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LOCATION AND TERRITORY

Liguria is situated in northern Italy and overlooks the Ligurian Sea.
Lush vegetation, a mild climate and mountains that meet the sea; this is Liguria. Known as the Italian Riviera, the region stretches from the French border to Tuscany.
Separated by mountains from the rest of Italy and warmed by the green-blue waters of the Mediterranean, Liguria enjoys good weather year round, with a climate ideal for growing flowers, grapes, lemons and olives.
Liguria’s coastline is spectacular: lovely beaches alternate with rocky promontories, small coves, calm bays and sheer cliffs that plunge into the sea. Sophisticated resorts, medieval towns, quaint fishing villages and bustling ports dot the landscape.
Marine parks have been created in the Cinque Terre, Portofino, Bergeggi and Gallinara, together with other marine reserves. Among these is the Whale Sanctuary, a vast stretch of sea lying between the two extreme eastern and western points and the northern tip of Corsica.

Liguria is a center for shipbuilding and other maritime industries. The capital, Genoa, is Italy’s major port and the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.
Founded by the Romans in the 4th Century BC, Genoa soon became a thriving commercial center, and today its medieval core is surrounded by a beautiful city of impressive historical buildings, parks, gardens and elegant palazzos that climb into the hills above.

ACTIVITIES

Diving. You can practice diving in the protected marine areas of the region.
There are also diving centers that assist scuba diving fans with all the necessary equipment during their visits through Liguria's fantastic sea depths. In all diving centers it is also possible to follow diving courses of all levels and certifications.

In Liguria you can find perfect conditions for sports enthusiasts to practice kitesurfing, windsurfing or sailing.

For the Golf fun “Four Season Golf” is a service card that allows you to freely enjoy Ligurian golf courses through out the year.
The four best 18-hole courses of the green region are located in Sanremo, Garlenda,
Cogoleto, and Rapallo.

Ancient paths and roads, paved streets, and itineraries among the hills - from the
mountains to the sea. Liguria is a tangle of trekking paths.

An extraordinary hiking route along more than 400 kilometers that crosses all of Liguria, from Ventimiglia to Ceparana. T
he Alta Via of the Ligurian Mountains allows you to discover extremely interesting natural scenery, vast panoramas that embrace the Ligurian sea until the Island of Corsica, the Maritime Alps and the Apennines.
Areas for carrying out various outdoor sporting activities are also not missing: cross-country skiing, mountaineering, paragliding and climbing

An environmental friendly holiday. Liguria is a cyclo-tourism paradise, a pink jersey region for bike lovers.
And those who prefer flying will easily find experienced paragliding and hang gliding instructors.
Ski lovers can take the chance to try several cross-country trails, or can join a thrilling alpine ski excursion and reach the mountaintops.

A dream of smooth rocks to experience with your hands and feet, free Climbing in Liguria is reality beyond imagination, beyond gravity.
Either falling sheer to the sea or immersed in green, vertical walls are scattered across the territory and always offer new challenges to free-climbing lovers also satisfying the curiosity of beginners.

WHAT TO VISIT

San Remo and Riviera dei Fiori
The part of Liguria that extends from the French border to the city of Genoa, the Riviera di Ponente, is also called the “Riviera of the Flowers”.
Its southern exposure makes it ideal for intensive flower growing, and although floriculture, fishing and commerce contribute to its economy, tourism is its major industry.
Many small, picturesque seaside resorts are strung along the coast.

The inland mountains have hilltop villages and offer hiking and numerous caves to explore.
Sanremo is the city of flowers known for its grand Casino and its celebrated Italian song festival.
An important tourist center, for decades it has preserved the Art Nouveau charm of its streets, studded with fashionable shops and clubs. Flowers are star of both the city and its economy; both business and leisure benefit from the excellent sports facilities and 18-hole golf course.

Its small harbors and docks face a lively green coast that does not lack for ancient treasures: Medieval stone villages, sanctuaries, outstanding panoramic vistas, and many residences surrounded by gardens and parks planted with centuries' old exotic plants; the most famous among them is Villa Nobel.

Between Riva Ligure and Santo Stefano al Mare, the beaches are immersed in the nautical atmosphere of times gone by, dotted with defensive towers and fortresses. Prized olives, exceptional views, and traces of ancient pirate invasions can be found at Arma di Taggia and its picturesque hinterland.

Portofino
In a tiny creek, out of sight and almost inaccessible, is hidden an ancient fishing village, that has become an internationally renowned symbol. 
The middle classes and aristocracy chose this beautiful place to build their summer residences.
You have to see the town square, symbol of Portofino, with its coloured houses and the marina with its fairytale yachts.
The church of Saint Martin in the town centre is also worth a visit. Going up towards the promontory you come to the church and castle of Saint George, and further along the way you can see Brown Castle, immersed in magnificent gardens. All around, dozens of dream villas are dotted among the olive trees.
For nature lovers, the ideal excursion is through the Portofino Natural Park, which provides a network of paths heading towards the mountain or halfway down the coast, with breathtaking views from the promontory.

