La Italian Riviera it is simply a coastal strip that is between mountains (Maritime Alps and the Apennines), and the Ligurian Sea. It runs from the French Riviera and the coast with France and its heart is Genoa.
the entire riviera passes through four provinces of Liguria: La Spezia, Imperia, Savona and Genoa, and in total runs 350 kilometers. Let's see today how is it, what to meet there and how to have a good time
Most beautiful towns on the Italian Riviera
As we said above, this coastal strip goes from the south of France to Tuscany and it is super popular for travelers because it offers great views of the sea, very picturesque, with towns that are unforgettable.
Our selection of most beautiful towns on the Italian Riviera is composed of Manarola, Lerici, Sestri Levante, Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Camogli and Riomaggiore. They are all charming towns, so here is more or less what you can do in them.
Riomaggiore It is in the famous Cinque Terre and in high season there are a lot of people. The best shops and restaurants are on the main street, Via Colombo. And to stay, it is best to look for hotels that have views of the sea because the views are part of the vacation. To enjoy a good beach there is the fossola beach and you can always do the Cinque Terre Trail and walk, for example, to Manarola.
Speaking of ManarolaIt must be said that of all the beautiful towns that make up the Cinque Terre National Park, Manarola is the most beautiful and picturesque. ANDIt is the oldest village in the complex and its pastel-painted houses, above the village, are beautiful.
Lerici is close to this national park and is a seaside town with a medieval touch precious. As a sample worth a button, the medieval castle on the hill overlooking the port. Also, walking a bit to the neighboring town, you can enjoy a precise beach, that of San Lorenzo.
Sestri Levante It has a beautiful port to walk and eat fish and shellfish, many churches that you can visit and an also beautiful bay, the Silenzi bay, which offers postcard views. Going in summer ensures you some colorful festivals like the Vogalonga Regatta or Andersen Festival.
Santa Margherita Ligure used to be a simple fishing village, but over time the wealthy tourists and they turned it into a secluded destination. House-studded hillsides, turquoise waters, handicrafts and luxury shops all combine to make for an unforgettable visit.
Close to Santa Margherta is one of the most popular and refined destinations in this part of the Italian Riviera: Portofino. You can walk through the center, take pictures of its brick-colored and yellow houses, walk to the lighthouse or to the Castello Brown. Its restaurants are luxurious and if your idea is to enjoy a day at the beach with even more luxuries, then walk to Baia di Paraggi.
Finally, Camogli, an old fishing village with pebble beaches and orange houses. The beaches have parasols and sunbeds, the pebbles are not the sea of comfortable to lie on in the sun, but the views, oh, the views! Is beautiful. Well, this list of seven towns on the Italian Riviera is arbitrary, it may be that you like others, and the list does not follow an order either, they are all beautiful towns, and the list does not follow a preferential order.
We said at the beginning that the heart of the riviera is the city of Genoa, most important port of the Mediterranean Sea. this port divides the coastal strip into two sections, the Riviera de Levante and the Riviera de Poniente. It has been, for centuries, a destination for recreation and relaxation.
It must also be said that most towns are connected by a rail networkSo we can talk about a tourist route through these two sectors into which the Italian Riviera is divided.
Eg Route of the Levante Riviera includes linking Camogli, San Fruttuoso, Zoagli, Rapallo, Chiavari, Sestri Levante and Porto Venere. All these towns combine landscapes, relaxed atmospheres and lots of nature. Of this group, the only town that you cannot reach by car is San Fruttuoso.
Let's remember that Portofino already falls into the category of city with a beach, so we are talking about another category of destination: luxurious boats, beautiful houses, five-star cuisine. And of course, Cinque Terre It gets all the applause as one of the most popular places on the Italian Riviera. All its towns are within the province of La Spezia.
Now, if we talk about the Western Riviera Route we talk about the provinces of Savona and Imperia and the westernmost part of Genoa. Among the most famous towns in this part of the riviera we can name ventimiglia, on the border with France and with walls and castles, Old Bussana, of Roman origins, now a ghost town, triora, of medieval airs, Seborga, with a charming medieval old town and an air of grandeur.
there is also the Riviera dei Fiori, a part of the riviera with many greenhouses and botanical gardens, close to Genoa airport and the Riviera delle Palme – Alassio, with small rocky coves, located between Cape Santa Croce and Cape Mele. It is popular for its large, soft sand beach. AND Caves of Toirano, with its prehistoric caves, And of course, Genoa, which has so many things to offer that it is impressive.
You can rent a car in Sanremo and go to the Ligurian Sea, to Portofino. Then you continue your journey to Genoa and if you are not afraid of driving along zigzagging coastal roads, then you can join the five coastal towns of Cinque Terre. In any case, it is best to do it on foot, leave the car in a town and take the time to do the walk, because only then will you enjoy the best views of hills, mountains, towns built on slopes and lots of sea, lots of sea.
If you can, when visiting the Italian Riviera it is best to avoid the high season because thousands of tourists arrive and then the walks get complicated. Imagine walking from town to town with few people around, how beautiful! It is not always possible to choose the time of the year to vacation, it is true, but you can, try to climb from the high seasons and the memory of your vire will surely be much better.