Getting around Liguria is easier than it looks — the region’s geography (a narrow coastal strip backed by mountains) means there’s essentially one main transport corridor, and a single train line runs along almost the entire coast. Add ferries in summer, a decent bus network for the gaps, and the option of driving (with serious […]
Liguria has a reputation for being expensive — and in places like Portofino and Cinque Terre, it absolutely can be. But the region also has excellent budget accommodation if you know where to look, including one of the best-value city breaks in Italy (Genoa) and a network of convents, hostels, and agriturismi that offer remarkable […]
Liguria has quietly become one of Italy’s best destinations for boutique hotels — intimate, design-forward properties with 6-20 rooms, often in restored historic buildings, where the owners are present and the experience feels personal rather than corporate. These are not necessarily the most expensive places to stay (though some are), but they are the most […]
Olive oil is the backbone of Ligurian cuisine — more important here than almost anywhere else in Italy. It’s the first thing you taste in pesto, the sheen on focaccia fresh from the oven, the dressing on acciughe al verde, and the simple finishing touch on a plate of boiled vegetables. The olive groves that […]
Ligurian wine is one of Italy’s best-kept secrets. Not because the wines are obscure — they’ve been made here since the Romans — but because the quantities are tiny. Liguria is Italy’s third-smallest wine region by production, and its vineyards are among the steepest in the world. These are wines made on terraces so narrow […]
Five days is the sweet spot for Liguria — enough time to experience the highlights without rushing, short enough to fit into a week’s holiday with travel days on either end. This itinerary balances the must-sees (Cinque Terre, Portofino, Genoa) with breathing room, builds in the best food experiences, and front-loads the most physically demanding […]
Genoa is Italy’s most underrated city, and it’s also one of the best-value city breaks in the country. Accommodation here costs significantly less than in Florence, Venice, or Rome, and the food — as you’d expect from the birthplace of pesto — punches well above its weight. But Genoa is a city of distinct neighbourhoods, […]
An agriturismo is a working farm that offers accommodation and meals — and in Liguria, these farm stays represent some of the best value and most authentic experiences in the region. You’re not just sleeping in the countryside; you’re on a functioning olive farm, vineyard, or vegetable producer where the food on your plate was […]
Most people don’t associate Italy with whale watching. They should. The Pelagos Sanctuary — a protected marine area covering 87,500 km² of the Mediterranean between Liguria, Corsica, and Sardinia — is one of the best places in Europe to see whales and dolphins in the wild. Fin whales (the second-largest animal on Earth), sperm whales, […]
Getting to Cinque Terre is straightforward once you understand the geography. There’s no airport in Cinque Terre (the villages are too small), no direct highway access (the roads are winding and parking is nearly impossible), and the entire area is best accessed by train. The regional train line that hugs the coast from Genoa to […]
The question of when to visit Liguria doesn’t have one answer — it has twelve. Each month transforms the Italian Riviera in ways that suit different types of travellers. May and September are the sweet spot for most people (perfect weather, manageable crowds), but July brings festivals and long swimming days, December has empty villages […]
Genoa is the birthplace of pesto, and eating it here — made properly, with a mortar and pestle, using basil grown in the hills of Prà — is a completely different experience from anything you’ve had from a jar. This is not a sauce that coats pasta; it’s an emulsion of seven specific ingredients, each […]