Liguria Holidays

Liguria, or the Italian Riviera, is north-western Italy’s coastal region boasting beautiful beaches, picturesque towns and fantastic food: Italy’s world famous pesto sauce hails originally from here!

Portofino with its delightful harbour, central piazza perfect for al fresco dining and quaint multi-coloured houses is one of Italy’s premier resorts: managing to retain picturesque charm despite its popularity with jet-setters. Holidays to Portofino are a superb retreat, located around the harbour this Italian fishing visit is ideal for luxury Liguria holidays.

Rapallo, formerly a favoured haunt of poets and writers, is a larger resort boasting a number of attractions including a cable car to Santuario di Montallegro proffering stunning views, and Santa Margherita is a wonderfully old-fashioned Riviera resort: its esplanade perfect for day strolls and evening promenades. Rapallo is a premier choice of destination for holidays in Liguria, with grand hotels and stunning views it is a perfect holiday location for all discerning travellers.

In contrast to the sophisticated gastronomy of its neighbour to the north, Piedmont, the simple ingredients of Ligurian cuisine are the very essence of the Mediterranean diet with abundant seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, and the local, delicate olive oil. Fresh-grown herbs are used with fish, meat, pasta and, most famously, in pesto genovese which adorns many pasta dishes, or is drizzled into minestrone. Dining in a smart ristorante will, not unexpectedly, be more expensive than in a less formal trattoria, especially if you opt for the whole menu including antipasto, primo, secondo and dolce (dessert). Nonetheless, on holidays to Liguria the local dishes come highly recommended. Along the Ligurian coast, there’s a wide choice of eateries including pizzerias with authentic wood-fired ovens, wine-shops serving cheese and antipasto, and foccacerie and osteria for less formal dining. Ligurian wines are perfectly quaffable especially the whites with seafood, but wines from neighbouring Piedmont are more popular with enthusiasts.

For expert advice and to begin planning your luxury Liguria holiday, call our knowledgeable Italy specialists on 0800 294 9322

UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cinque Terre

Set on one of the world’s most dramatic coasts, the five fishing villages known as Cinque Terre can transform the most jaded spirit. These pastel coloured settlements, which date from the early medieval period, seem to cling miraculously to the steeply terraced cliffs. A number of castles and delightful parish churches dot a landscape where sinuous paths cross seemingly unassailable cliff-sides and a 19th-century railway line cuts through a series of coastal tunnels.

East of Genoa, Riviera di Levante

The narrow strip of coast east of Genoa is home to some of Italy's most fashionable resorts, including star-struck Portofino, and Camogli, an appealing little port on the edge of Portofino’s promontory. Gently faded Santa Margherita harks back to the halcyon days of travel whilst Sestri Levante is a window on an area of uncompromising natural beauty.

Two centre holidays

To see all that the Italian Riviera has to offer combine time in the east, at say Portofino, before heading to San Remo in the west. Classic can tailor make holidays flying you into Genoa and back from Nice.

West of Genoa, Riviera di Ponente

Curving west from Genoa towards Monaco and the French border, the Ponente stretch of the coast is truer to the area’s bucolic past, rather than more recent hedonism. Sizeable San Remo offers manicured lawns, belle epoque hotels and a casino. A Russian Orthodox church, complete with onion domes and delightful Wedgwood blue interior is an incongruous addition to the seafront. There’s also a labyrinthine old town. San Remo hosts an annual music festival and is home to the world's longest professional one-day cycling race, the 298km Milan–San Remo classic.

For the walking enthusiasts there's a network of country footpaths and some delightful walks to San Fruttuoso cove with its stunning Abbey, and along the cliffs to the lighthouse via St George's Church. High above the harbour, our glamorous and suitably named hotel Splendido, still entices royalty and film stars amongst its illustrious guests.