The Liguria Region of Italy including Genoa, Camogli, Portofino, Chiavari, Lavagna and the UNESCO world heritage site of Cinque Terre.
*All work including photos and writing on this page is my own, except the link to the Liguria Tourism video, freely available on Youtube.
Although you may not have heard of the region of Liguria, you will certainly have heard of some of it's world famous resorts, especially Portofino, home of many rich Italians. Berlusconi and Dolce and Gabbana have homes here along with many others. The five villages that make up the world famous UNESCO site of Cinque Terre and of course Genoa, pronounced Genova.
Liguria, like all Italian regions has it's own specialities in food with Pesto, Focaccia bread, Trofie pasta (perfect with pesto) and of course seafood, being the main ones to try here.
The main industry here is agriculture, particularly olive oil, wine and flowers. They also have ship building and petrochemical industries.
This region is situated along the north west coast of Italy, bordering France and has a similar feel. it is the main beach holiday resort for the people of Milan and many wealthy families have holiday homes here. Lots of people from Genoa even commute to work in Milan by the high speed trains.
The coastline is a magnificent mix of beaches and rugged rocky coastal coves, with a back drop of breath taking mountains and hills. To explore this area you do need to be able to walk up steep hills and steps. I would not recommend it for anyone in a wheelchair or with mobility problems. However if you love hiking, this is the place for you!!
Liguria, like all Italian regions has it's own specialities in food with Pesto, Focaccia bread, Trofie pasta (perfect with pesto) and of course seafood, being the main ones to try here.
The main industry here is agriculture, particularly olive oil, wine and flowers. They also have ship building and petrochemical industries.
This region is situated along the north west coast of Italy, bordering France and has a similar feel. it is the main beach holiday resort for the people of Milan and many wealthy families have holiday homes here. Lots of people from Genoa even commute to work in Milan by the high speed trains.
The coastline is a magnificent mix of beaches and rugged rocky coastal coves, with a back drop of breath taking mountains and hills. To explore this area you do need to be able to walk up steep hills and steps. I would not recommend it for anyone in a wheelchair or with mobility problems. However if you love hiking, this is the place for you!!
Weather
Liguria has a mild climate, mostly sunny. However when it does rain, mainly October time, it can be heavy and flash floods do regularly occur, so I would avoid the autumn time. The winter is mild around 12-20c. We went there for Christmas and it was sunny and around 15-17c most days. It is in fact one of the sunniest and driest regions of Italy.
Summer is beautiful with temperatures usually just under 30c. This is a very popular time though, so if you want to avoid the crowds, go before the school summer holidays of July and August. Must see places on this coast.
The Capital of the Liguria region and a major Port, This city, although sadly in the news for the bridge collapse in 2018 RIP to all those affected by that, is an ancient city and trading port. It is famous for being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, for Focaccia bread, Pesto and Blue Jeans. A cultural city with the famous Teatro Carlo Felice Opera House.
The flag of Genoa is the St George's Cross, Which was also taken by England as our flag for the English ships in 1190 entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the Genoese fleet. There are many sites to see in the old town and along the waterfront. Portofino, Camogli and Santa Margherita.
Although Portofino is of course a must see place. Whilst visiting this tiny village do also spend time in the charming town of Santa Margherita and the beautiful town of Camogli. We took the boat from Santa Margherita to get to Portofino and I do recommend this as the best way to see it. There is a car park near the ferry port and you can stay there for four hours, which was enough for us, as Portofino is tiny, yet stunningly beautiful. I was so excited to visit the towns that make up Cinque Terre and they certainly didn't disappoint! It is actually a National Park and UNESCO site. Cinque Terre means 'Five Towns' and these towns are called Monterosso al Mare (The best beach), Vernazza (the biggest), Corniglia (Up a very steep set of steps!), Manarola (Most photogenic) and Riomaggiore.
These picturesque towns, of multi coloured houses have been nestled in the cliffs for centuries, with hiking trails between them in the summer months. In fact you can not drive to them you will need to take the train. There is a train station in each one of them, so I recommend you get a day railcard to see them all. You will need to start early if you want to see them all in one day and will be exhausted by the evening. It might be better to take two days here. The scent and site of Lemons are everywhere here and the shops sell many lemon themed gifts. Try the Limoncello drink! They are still working fishing villages, although tourism is now their main income. A beautiful coastal tourist destination. We didn't get time to visit it this year, but I hear it is beautiful.
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Where to stay
I would recommend staying between Genoa and La Spezia, to make it easier to explore the whole region. We stayed in Lavagna, but Chiavari is also a beautiful town just next to Lavagna, so either of those would be a great base, with a train station each and easy access to the motorway. Below is a photo of Lavagna.
The whole region is easy to explore by train and Cinque Terre can't even be reached by car. Places to visit just outside Liguria for a day trip or longer.
Milan
Please see my page on Milan for what to see and do in this world famous city of fashion and design. There is a train service there or you can drive in under two hours. It is the safest city in Italy.
Lucca and Pisa See my page on Tuscany for Pisa.
Lucca is also in Tuscany, but this was the first time we actually got a chance to see this idyllic Tuscan city with a well preserved city wall running all around it, with much of it now parkland and full of joggers, dog walkers and families enjoying a walk along the green spaces along the wall. Inside the wall is a huge historic city centre. You must climb up the tower Torre Guinigi (A tower with trees on the top, for a great view of the city.) Florence.
See My page on Tuscany for info on one of my favourite cities in the world! Well worth a visit! About 2 hrs 15 min drive from Lavagna.
Just under 3 hr drive to this famous Billionaires playground.
Parma, yes it is the home of Parma ham and Parmesan cheese, which incidentally is the cheese they feed the pigs to produce the world renown king of all hams, Parma ham. It is also a culinary heaven of all types of Italian food, competing with Bologna for the best city of food culture in Italy.
It is just a 2 hour drive from Lavagna, so worth the trip to tour the Parma Ham and cheese producing premises that do offer tours to tourists. |
Above is the coastal town of Santa Margherita.
Fresh Focaccia Bread in Genoa.
If I haven't already convinced you to visit this classy, beautiful, unique area for beaches, hiking, culture, photos to die for and just pure amazement then see the Tourist info for more information.
If I haven't already convinced you to visit this classy, beautiful, unique area for beaches, hiking, culture, photos to die for and just pure amazement then see the Tourist info for more information.