Liguria

Western Liguria extends from Genoa to Ventimiglia and comprises the Riviera delle Palme (Riviera of Palm Trees) and the Riviera dei Fiori (Riviera of Flowers). This stretch of water some 70 km long also lends itself quite well to underwater activities. Specifically, we point out the charming Bergeggi Island in the Bergeggi Regional Nature Reserve along the Riviera of Palm Trees. This island is renowned for its diving opportunities, and is even suited for beginners.

Starting off at the Riviera of Flowers, the collective imagination immediately brings us to Sanremo, the city of flowers and of the Festival della Canzone Italiana (Italian Song Festival). The city is characterised by wide sandy beaches with rocky stretches (as is the rest of the Ligurian coast) and a hilly hinterland breaking off just a few hundreds of metres from the seaside, which was once mostly home to olive-grove cultivations. The Riviera of Flowers typically experiences an extremely mild climate with little rain and lots of sunshine, making the area ideal for holidays any time of the year. Specifically, the climatic area of the Riviera of Flowers from Sanremo to Mentone has very particular climatic conditions characterised by a very mild climate as a result of the protection provided by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines, which rapidly descend towards the sea. For this reason, the area from Sanremo to Arma di Taggia and Ventimiglia has an annual season, with accommodations open year round.

SANREMO is the leading health resort in Italy. Its winter climate is very mild as temperatures fluctuate around 9°C, and the column of mercury almost never exceeds 27°C in the summer.This city has excellent conditions for children, thanks to its climate and the local entertainment offered.The city and its hotels, magnificent residences and famous Casino’ are strongly characterised by the Liberty Style.There are numerous monuments to see in Pigna (the small medieval Sanremese village) such asbare-stone towers and buildings with columns, and sculpted portals and arches.Torre della Ciambella tower in Piazza Eroi is very dear to local residents.Excellent sports facilities and an 18-hole golf course provide enthusiasts of active holidays enjoyment and selection. Small marinas and landing places overlooking a lively and very green coast abound in the most ancient of treasures: small medieval stone villages, sanctuaries, exceptional panoramic spots and many residences surrounded by gardens and parks full of century-old exotic plants. One of the most well-known is Villa Nobel.

The Strada dei Giardini della Riviera (Riviera Garden Route) is truly charming; this bicycle path can be taken from Arma di Taggia to Ospedaletti. The stretch from Sanremo to Arma di Taggia is very popular among both cyclists and walking excursionists who enjoy breathtaking views as this is the only bicycle path high up above the sea in an uncontaminated park (or most of its length)

Andora is located along the Riviera of Palm Trees, which covers the entire Province of Savona. This city is easy to reach on motorway A10 Genoa-Ventimiglia (the tollbooth is just a couple of kilometres from the city centre), along main road Aurelia 1 or by train on the Genoa-Savona-Ventimiglia line. It is equipped with a harbour (constantly being expanded) located to the east at the entrance to the city, and with numerous sports facilities including the very recent Marco Polo velodrome. Amidst seaside and hills, Andora’s new tourism-related frontier is called the environment and specifically the Oasi del Merula (Merula Reserve) and the Santuario dei cetacei (Sanctuary of Cetacea).
Green itineraries worth mentioning include the Antico percorso medioevale path which comprises the Valley of Andora from its border with Laigueglia and with Cervo, and the Percorso di Mezz’acqua path, which connects Andora’s seaside area with the San Damiano Chapel and with the hamlet of Colla Micheri while reaching other local green paths in the nearby district of Laigueglia. The other itinerary comprises the Antico borgo di Rollo path and its olive groves.

Continuing along an imaginary itinerary, we encounter Laigueglia, another seaside town. This city is well-known for its beach, peaceful town centre and charming views. It is located in the Baia del sole (Bay of Sun), a protected stretch of coast between Cape Mele (to the west) and Cape Santa Croce (to the east) which is well-known for its sun-sea combination. The heart of history and tradition-enriched Laigueglia is the coastal area between the defence rampart and the jetty; there is a poetic view from here comprising the colossal yet beautiful San Matteo parish church located in the background.
Local cuisine is well-known for its seafood specialities: zuppa di capo Mele (local soup), novellame di zero (picarel fingerlings with their characteristic brown back), bottarga di muggine (mullet botargo) and mosciamo di tonno (dried tunny-fish).

Seaside and tourist resort Loano boasts an excellent mild dry climate, ensured by its position in the gulf protected against the north winds. Its sandy beach combined with fine gravel (over 2 km long) is magnificent and ideal for children to play on or for any kind of sports, from beach volleyball to surfing, sailing and diving. On land, visitors can stroll down the marvellous Madonna di Loreto promenade alongside palm trees. Its old town centre is charming as its buildings are often decorated with frescoes and friezes and its shops sell typical products and handicrafts.


It is the famous castello sulla roccia (castle on the rock) in the middle of town to have given Pietra Ligure its name, which starts on the coast and continues into the lush vegetation with its residential districts and pretty hamlet of Ranzi
The sand beach is ideal for families with children and the seabed is perfect for diving. A stop at the ancient town of Ranzi is a must when travelling in the Maremola Valley. Leaving the ancient small town and continuing inland, visitors cross the large Ciazze secche cork forest, which is a protected area. The Parco Ortobotanico (botanical gardens) in the district of Pietra Ligure in Trabocchetto is also worth mentioning.  

Fianle Marina, Finale Pia and Finalborgo are the main towns in the district of Finale Ligure. The Finale area is well-known for its locale pietra di Finale or Finale stone, a series of calcareous cliffs forming walls up to 80 metres high making the area a preferred year-round destination for rock-climbers, thanks to its mild winter climate. There are 600 routes on equipped walls for a total of 50 linear kilometres.
The Basilica of San Giovanni Battista and its majestic interior is one of the most important monuments of Ligurian Baroque. Finalborgo and Finale Marina are home to numerous palaces and noble residences.
The many sports activities available include horseback riding (the Manie riding ground offers nature tours and organises competitions and gatherings), mountain biking, sailing, surfing and windsurfing. The seabed off the cliff between Finale and Varigotti offer breathtaking natural scenery.

Varazze (the last town in the Province of Savona along the coast before entering the Province of Genoa) boasts an ideal position at the mouth of the Teiro Stream. Its old town centre, shops and noble palaces are all pretty to look at. Don’t forget to take a look at the sculpted-slate portals. This seaside resort still preserves the city walls dating back to the 11th century, some towers from the Middle Ages and the façade of the old parish church of S. Ambrogio.
Leaving the coast and heading inland, visitors can participate in numerous traditional folk festivals where typical natural products can be tasted: milk, typical formaggette or a local cheese speciality, eggs, and fruit and vegetables. Varazze is also known as the city of women as it boasts women-only initiatives: for example, the new Varazze-Sanremo cycle race when cyclists challenge the known Milan-Sanremo cycle race.
As for marine activities, the marina facilities (whose seabed is between 2-5 metres deep) are available at the end of the promenade. Sea-doos and canoes can be hired, and water-skiing, sailing and navigations lessons are available from companies certified by national associations. Horse enthusiasts can take riding and hurdling lessons in the hinterland. A half marathon (27 km and 97 metres) is run in mid-November.

Moneglia

The Eastern Riviera runs from Genoa to La Spezia on the border with Tuscany. Spring and summer are the best time to most enjoy this region’s beauty, whose season is generally from Easter through October.
The area is characterised by a long indented coast (some 130 km) comprising inlets, bays and sheltered spots. This is also home to Moneglia (Province of Genoa), a tourist resort overlooking a small stretch of coast with a find sand beach.

There are many places of worship to visit, such as the Church of Santa Croce (the oldest in the city) and the Church of San Giorgio (located next to a 15th-century Franciscan cloister).
Beach volleyball and underwater diving are highly recommended for sports enthusiasts. Those who prefer nature walks can head towards Punta Baffe and Punta Manara (in the direction of Sestri Levante) or towards the Bracco Pass (inwards to the east) to visit the hamlets of Lemeglio, Morteo and San Saturnino.

Visitors wanting to learn about the Ligurian marine culture and traditions with the entire family can visit the network of maritime museums, a project promoted and developed by the MuMa  Istituzione Musei del Mare e della Navigazione in collaboration with the “In Liguria” Agency. These 15 museums are dedicated to the sea and its underwater world. Among these, we highly recommend La Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi in Genoa, the first play centre in Italy for children from the ages of 2 – 14.

Ligurian gastronomy is quite varied and balanced and based on the ingredients within the Mediterranean diet. Typical products include PDO extra virgin olive oil, homemade pasta such as trofie with pesto, and ravioli, quiches and focaccia or flat breads (the most well-known is the Sardenaira), stockfish or brand de cujin and Vermentino-seasoned rabbit.

Liguria’s mild climate, territorial configuration and endless sunny days allow anyone to participate in any individual or team sports (from sailing to skiing and extreme sports) any time of the year. Excursionists and trekking enthusiasts can take advantage of both winter (which in some mountain areas, can be combined with downhill skiing and cross-country skiing) and summer itineraries. Riding devotees can take advantage of quality panoramic nature trails along the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri and along many others - especially in the hinterland - which follow the old roads connecting towns and are far from urban noise. Bikers and mountain bikers can ride breathtaking paths in the hinterland of Imperia and along the Riviera of Palm Trees.
As for diving enthusiasts, the seabed enriched with wreckages and local flora and fauna provide unique sights. One of the most fascinating places are the Gallinara maritime parks, in addition to the national maritime reserves of Portofino, Bergeggi and the Cinque Terre. There are also many diving centres located along the Ligurian coast allowing scuba divers to dive year round in any part of Liguria. The equipped boats and equipment for hire are first-class for the safety and enjoyment of the visitors. Diving programmes include single, double or complete day trips and some of them even include lunch on board the boat. All diving centres provide educational courses and underwater diving lessons at all levels or to obtain certification.

Monti Liguri

There are also numerous attractions for simple enthusiasts or trekking experts. Among them all is the Alta Via dei Monti Liguriitinerary connecting the two extremes of the Riviera from Ventimiglia to Ceparana. This well-equipped path follows along mountain ridges for 440 kilometres.

There are also many areas of naturalistic interest including the Ligurian Alps, Melogno hill, the Finale protected areas including Adelasia, Antola, Aveto and Zatta-Bargonasco and Mount Gottero, the reserves on Mount Beigua and the Portofino headland.

The Ligurian forests known as far back as ancient times as an endless supply of wood for the yards on the coast and for the coal cellars, are surrounded by pastures, vineyards and olive groves which over the centuries have ensured the presence of farms and their by-products of wine and oil.

Sports and nature are intertwined in this spectacular environment alternating between rock (the Finale stone), the sky and the sea. Finale Ligure is an obligated destination for rock-climbers from over of half of Europe. The latest new thing is the Varatella Valley in the nearby hinterland of Loano and Borghetto Santo Spirito. From 2000-2003, the walls here were equipped with over 200 handholds, plates positioned for beginners and sheer aerial areas for the most experienced. People go rock-climbing in western Liguria all year long based on the tendencies of the walls, but the best seasons are spring, autumn and winter.

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