a boat tour from porto venere to isola di palmaria

In addition to the Cinque Terre, the other town that is part of the Unesco Heritage site is Porto Venere. Like the other towns on the Ligurian coast, it has a delightful marina, surrounded by the infinite range of colors of the houses, steep stairways and narrow alleys. In front of Portovenere there are the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, all of which are part of the Portovenere Regional Park. We obviously couldn’t miss a boat ride to the island of Palmaria, the largest, to see the splendid “grotta azzurra”. The visit by ferry takes about an hour and offers stunning sea views. Once you arrive in Palmaria you can get off and go around the island, taking the next boat, or continue the boat tour. And if you want to swim, there is the beach of Punta Secca, or the small beach of Pozzale, on the opposite side of the island.

6. stroll through the “caruggi” of Monterosso

Monterosso al Mare is the first of the Cinque Terre coming from the west and is also the most populated. The town is divided into two parts connected by a pedestrian tunnel, to the east Fegina, with the famous beach with its large rock, the promenade and the train station; to the west the old town, the small port where boats dock and the sandy beach. The “caruggi” are narrow alleys, typical of Ligurian towns. If you visit Monterosso, you cannot miss a walk among its delightful alleys, which take you back to a bygone era. But this is not the only thing to do in Monterosso: there is also a very long beach, and also from Monterosso the path to visit all the Cinque Terre starts: it is called the blue path, which from the town leads to Vernazza in about 3,5 km. In Monterosso we stayed right in the historic center, in a delightful hotel with a terrace overlooking the main street. You can’t imagine what a nice awakening in the morning, drinking a coffee on the terrace overlooking the small pedestrian street, observing the comings and goings of the city that begins to wake up, magical!

7. swimming in the golfo dei poeti and in the emerald sea of Cala Maramozza

Lerici is an exclusive retreat of terraced villas clinging to the cliffs along its beach, where another age Shelley and Byron sought inspiration here. A coastal stroll or drive, 4km southeast, takes you past magnificent little bays of Tellaro, a fishing hamlet with ink-and-orange houses cluttering narrow lanes and tiny hidden squares. Another unforgettable thing that can be reached with a walk of a few kilometers from Lerici, is Cala Maramozza, one of the most beautiful beaches in Liguria. We walked a narrow and hidden road, and at the end of this, a small staircase leads to this very small and uncrowded beach, and precisely for this reason with crystal clear emerald waters. We spent all afternoon on this beach, it was just us and another group of guys, and we waited there for the sunset in great peace and silence, while we watched the sun set on the horizon and from the boats moored nearby, people leaving and returning from swimming or diving. Although this beach is not easy to reach, it is worth it!

8. have a romantic dinner by the sea in camogli

Camogli is a typical seaside village, a tourist center known for its marina and for the colorful buildings along the seafront. A romantic place, immersed in a magnificent natural setting, which for centuries has enchanted tourists from all over the world in search of relaxation, culture, sea and good food. It has a beautiful promenade that becomes extremely romantic in the evening. You certainly can’t miss a fish-based dinner in one of the wonderful waterfront restaurants. One above all: Ostaia da ö Sigù, just at the beginning of the pedestrian walkway along the seafront, has a delicious menu and very nice waiters! Also near Camogli you cannot miss a visit to the bay of San Fruttuoso, reachable thanks to a steep path or by boat. Here is a characteristic village built around the monumental complex of the abbey of San Fruttuoso. Lovers of the sea depths will not miss the opportunity of a dive to see the famous Christ of the abyss, a statue placed in 1954 on the bottom of the bay of San Fruttuoso.

9. eat the typical “trofie al pesto” and get addicted to them

We cannot speak of Ligurian cuisine if we do not mention the “trofie with pesto”. Strictly artisanal, this dish is made with fresh pasta, can be trofie but also trenette, linguine, bavette: in Liguria for this there is an embarrassment of choice. The pesto is made with basil sauce, pine nuts, pecorino cheese, garlic, oil and salt. Once tasted, you will never be able to stay without it! But this is not the only unforgettable dish of Ligurian cuisine, my favorite after the trofie with pesto is the “focaccia di Recco”. Cooked at a temperature ranging between 270 ° and 300 °, the “focaccia di Recco” is one of the flagships that characterizes typical Ligurian cuisine. Served with cheese – which must be exclusively from the production area – it can be both a tasty snack and a substitute for main meals.

10. take a walk in the medieval village of finalborgo

Finalborgo, one of the “most beautiful villages in Italy”, is a jewel a few steps from the sea that enchants with its atmosphere of the past. Closed between medieval walls still well preserved, the Borgo di Finale immediately offers the visitor a feeling of protection and meditation. The streets are arranged perpendicularly to each other to form fascinating glimpses in narrow spaces. After walking through the narrow alleys, each square is a conquest and a surprise. This village will leave you fascinated making you go back in time. It can be visited in a short time given its small size, so after visiting it we enjoyed a good lunch of local cuisine in a restaurant overlooking the main street, observing the comings and goings of tourists who, like us, were incredibly fascinated by its beauty.

When to go?

Winter

Winter, from December to February, is mild; in the sun shines, while the Po Valley is shrouded in fog. On the other hand, in periods of bad weather, the cold air of the Po valley crosses the Apennines and reach the region, so that you can have cold and rainy days.

Spring

Spring, from March to May, is mild, and becomes more and more sunny, but it is also quite rainy. March and the first half of April are unstable periods, in which the first mild and sunny days alternate with colder and rainy days.

Summer

Summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny. Generally the heat is not excessive, thanks to the blowing of the breeze, however, particularly sultry periods cannot be excluded, with highs of 32/33 ° C.

Autumn

Autumn, from September to November, is mild and humid, with sunny days, but also periods of bad weather, in which it can rain a lot.

The best times to visit Liguria are spring and early summer, especially from mid-April to mid-June. September is also a good month, especially in the first half, because then the risk of heavy rain increases. In the height of summer, in July and August, it can be very hot, although less often than in other areas of Italy. For a beach holiday on the Ligurian Riviera, the best months are July and August..

three unmissable stops

Best photos spots

I’m a photographer, so I’m always looking for the best corner in the world to make the perfect picture. Often, with great pleasure of my traveling companions, I also spend hours staring at the landscape, waiting for the perfect moment with perfect light. Therefore, when I decided to create my blog, I could not avoid to include a dedicated section to photography enthusiasts like me, always looking for the landscape that leaves you breathless. Hope you will enjoy these places where, in my opinion, you can enjoy wonderful landscapes and take the best pictures.