Liguria Main | Description | Hotels | Map WHY LIGURIA? Visit the Italian Riviera Take advantage of a great climate year round Take a boat trip and visit the fishing village of Portofino Enjoy a dinner under the stars at La Stalla in Santa Margherita Reach the Cinque Terre by train from Rapallo or Santa Margherita (pictured right: Portofino) 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 and is home to some of Italy’s best known and most popular seaside resorts: San Remo, Portofino, Santa Margherita, Rapallo. 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. 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. The portion 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, but San Remo, with its palm lined promenade, art nouveau architecture, restaurants, shops and nightlife is one of the Riviera’s highlights. The inland mountains have hilltop villages and offer hiking and numerous caves to explore. Extending southeast from Genoa to the naval port of La Spezia, is the Riviera di Levante, a less developed area of Liguria that is characterized by a dramatic coastline of rugged cliffs and peninsulas covered with pine, cypress and palm trees. Here is found the enchanting town of Portofino, and the seaside resorts of Santa Margherita and Rapallo. Tourism, fishing, and olive and wine production support the economy. Cinque Terre, an area where five towns are built into mountains that come right down to the sea, has been made into a park where many types of plant and animal life flourish. The towns are linked by hiking trails that hug the side of the mountain and offer stunning views of the rugged coastline and of the vineyards terraced in the hillsides. Herbs reign supreme in the cooking of Liguria: marjoram, basil, parsley and other wild species abound, flavoring everything from pasta stuffings to sauces to meat and fish. Basil finds its ultimate expression in a delicate pesto made with pine nuts, garlic and the local prescinsoeua cheese, often served as a sauce with thin tagliatelle called trenette or with trofie, tiny dumplings. Pansouti alla noce, plump ravioli stuffed with a mixture of wild greens called preboggion and cheese served with a creamy walnut sauce, are traditional. The flat coin-like disks called corzetti, often made with a dough that includes white wine, are frequently sauced with a mushroom ragu. Cappon magro, an impressive combination of seafood, fish, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies spooned atop garlic-rubbed bread is one of the towering glories of Ligurian cuisine. Not to be missed are cima alla genovese, stuffed veal that is slowly poached; torta pasqualina, with spinach and eggs; farinata, a chickpea flour pancake; and sardeinaria, a flatbread topped with tomatoes, olives and anchovies. Liguria produces a delicate olive oil and excellent table olives, and pandolce, a yeast cake with currants and pine nuts, is a traditional Christmas dessert. Wines include Vermentino di Ponente, Pigato, Cinqueterre, Rossese di Dolceaqua and Brachetto d’Albegna.