Liguria is a little coastal region in the north-west of Italy; it is a narrow strip of land at the border with France, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and the Mediterranean Sea. It boasts both high mountains and sandy beaches or rocky cliffs overlooking the emerald Ligurian Sea, forming a wide gulf.
Despite being a little region it offers a wide array of opportunities to its visitors; differences and traditions match together to create a unique experience choosing among nature, mountains, culture, entertainment and night-life.
The sea is essential for this region. The coastline has beaches of golden sand, perfect to sunbathe and dizzying rocky cliffs interrupted by small coves.
From east to west, Liguria is formed by various areas: Cinque Terre and the Gulf of Poets, the Gulf of Tigullio, Genoa and Paradise Gulf, the Riviera delle Palme and the Riviera dei Fiori. It stretches from the town of Ameglia to Ventimiglia, for more than 300 km (186 miles). Travelling through the most beautiful resorts of the area you won’t believe your eyes: villages like Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Sestri Levante, Baia del Silenzio (Silent Bay), and Chiavari are enchanting and romantic.
The landscape is amazing, with sunny beaches, delicious hidden ports and gorgeous sceneries. Cities are vivacious night and day, to enjoy shopping and night entertainment. Some of these are: Sanremo, also called the town of flowers, famous for its casino and for the Italian music Festival; the delicious towns of Bordighera and Alassio and their 3 kilometres (almost 2 mi) of fine sandy beaches; Laigueglia and Varigotti, two gems embedded in the western coast (Riviera di Ponente).
On the other side of the region there are little villages like Portovenere, Portofino, Lerici and Cinque Terre (Monerosso al Mare, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola) characterized by little ports and high coloured houses. Lerici also boasts a medieval castle and villas with verdant gardens.
Not only tourists are attracted by the Ligurian sea, also several specimens of cetaceans find their natural habitat in this area called “Sanctuary of Cetaceans”: sperm whales, rorquals and dolphins above all.
If you want to escape traditional tourism, enjoy the woods of Liguria with its centuries-old trees. This heritage allow one to see places where man has cultivated magnificent products and fruits with dedication. Those places witness the incredible history of this area and the people that arrived here from the sea and the land.
The region is divided into four provinces: Genoa (the region’s capital), Imperia, Savona and La Spezia.
