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Liguria: the italian Cote d'Azur

Italy’s answer to the Cote d’Azur starts just over the French border in San Remo and forms a narrow coastal strip that runs to Portovenere and ‘Le Cinque Terre’. Quintessentially Italian, the Riviera is defined by its elegant seaside resorts such as Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure and its beautiful scenery of rocky coves and promontories studded with cool pine trees. 

San Remo lies at the heart of the Riveira dei Fiori at the western end of Liguria, one hour from Nice airport and under two hours from Genoa. It has been a popular seaside resort since the 1800's when well-heeled French and Italians came to stroll along the promenade and seek further fortune in the Casino.

On Italy's pine and flower-filled rugged north west coastline lies Portofino, the prettiest port on the Mediterranean.

Santa Margherita is a lively, little known resort with fine shops, an elegant piazza and a harbour – a real place where locals mingle harmoniously with visitors. It is dominated by its Genovese castle which overlooks the port. A train journey in either direction is a must – west to Genoa itself, a city of immense style and great beauty, its streets lined by grand, patrician townhouses.

This pretty seaside village lies at the base of Monte di Portofino, 30 minutes east of Genoa and is similar in style to ones found further south in Cinque Terre. Tall, pastel-coloured houses front the harbour and beach and there are plenty of pleasant restaurants where you can sample the local speciality, cheese focaccia.