Liguria
5
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Five days in Liguria lets you explore the full extraordinary length of the Italian Riviera, from the dramatic Cinque Terre cliffs to the hidden Ponente Riviera heading towards France. The Cinque Terre in the early morning, the extraordinary Portofino peninsula, the overlooked medieval depth of Genoa, the medieval walled village of Finalborgo and the extraordinary Ligurian hinterland above the coast. This route covers the complete hidden Liguria. Dawn in the five villages before the tourists arrive. The secret cove abbey of San Fruttuoso. The UNESCO Palazzi dei Rolli of Genoa with their world-class art. The finest pesto in the world. The medieval borgo of Finalborgo, the extraordinary Balzi Rossi prehistoric caves and the hidden villages of the Ligurian Apennines above the coast.
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 SENTIERO AZZURRO CLIFFTOP TRAIL
The finest coastal walk in Italy, traversing clifftop paths 200 metres above the sea. The most dramatic section between Vernazza and Monterosso is extraordinary. Cinque Terre Card approx 18 euros covers trail and trains. 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 villages and hidden coves. Swimming in the afternoon when day-trippers have left is extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Sciacchetra is the extraordinary sweet wine of the Cinque Terre, made from partially dried grapes on the clifftop terraces. Production is tiny. Buy it directly from the Cantina Cinque Terre cooperative in Manarola. Almost never exported.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Riomaggiore at 7am Coffee before walking the empty streets. | Lunch: Trattoria Dal Billy, Manarola Finest restaurant in the Cinque Terre. Pesto trofie and Sciacchetra wine. Book weeks ahead. | Dinner: Ristorante Belforte, Vernazza Outstanding seafood inside the medieval castle tower above the harbour.
DAY 2
PORTOFINO AND LEVANTE
MORNING
PORTOFINO, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HARBOUR IN ITALY
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 on the coloured harbour facades. Drive: 30 min boat to San Fruttuoso
MIDDAY
SAN FRUTTUOSO, THE ABBEY IN THE COVE
A 10th-century Benedictine abbey in a tiny cove accessible only by boat or on foot. No roads, no cars. The cove has extraordinary clear water and an underwater Christ of the Abyss statue. Boat from Portofino approx 15 euros return. Drive: 30 min boat to Camogli
AFTERNOON
CAMOGLI, THE EXTRAORDINARY COLOURED VILLAGE
The most extraordinary coloured facades in Liguria, stacked directly above the sea. The painted trompe l'oeil windows and shutters are extraordinary. The seafront promenade is entirely local.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The coastal path from Portofino to San Fruttuoso takes 2 hours through maritime scrubland above the sea, passing the extraordinary lighthouse at Punta del Capo. Far less visited than the boat route and extraordinarily beautiful.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Excelsior, Santa Margherita Beautiful cafe before the coastal walk to Portofino. | Lunch: La Gritta, Portofino Simple seafood in the harbour. Sitting here is the experience. | Dinner: La Cucina di Nonna Nina, Camogli Outstanding traditional Ligurian. Focaccia, trofie al pesto, local fish.
DAY 3
HIDDEN GENOA
MORNING
THE CARUGGI, GENOA'S MEDIEVAL LANES
The largest medieval historic centre in Europe, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some lanes so narrow you can touch both walls simultaneously. The Mercato Orientale is the finest food market in Liguria. Drive: 15 min walk to palaces
MIDDAY
THE PALAZZI DEI ROLLI ART COLLECTIONS
The Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco contain 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 CATHEDRAL
The finest pesto in the world uses only Genovese basil DOP ground with a marble mortar. Find the finest focaccerie and pesto producers in the caruggi near Piazza delle Erbe. The Cathedral of San Lorenzo has an extraordinary black and white striped marble facade.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Museo di Palazzo Reale in Genoa contains extraordinary 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.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Focacceria in the caruggi Genovese focaccia warm from the oven. Oily, rosemary, extraordinary. | Lunch: Trattoria Da Maria, Genoa Most beloved trattoria in the caruggi. Trofie al pesto, minestrone alla Genovese. | Dinner: Ristorante Zeffirino, Genoa Historic restaurant since 1939. Outstanding traditional Ligurian cuisine.
