Liguria - magical coastal region between sea and high mountains

Between the Côte d'Azur in the west and Tuscany in the east, Liguria is a magical coastal region in Italy. The third smallest region in the country, Liguria is actually just a narrow coastal strip with the port city of Genoa in the middle. To the west of it stretches the Riviera di Ponente, to the east the Riviera di Levante. 

In a very small area, you will find everything your heart desires in Liguria: beaches, steep cliffs, picturesque fishing villages and the Ligurian Maritime Alps. "Mare e Monti" - sea and mountains. The extraordinary topography makes the coastal strip so unique.  Snorkelling, hang-gliding, whale watching, free climbing: in Liguria the spectrum of leisure activities ranges from extreme sports to sunbathing. 

300 kilometres of coastline on the Ligurian Sea

The rows of sun loungers and parasols on the beaches of Pietra Ligure, Finale Ligure and Diano Marina are perfectly aligned. In Liguria, it is not the wide sandy beaches like on the Adriatic that invite you to spend a day at the beach, but manageable beaches in picturesque bays. Numerous properties in Liguria offer a fantastic sea view and score points with a top location on the mountainside. Between the coastal town of Ventimiglia on the border to France and Imperia lies the Riviera of Flowers with its numerous beaches and rocky coves. 

A completely different picture awaits you on the Riviera di Levante, which stretches between Genoa and the port city of La Spezia. Dark cliffs rise steeply from the Ligurian Sea in many places. Northwest of La Spezia, a very special highlight awaits you. Five picturesque fishing villages perch on the steep cliffs by the sea, the Cinque Terre. The houses with their burgundy, sunny yellow and sand-coloured façades seem to be stacked on top of each other.

  Riviera of Flowers: The Mediterranean Jewel

On the Riviera of Flowers, one seaside resort follows the next. In the summer months, there is a lot of activity between Ventimiglia and Imperia. You can quickly avoid the hustle and bustle of the resorts with an excursion to the nearby Maritime Alps. On the Riviera of Flowers lies the fashionable Sanremo, which in the 1920s was the epitome of summer resort à la Riviera. The seaside front on the promenade with its century-old Belle Époque villas and the casino is still a reminder of this decadent era. Between palm-lined promenades, colourful flowerbeds and the rugged peaks of the mountains, many Italians spend their summer holidays in August.

Palm Riviera: Turquoise sea and golden beaches

The Palm Riviera in the province of Savona is 70 km long. The coastline stretches between Varazze and Capo Mele. The hallmarks of the Palm Riviera are the golden sandy beaches and the turquoise blue sea.  In coastal towns such as Pietra Ligure, Albenga and Finale Ligure, palm-fringed promenades border the beach from the villages behind. At times, the ambience on the Palm Riviera seems Caribbean, especially on the pearly white sandy beach of Capo Noli. 

Genoa - the melancholy beauty

In the 16th century, Genoa experienced golden times when merchants and bankers came into great wealth through trade with Spain and France. They put their money into magnificent palazzi, gold jewellery and expensive works of art. Over 40 of these magnificent buildings in Via Balbi and Via Garibaldi are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Today, Genoa shines like a newborn after a long period of economic decline. The melancholy beauty has turned into a cultural metropolis and the seaport is once again one of the most important transhipment points in the entire Mediterranean region. This is also where the huge car ferries depart for Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily.