There is no better souvenir from Liguria than the ability to make pesto that actually tastes like it does in Genoa. The region’s cooking classes have exploded in popularity over the past decade — and for good reason. Ligurian cuisine is deceptively simple: basil, olive oil, flour, salt, and the sea. But the difference between […]
The province of Imperia is Liguria’s westernmost jewel — a stretch of the Italian Riviera that runs from the French border to the hills above Albenga. It’s home to the palm-lined boulevards of Sanremo, the medieval caruggi of Cervo, the Belle Époque villas of Bordighera, and some of the most beautiful (and underrated) beaches in […]
Finale Ligure is the town that breaks every stereotype about the Italian Riviera. While most visitors picture pastel villages and glamorous harbours, Finale delivers something completely different: world-class rock climbing, miles of mountain biking trails, broad sandy beaches, and a medieval old town that has stubbornly refused to become a souvenir shop. It’s where active […]
Packing for Liguria is a unique challenge. In a single day, you might hike a coastal trail under the Mediterranean sun, wander through a frescoed church where shoulders must be covered, and dine at a seafront restaurant where the dress code leans effortlessly chic. The region’s microclimate — mild winters, hot summers, and the ever-present […]
Sestri Levante is the Italian Riviera’s best-kept secret — a town built on a slender isthmus that stretches into the Ligurian Sea, cradling two of the most poetic bays in Italy. On one side, the Baia delle Favole (Bay of Fables), named after Hans Christian Andersen who stayed here in 1833. On the other, the […]
There’s a reason the Italian Riviera has been a honeymoon destination since the days of the Grand Tour. The combination of pastel fishing villages, hidden coves, candlelit trattorias tucked into medieval alleys, and those slow, golden sunsets over the Ligurian Sea — it’s almost unfair how romantic this coastline is. But romance in Liguria isn’t […]
There’s something about a Ligurian sunset that stays with you long after the colours have faded. Maybe it’s the way the light catches the pastel facades of a seaside village, or how the Mediterranean shimmers gold as the sun drops behind the Maritime Alps. Whatever it is, watching the sun go down on the Italian […]
Twenty minutes south of the Cinque Terre crowds — and a world away from the selfie-stick circus — lies a stretch of coastline that inspired some of the greatest poets in the English language. The Gulf of Poets (Golfo dei Poeti) is where Byron swam across the bay to visit Shelley, where DH Lawrence wrote […]
Somewhere between the glitz of Portofino and the crowds of Cinque Terre sits a fishing village that most tourists blow right past. Camogli (pronounced cah-MOH-lyee) is what the Italian Riviera looked like before Instagram found it — a honest-to-God working port where fishermen still mend nets on the beach and the focaccia costs €2, not […]
Let’s answer the question upfront: Liguria is a very safe destination. Violent crime against tourists is extremely rare, the region is politically stable, and you’re far more likely to be charmed by a Ligurian nonna offering you focaccia than to encounter any kind of danger. That said, every destination has its specific risks, and Liguria’s […]
Eating in Cinque Terre has improved enormously over the past decade. Ten years ago, the choices were mostly tourist menus with frozen seafood and indifferent service — you ate because you had to. Today, each village has genuinely excellent restaurants alongside the inevitable tourist traps. The key, as always in Italy, is knowing where to […]
Liguria can be one of Italy’s most expensive regions — or one of its best-value destinations. The difference is entirely in how you travel. Stay in Portofino and eat at the Splendido, and you’ll burn through €500/day without trying. Base yourself in Genoa or La Spezia, eat at trattorias and focaccerie, and use the train, […]