DAY 4
FINALBORGO AND PONENTE
MORNING
FINALBORGO, THE FINEST MEDIEVAL WALLED VILLAGE IN LIGURIA
Finalborgo is the extraordinary hidden gem of the Ligurian Ponente, a perfectly preserved medieval walled village 2km inland from the coast. The village is famous among rock climbers as a base for the extraordinary limestone sea cliffs of Finale Ligure, considered the finest sport climbing destination in Europe. But the village itself is extraordinary: extraordinary Baroque palaces, a 14th-century castle, medieval towers and the finest archaeological museum in Liguria. Free to walk through. Drive: 20 min drive to olive oil country
MIDDAY
THE TAGGIASCA OLIVE OIL OF THE PONENTE
The western Ligurian Ponente produces Taggiasca olive oil, considered by many the finest olive oil in Italy. Small, intensely flavoured black olives grown on extraordinary terraced hillsides above the sea, pressed into an oil of extraordinary delicacy. The area around Imperia and the Valle Andagna is the finest olive oil country in Liguria. Visit a local frantoio (olive mill) in November to December for the freshest pressing. Drive: 30 min drive to Alassio
AFTERNOON
ALASSIO AND THE MURETTO
Alassio is the finest beach resort on the Ponente, a beautiful early 20th-century resort town with an extraordinary long beach. The Muretto di Alassio is a small wall in the town centre covered with ceramic tiles bearing the signatures of celebrities who have visited since 1952, including Hemingway, Churchill and the Aga Khan. The old town above the beach has extraordinary painted facades and the finest focaccia bakeries on the coast.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Baia dei Saraceni near Finale Ligure is one of the most extraordinary hidden coves on the Ponente coast, accessible only by boat or by a 30-minute walk along the coastal cliff path. Crystal clear water, no facilities and almost no visitors. One of the finest wild swimming spots in Liguria.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Finalborgo Coffee in the extraordinary medieval village before it opens to day visitors. | Lunch: Osteria del Castello, Finalborgo Outstanding traditional restaurant in the walled village. Local rabbit, olive oil and Riviera di Ponente wine. | Dinner: Caffe Roma, Alassio Historic cafe on the beachfront. Fresh pasta, local catch and Pigato white wine.
DAY 5
PONENTE RIVIERA AND HINTERLAND
MORNING
THE BALZI ROSSI, THE PREHISTORIC CAVES OF LIGURIA
The Balzi Rossi (Red Rocks) near Ventimiglia are a series of prehistoric caves containing some of the most important Palaeolithic remains in Europe. The caves were inhabited from 250,000 to 10,000 BC and contained extraordinary Homo sapiens burials. The Museo Preistorico dei Balzi Rossi contains an extraordinary collection of prehistoric tools, ornaments and the famous Venus of Balzi Rossi. Entry approx 5 euros. Drive: 20 min drive to Dolceacqua
MIDDAY
DOLCEACQUA, CLAUDE MONET'S EXTRAORDINARY VILLAGE
Dolceacqua is the most beautiful village in the Ligurian hinterland. Claude Monet painted the extraordinary medieval bridge here in 1884 and called it a jewel of lightness. The Doria castle above the village dominates a beautifully preserved medieval borgo below. The local Rossese di Dolceacqua red wine is one of the finest and rarest wines in Liguria. The village is extraordinarily atmospheric at dusk. Drive: 30 min drive to Apricale
AFTERNOON
APRICALE AND THE HIDDEN LIGURIAN VILLAGES
Apricale is one of the most extraordinary hill villages in Liguria, declared one of the 100 most beautiful villages in Italy. The medieval village of extraordinary stone houses clinging to a hilltop above the Nervia valley has been colonised by artists, with extraordinary murals painted on the exterior walls of houses throughout the village. The surrounding Nervia and Argentina valleys contain a succession of extraordinary medieval villages entirely unknown to coastal tourists.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Via Aurelia, the ancient Roman road running along the Ligurian coast, is one of the finest drives in Italy. Built in 241 BC, it still follows the coast through extraordinary scenery from Genoa to the French border. Stop at every small town and find the hidden medieval cores above the coastal strip.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar near Balzi Rossi Coffee before the prehistoric caves open. The French border is 100 metres away. | Lunch: Ristorante Gastaldi, Dolceacqua Most celebrated restaurant in the village. Local rabbit with olives, fresh pasta and Rossese wine. | Dinner: Final dinner in Albenga or Alassio One last plate of Ligurian focaccia, trofie al pesto and a glass of Vermentino.
Where To Stay
Manarola or Vernazza, Night 1 Stay inside a Cinque Terre village. Approx 120 to 200 euros per night. Santa Margherita or Camogli, Night 2 Hotel Cenobio dei Dogi, Camogli. Approx 130 to 220 euros per night. Finalborgo or Alassio, Nights 3 to 5 Boutique hotel in Finalborgo or seafront hotel in Alassio. Approx 90 to 160 euros per night.
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