Liguria is in the north-west of Italy and borders with France. This region has impressive mountains and sweet hills, colored by the green Mediterranean turf and overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea with high and indented coasts.
This region has multiple facets, different yet indissolubly bound up with each other, to offer a wide range of opportunities to those who choose to spend their holidays in this land.
Nature, sea, mountains, culture, but also entertainment and night life: you only have to take your pick.
The sea is the great resource of this region, with its rocky coasts interrupted by small coves and beaches of fine golden sand. The Cinque Terre and the Gulf of Poets, the Gulf of Tigullio, Genoa and Paradise Gulf, the Riviera delle Palme and the Riviera dei Fiori make up the famous coast of Liguria which stretches from Ameglia to Ventimiglia, for more than 300 km. In this itinerary, spectacular for the beauty of its land and seascapes, we can see the most famous tourist resorts of Liguria: Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Sestri Levante, with its enchanting Baia del Silenzio, and Chiavari.
A succession of ample beaches, little ports and amazing sceneries to explore, which turn into shopping centres by night, with plenty of entertainment. Sanremo, the city of flowers, famous for the Italian Music Festival and for its Casino, the refined town of Bordighera and Alassio, with its 3 kilometers of fine sand, Laigueglia e Varigotti are some of the “gems” embedded in the Riviera Ponente.
Then Portovenere, in front of Palmaria Island, and Lerici with its grand medieval castle, elegant villas and lush gardens.
The sea is so beautiful that it also attracts several specimens of sperm whales, rorquals and dolphins, which found their natural habitat and live safely in this area, called the “Sanctuary of Cetaceans”.
The great woods of Liguria with their century-old trees, a real natural heritage, are a good alternative to traditional tourism. You will plunge into nature to get to know and see the places where man, with love and dedication, managed to obtain the best fruits of this territory. Places full of history, culture and traditions, which witness the passage of ancient peoples coming from the sea.
The provinces of the region are: Genoa (capital region), Imperia, Savona and La Spezia
There are many charming attractions in Liguria. Some of them were classified as World Heritage by Unesco for their uniqueness and their historical and natural value.
One of these sites is Genoa, a many-sided city that combines ancient with modern, past with present, colors with shadows. This city belongs to the sea and the sea belongs to it; its culture, places, food and buildings tell the story of the old Maritime Republic.
You can still breathe an ancient atmosphere walking among the “carruggi”, the narrow alleys of the old town of Genoa. Here we can find the Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli, an extraordinary architectural work of the sixteenth century built to host politicians and aristocrats. The aristocratic dwellings that would host State visits were drawn from the “rolli”, the public registers.
Spinola di Pellicceria with its precious paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Bernardo Strozzi, Palazzo Lercari Parodi, Palazzo Campanella, Palazzo Podestà are the beautiful palaces of the Renaissance that you can admire while visiting this unique place.
Le Cinque Terre with Porto Venere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto are another Unesco site in Liguria. Those who visit these places will hardly forget the charm and atmosphere of the five seaside towns of Manarola, Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. 18 km of coast enclose and guard a little paradise: the rocks falling sheer to a limpid sea and the colors and scents of the earth, harmoniously combined with the typical buildings entrenched on the coast, create a unique scenery. And again, the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, situated in front of Portovenere, an ancient fishing town whose colorful buildings, one next to the other, mix their iridescent colors with the deep blue of the sea.
If you visit Genoa, you must definitely stop at the Aquarium, one of the most complete and technologically advanced sea life centers in Europe. The Aquarium was designed by famous Italian architect Renzo Piano and even its external look is spectacular. Inside, the Aquarium houses a whole marine world in huge and varied pools, behind large windows: dolphins, seals, sharks and colorful fishes of all shapes make up a breath-taking view for both grown-ups and children.
When we say Riviera, we say Liguria: three-hundred kilometers of coast on a splendid sea, which has always been the major resource of this land. This very sea offers a thousand ways to spend your holidays in Liguria, a region that boasts some of the most beautiful sea life parks in Italy: Cinque Terre, Portofino, Berteggi, Gallinara and the famous Sanctuary of Cetaceans.
This area has the highest concentration of cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea and whale watching enthusiasts can enjoy a fascinating and instructive experience booking a trip on the “blue roads of the sea” to look for these magnificent specimens of marine fauna. On the boat, a biologist will disclose information and curiosities about the life of cetaceans and will explain the rules to observe to preserve their natural habitat.
The seabeds and treasures of the Ligurian Sea deserve a “walk” under water to admire a stunning view. Even those who are not scuba-diving experts can enjoy this amazing experience going to one of the many specialized diving centers in the most important sea resorts in Liguria.
Seawatching is perfect for those who do not want to explore the depths of the sea and is good for all ages. Accompanied by expert guides and with flippers, mask and wetsuit, you can observe the beauty of these beautiful seabeds swimming of the surface, watching the color and the variety of the flora as well as many species of fish.
For those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, Liguria is a real gym in the open air. The mountains, which stand majestically behind the riviera, are the ideal choice for trekking lovers. Rocks, valleys, streams and lakes, with the typical colors and scents of the Mediterranean scrub, make up the stunning natural framework of the Ligurian hinterland. Liguria offers many events, festivals and fairs.
In 2010 many famous Italian singers and new talents will take part in the 60th Festival of Italian Music in Sanremo. During the days of this musical event, the Comune of Sanremo puts up several cultural and tourist events to entertain the thousands of people who crowd the Town of Flowers every year.
Since 1962, Genoa plays host to the International Nautical Fair, a world-wide known event that gathers the most important exhibitors of this sector in about 300.000 sqm.
When we speak about Ligurian food, we immediately think of the famous pesto, a tasty sauce made with basil, pine-nuts, garlic, parmesan, pecorino and extra-virgin olive oil, used to season trenette (a type of pasta) or borage leaf ravioli.
Yet, Liguria is also a region of vineyards and olive groves that produce excellent extra-virgin olive oils and quality wines, like Ormeasco and Rossese di Dolceacqua, Vermentino, Ciliegiolo and Bianchetta di Genova, Albarola, Pollera Nera della Riviera di Levante and Pigato di Salea di Alberga.
Sea dishes are obviously renowned too: fish soups like ciuppin and buridda with stockfish, as well as stuffed and fried sardines.
Among the meat dishes we can find the cima genovese (cold stuffed veal), ox stomach stuffed with greens and cheese, or stewed hare with famous taggiasche olives, pine-nuts and rosemary. The most famous stuffed pie is torta Pasqualina (Easter pie), thin pastry stuffed with greens, cheese and eggs.
Finally, we cannot forget fugassa, a soft and thick focaccia covered with onion slices and olive-oil, or the thin farinata, a baked savoury pancake made with chickpea flour. The traditional desserts of this region are pandolce genovese, amaretti and cubeli, tiny butter cookies.
