Liguria Travel Guide

From the top of Tuscany to the French border, along the Ligurian and Mediterranean Seas, Italy follows a crescent-shape strip of seacoast and mountains that make up the region of Liguria. The pleasures of this region are no secret. Ever since the 19th century, world-weary travelers have been heading for Liguria's resorts to enjoy balmy weather (ensured by the protective barrier of the Alps) and turquoise seas. Beyond the beach, the stones and tiles of fishing villages, small resort towns, and proud old port cities bake in the sun, and hillsides are fragrant with the scent of bougainvillea and pines.

Liguria is really two coasts: the beachier, more resort-oriented stretch west of Genoa known as the Riviera di Ponente (Setting Sun), and the rockier, more colorful fishing-village-filled stretch to the southeast of Genoa known as the Riviera di Levante (Rising Sun). Both are a mix of fishing villages, including the remote hamlets of the Cinque Terre, and fashionable resorts, many of which, like San Remo, have seen their heydays fade but continue to entice visitors with palm-fringed promenades and gentle ways.

The province's capital, Genoa, is the area's largest city by a long shot, an ancient center of commerce, and one of history's great maritime powers. However, though it is one of Italy's most historic places, it is also one of the least-visited cities in all of Italy. But don't judge the area by its capital: Genoa's port city squalor and its brusque and clamorous elements are a world apart from the easygoing and charming seaside villages and resorts that populate the province of which Genoa is capital.

The Riviera di Levante: Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino & Rapallo -- Camogli: 26km (16 miles) E of Genoa; Santa Margherita Ligure: 31km (19 miles) E of Genoa; Portofino: 38km (24 miles) E of Genoa; Rapallo: 37km (23 miles) E of Genoa

The coast east of Genoa, the Riviera di Levante (Shore of the Rising Sun), is more ruggedly beautiful than the Riviera Ponente, less developed, and hugged by mountains that plunge into the sea. Four of the coast's most appealing towns are within a few kilometers of one another, clinging to the shores of the Monte Portofino Promontory just east of Genoa: Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, and little Portofino.

Regional Cuisine

Anywhere you travel in this region, you will never be far from the sea, though seafood is not as plentiful as you might assume here in the heavily fished north. What is plentiful are acciughe (anchovies), and once you try them fresh and marinate (marinated in lemon) as part of an antipasto, you will never underestimate the culinary merits of this little fish again. More noticeable than fish are the many fresh vegetables that grow in patches clinging to the hillsides and find their way into tarts (the torta pasqualina is one of the most elaborate, with umpteen layers of pastry; some restaurants serve it year-round) and sauces, none more typical of Liguria than pesto, a simple and simply delicious concoction of basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and parmigiano ground together in a mortar and pestle (hence the name). It's often used to top trenette: a short, hand-rolled twist of pasta sort of like a 5-centimeter-long (2-in.) extra-thick spaghetti. Ligurians are also adept at making fast food, and there's no better light lunch or snack than a piece of focaccia, flatbread that's often topped with herbs or olives, or a farinata, a chickpea crepe that's served in wedges. Both are sold in bakeries and at small stands, making it easy to grab a bite before heading out to enjoy the other delights of the region.