I had done a ton of research on whether or not we should visit Genoa. Some tourists love it, and many others do not. We visited all the sites recommended in guide books and took historic walks. For instance, Genoa has the largest medieval center of any city in Europe. Genoa does not cater to tourists. Next time, I would leave my picture-postcard, tourist mindset at home and dig into the city with more realistic expectations.
I also would approach the city by boat rather than train. I had read that one better understands the vertical nature of the city with an arrival by sea.
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As noted earlier, we did not know much about Rapallo before traveling here. Everyone Enjoys a Good Potato Chip. Rapallo, like other towns in the area, backs up into the side of a mountain. I would have drunk glasses of pesto if anyone had served it as a beverage.
Pesto pizza, pesto pasta, pesto on bread, pesto on sandwiches, etc. In case you have never heard of the Cinque Terre…just kidding. Apparently, the entire world has heard of the Cinque Terre, a series of five scenic fishing villages in the Italian Riviera. Obviously, I am impossible to please. It was so crowded that it reminded me of a Los Angeles highway at rush hour.
I refuse to encourage you. Find a less crowded neighborhood. As it turned out, we boarded the wrong boat. It was a bizarre feeling to be in a foreign country and have no earthly idea where we would disembark. Unfortunately, we just passed the last one.
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This is just a little adventure. Or, we are being hijacked. No one else on the boat seems concerned about a hijacking. Please let us know where to send the ransom money. Your guide to Morocco. Your guide to Majorca. Your guide to Sicily.
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Your guide to Avignon. Your guide to Phuket. Your guide to Nice. Your guide to Prague. Your guide to Dublin. We drove to Albenga pictured right , which has a new town on the coast, but also a walled old Roman town, formerly a port, with a very aged baptistery.
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We drove back via another Roman walled town called Taggia, where there is a wonderful Dominican convent with a superb collection of late-medieval paintings. Italy holiday planner An insider's guide to Rome. A cultural guide to Bergamo. From busy but attractive San Remo we drove to the village of Dolceaqua, a fortified hill town, built on a bend in the river with a Roman Bridge. There we enjoyed a palatable local wine called Rossese in the old town. Onwards to Pigne, another atmospheric hill village, with a view to another, Castel Vittorio. People are drawn to the Cinque Terre, but we much preferred charming and quieter Portovenere, a few miles to the south.
It's out on its own, on a lovely promontory, and has great views out to sea and the island opposite. It's little more than two streets, with a long row of brightly coloured houses on the waterfront. Walk to the Roman temple-Romanesque church San Pietro at the promontory's tip there's a great restaurant, on the water, just below the church, at the end of the promenade. We also recommend the boat trip www. Graham Baldwin, address withheld. We went to the Riveria for a bit of sun and walking, but found an unexpected attraction in the shape of guided tours into the Toirano caves www.
We found the Cinque Terre villages busier than we'd expected, but the key is to arrive early: Manarola was charming — not many places can have fishing boats "parked" down the main street — but busy after about 10am. Consider staying in the village — it's a different place after the trippers have gone home. We were also taken with Vernazza, which retains an easy-going air despite the visitors, and has some lovely seafood restaurants around the main waterfront square.
We found ourselves in Genoa by mistake it's a long story , but we loved the revitalised waterfront areas, especially the amazing aquarium www.
Sestri is not as famous as Portofino, say, but it's a pretty little riviera town. True, it has drab, modern outskirts, but the tiny old grid of streets by the harbour is delightful. Pansoti alla salsa di noci , cheese and spinach stuffed ravioli with walnut sauce, is another delicious dish found on most restaurant menus. This olive oil bread can be eaten plain or topped with olives, tomatoes, onions or other ingredients. A slice makes a great breakfast, snack, or light lunch.
The town of Recco near Camogli is known for its focaccia al formaggio. This bread is much thinner than typical focaccia, more like paper-thin pastry, and is stuffed with stracchino cheese and baked into warm, oozy deliciousness. Try to get it fresh out of the oven. Many antipasti starter plates in Liguria are vegetarian or can be easily adapted to avoid fish and meat. They usually include torta di verdura , a local vegetable pie filled with cheese and greens or vegetables.
Liguria is known for its Vermentino white wine which is refreshing on a hot day. We usually got the house wine—a half-litre jug only costs a few euros. The elegant seaside resort of Santa Margherita Ligure is one of the best places to look for it on the colourful buildings that line the promenade or further back in the historic centre. Santa Margherita is a lovely town to wander.
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I especially like the pedestrianised area in the centre around Piazza Caprera with its curved street of decorated houses. Portofino is the most famous and glitzy town along the coast attracting the ultra-rich in yachts as well as the average tourist who enjoys the picturesque harbour. The best way to reach Portofino is on foot. From Santa Margherita Ligure it takes just over an hour. Most of the walk is flat along a pedestrian walkway that follows the coastline with fantastic views of fancy villas clinging to the cliffs.
At the cute little cove of Paraggi the walk talks you up into the woods for another 15 minutes. We walked from Rapallo which adds an extra 40 minutes, but you can also get the train to Santa Margherita Ligure and walk from there. The ferry is another good way to arrive in Portofino—you could walk there and take the ferry back. Portofino is very touristy and expensive but utterly gorgeous. The focal point is the cobbled piazza overlooking the small harbour where you can admire the colourful houses and fancy yachts.
I would eat elsewhere, though.
Enjoy modern sculptures with a view. The five Cinque Terre villages are the most visited destinations along the coast. These colourful villages are dramatically located along the cliffs and are connected by hiking paths, trains, and ferries. Hiking is highly recommended as the trail takes you past steeply terraced vineyards and has wonderful views of the sea and picturesque villages. The most popular trail is the Sentiero Azzurro Blue Trail or SVA 2 which usually connects all five villages, but since devastating floods in , the sections from Riomaggiore-Manarola-Corniglia have been closed check the current status on the Cinque Terre National Park website.
We took the early morning train to Corniglia and hiked from there to Vernazza 1hr 15 mins and on to Monterosso 1hr 30 mins where we took the train back to Rapallo. Starting early meant it was cooler and we had the sun behind us, but we were shooting into the sun for the classic photo of Vernazza from above.