Rapallo
This is one of the largest municipalities on the Eastern Riviera.
The castle overlooking the sea that can still be visited today was built there in 1550 for defence against numerous incursions.
Rapallo is an important international tourist attraction because of the high quality of hotel accommodation and it also hosts important cultural events.
The two tourist ports flank the bathing areas.

Some religious buildings of importance are the collegiate church of Santi Gervasio e Protasio, the church of Santo Stefano and the Oratorio dei Neri (with a fifteenth-century tower). The church of San Francesco has a fine, recently restored altarpiece by Giovanni Battista Casoni.

La Spezia e Golfo dei Poeti
The gulf has always attracted and enchanted great celebrities and renowned artists, the likes of the Latin poet Perseus, Dante, the Romantic poets Mary and Percy Shelley,
Lord Byron, and such modern authors as Marinetti, Pavese, Sereni, and Marguerite Duras.

From Montemarcello to Porto Venere, while stopping by Lerici and La Spezia, one may admire views of untarnished nature, old churches and monumental castles overlooking the sea, as well as gracious villas and colorful fishermen's cottages.

Behind the gulf's last curve, along with the splendid promontory of Montemarcello, a scenic view opens up at the mouth of the Magra River, while towards the west, aligned in front of Portovenere, one may gaze upon the archipelago of the Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto islands in all their glory

La Spezia, Liguria's second city, is situated at the centre of a bay that is one of the deepest and best protected on the Italian coast: this is why it was chosen in the nineteenth century as the site for the navy arsenal.
Worth visiting are the castle of San Giorgio, the church of Santa Maria Assunta and the Lia Museum.

Le Cinque Terre (Five Lands)
This area is part of the Unesco World Heritage List and comprises the five small coastal villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso.
The main attraction of the Cinque Terre is the landscape. Mediterranean herbs and trees grow spontaneously from the top of the hills down to the water level.
Well embedded in this magnificent natural scenery, one can admire the intense human activity of the ancestors, when the wine terraces were built.
An enormous work of transportation, carrying all the heavy stones on men's shoulders and women's heads.
A work through the centuries, in fact it's estimated to have taken about 200 years to build the entire stonewall network.

The Cinque Terre boasts some of the best coastline hiking trails in the world.
The path from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore (or roughly 'Lovers Walk').
The beautiful trail along the shore is very easy to hike. The next hike from Manarola to Corniglia is also easy. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza offers incredible views of shore and is only steep at certain places.
The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is the steepest (but not overly demanding), winding through Olive orchards and vineyards and offering dramatic ocean views.

The walk between all the villages takes the better part of a day. For those that would rather not walk (or not walk the entire trail), a pedestrian ferry service runs seasonally to all five villages, plus Lerici.
The price is reasonable, and gives a nice view of the villages from the water. The train that connects all the villages is also a quick way to hop among towns.

FOOD SPECIALTIES

Ligurian cuisine is typically Mediterranean: olive oil, vegetables and aromatic herbs. These are accompanied by a wide range of wines that are produced from grapes grown on the sunny local hillsides.

Pesto is the typical basil sauce and something more than a gastronomic specialty: it is a symbol of Liguria and an 'ambassador' for Ligurian cuisine abroad.

Buridda is a typical dish made with fish, potatoes and peas.

Cima is a dish of meat filled with vegetables or other ingredients.

In the hinterland mushrooms have pride of place in the kitchen: whether they are cooked 'alla Genovese' (with potatoes, garlic and oil) or fried in breadcrumbs, it is well worth going for a mushroom-picking trip in the right season or going to a local restaurant to taste them.
CLIMATE AND TRAVEL SEASON

Liguria has a particularly mild climate, due to a combination of the sloping southerly exposure of most of the region, the mountains providing protection against northern winter winds, and the long stretch of shoreline.
Along the coast, the climate is typically Mediterranean with limited variations in temperature, mild winters and cool ventilated summers; in the higher inland areas the climate becomes increasingly continental.
The precipitation is quite variable, and more abundant in autumn and winter, increasing from west to east.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Italian National Song Contest. It is held in Sanremo generally in February, and it famous worldwide with the presence of very important Italian and foreigners singers and actors.

The torta dei Fieschi, a colossal cake, with ancient costumes parade. It’s a gastronomy festival held at Lavagna.

The sagra del pesce a gastronomy festival held at Camogli. Fried fish made with a giant specially made frying pan and where all persons present are offered a taste.

El siglo de los Genovesis (The Century of the Genoises). One of the major events of the year 2000. It’s a stunning exhibition of paintings and precious objects held at 'Palazzo Ducale' of Genoa. It is all about the century when Genoa was powerful along the known seas and around Europe and is due to last until May.

A very important boat show (it is said to be the most important in the world) is held periodically in October in Genoa. Theatre major events are held in Genoa all the year round and in many Italian Riviera towns and villages during summertime.

Every 4 years the most important appointment for all flower lovers is in Genoa for the 'Euroflora' Exhibition.

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