Liguria
3
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Liguria is the Italian Riviera at its most extraordinary. The thin strip of coastline between the Alps and the Ligurian sea contains the five extraordinary villages of the Cinque Terre clinging to near-vertical cliffs, the hidden peninsula of Portofino with the most glamorous harbour in Italy, the ancient and overlooked city of Genoa with its extraordinary medieval caruggi alleys and world-class art collections. This 3-day route covers the hidden Liguria beyond the crowded surface. The Cinque Terre from the clifftop paths and the sea rather than the tourist promenade, arriving before 9am for the empty coloured villages. The Portofino peninsula walked rather than yachted. And Genoa, one of the most extraordinary and overlooked medieval cities in Europe, with the finest pesto in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage historic centre.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Genoa (GOA) or fly to Pisa then drive 1.5 hours
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 90 to 150 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
CINQUE TERRE
MORNING
MIDDAY
THE CLIFFTOP SENTIERO AZZURRO AND HIDDEN VILLAGES
The Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail) connecting all five villages is the finest coastal walk in Italy, traversing clifftop paths above extraordinary views of the Ligurian sea. The full walk takes 5 hours. The most dramatic section between Vernazza and Monterosso runs along a cliff face 200 metres above the sea. A Cinque Terre Card covers trail access and the trains between villages (approx 18 euros per day). Drive: 30 min boat between villages
AFTERNOON
THE CINQUE TERRE BY BOAT
The finest view of all five villages is from the sea. The local boat service connects all five villages and several small cove beaches accessible only by boat. The boat ride between Riomaggiore and Monterosso passes under the extraordinary cliff faces with the villages above. Swimming in the coves below the villages in the afternoon, when the day-trippers have left, is extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Sciacchetra is the extraordinary sweet wine of the Cinque Terre, made from partially dried Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino grapes harvested from the extraordinary terraced vineyards clinging to the cliffs. Production is tiny and it is almost never exported. Buy it directly from the Cantina Cinque Terre cooperative in Manarola.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Riomaggiore at 7am The village has two bars open early. Coffee before walking the empty streets. | Lunch: Trattoria Dal Billy, Manarola The finest traditional restaurant in the Cinque Terre. Fresh catch, pesto trofie and local Sciacchetra wine. | Dinner: Ristorante Belforte, Vernazza Outstanding seafood restaurant inside the medieval castle tower above the harbour.
DAY 2
PORTOFINO AND THE LEVANTE
MORNING
PORTOFINO, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HARBOUR IN ITALY
Portofino is genuinely as beautiful as its reputation suggests, if visited correctly. The tiny harbour of extraordinary coloured houses reflected in the turquoise water, surrounded by wooded hills, is one of the most beautiful small harbours in the world. Walk from Santa Margherita Ligure along the coastal path to Portofino (3km, 1 hour) for the finest approach. Arrive before 9am for the extraordinary morning light and empty harbour. Drive: 30 min boat to San Fruttuoso
MIDDAY
SAN FRUTTUOSO, THE ABBEY IN THE COVE
San Fruttuoso is one of the most extraordinary and hidden places in Liguria. A perfectly preserved 10th-century Benedictine abbey sits in a tiny cove accessible only by boat or on foot. No roads, no cars, no development. The cove has extraordinary clear water and a Christ of the Abyss statue visible underwater in the bay. Boat from Portofino approx 15 euros return. Drive: 30 min boat to Camogli
AFTERNOON
CAMOGLI, THE VILLAGE PAINTERS COULD NOT INVENT
Camogli is the finest and least visited village on the Portofino peninsula, a tall stack of extraordinarily colourful buildings directly above the sea, their colours so vivid they look painted rather than real. The local fishermen's festival (Sagra del Pesce) in May fries the largest pan of fish in the world. Walk the extraordinary seafront promenade and find the extraordinary painted trompe l'oeil facades.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The coastal path from Portofino to San Fruttuoso takes 2 hours through extraordinary maritime scrubland above the sea. The path passes the extraordinary lighthouse at Punta del Capo with 360-degree views over the Ligurian sea. Far less visited than the boat route and extraordinarily beautiful.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Excelsior, Santa Margherita Beautiful cafe in the most elegant town on the Portofino peninsula. Before the coastal walk. | Lunch: La Gritta, Portofino Simple seafood restaurant in the harbour. Sitting at a table in Portofino harbour is extraordinary regardless. | Dinner: La Cucina di Nonna Nina, Camogli Outstanding traditional Ligurian restaurant. Focaccia, trofie al pesto and local fish. Book ahead.
DAY 3
HIDDEN GENOA
MORNING
THE CARUGGI, GENOA'S EXTRAORDINARY MEDIEVAL LANES
Genoa has the largest medieval historic centre in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary density. The caruggi are narrow lanes between medieval tower houses, some so narrow you can touch both walls simultaneously, running for kilometres through the oldest urban fabric in Italy. The Vico della Casana, the Vico dell'Agnello and the Via San Bernardo are the finest. The extraordinary daily market at the Mercato Orientale is the best food market in Liguria. Drive: 15 min walk to palaces
MIDDAY
THE PALAZZI DEI ROLLI AND THE HIDDEN ART COLLECTIONS
The Palazzi dei Rolli are 42 extraordinary patrician palaces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built along the Strade Nuove by Genoa's merchant princes in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco contain world-class art collections with major works by Van Dyck, Rubens, Veronese and Caravaggio. Entry approx 9 euros each and visited by a fraction of the people they deserve. Drive: 15 min walk to pesto
AFTERNOON
THE PESTO CULTURE AND HIDDEN GENOA
Pesto alla Genovese was invented in Genoa and the local version uses only Genovese basil DOP, the finest small-leaf basil in Italy, ground with a marble mortar and pestle. The caruggi around the Piazza delle Erbe contain the finest focaccerie and pesto producers in the city. The extraordinary Cathedral of San Lorenzo has an extraordinary black and white striped marble facade and a museum containing the Holy Grail (a hexagonal emerald dish brought from Caesarea in 1101).
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Museo di Palazzo Reale in Genoa contains an extraordinary collection of Flemish and Italian Baroque paintings in a spectacular royal palace on the Via Balbi. The Hall of Mirrors rivals Versailles. Entry approx 6 euros and almost entirely unvisited by international tourists despite containing major masterpieces.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Focacceria in the caruggi Genovese focaccia eaten standing up is the finest breakfast in Liguria. Order it with olive oil and rosemary. | Lunch: Trattoria Da Maria, Genoa The most beloved trattoria in the caruggi. Trofie al pesto, minestrone alla Genovese and local white wine. | Dinner: Ristorante Zeffirino, Genoa Historic restaurant in Genoa since 1939. Outstanding traditional Ligurian cuisine. Frank Sinatra's favourite.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Manarola or Vernazza, Night 1 Stay inside one of the Cinque Terre villages. Approx 120 to 200 euros per night. Santa Margherita or Camogli, Night 2 Hotel Laurin or Hotel Cenobio dei Dogi. Approx 130 to 220 euros per night. Budget Option Cinque Terre: family guesthouse from approx 70 euros. Genoa: Hotel Cairoli from approx 65 euros.
Top Tips
1. Cinque Terre at 7am is empty. At 10am it is overwhelmed. Set the alarm and walk in the morning light.
2. Book Trattoria Dal Billy in Manarola weeks ahead. The finest restaurant in the Cinque Terre.
3. The boat between Cinque Terre villages is far better than the train. Use it for every journey.
4. Genoa focaccia must be eaten warm from the focacceria, never cold. It should be oily and extraordinary.
5. The Cinque Terre Card covers all trail access and trains for approx 18 euros per day. Essential.
6. San Fruttuoso abbey is only accessible by boat or on foot. The cove has no facilities. Bring food.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day