Liguria is a thin crescent of land pressed between the Apennine mountains and the Ligurian Sea — barely 100km from end to end, but packed with more variety than regions ten times its size. The Italian Riviera runs along the entire coast, but Liguria is not just coastline. The mountains rise steeply from the shore, hiding medieval villages, ancient pilgrimage routes, and a network of valleys that most tourists never reach.
Genoa is the region's capital and its soul — a former sea republic that traded across the known world and left behind Europe's largest medieval city centre. West of Genoa, the Riviera di Ponente stretches past San Remo toward the French border; the coast is lined with beach resorts, but Albenga and the inland valleys reward those willing to turn away from the sea. East of Genoa, the Riviera di Levante is more dramatic — the cliffs around Portofino and the Cinque Terre are among the most photographed landscapes in Italy, for good reason.
The food is exceptional and distinctly its own. Pesto alla genovese was born here and still tastes better here than anywhere else. Focaccia from a Genoese bakery at 8am is one of the great travel breakfasts. The olive oil from the Taggiasca olive — grown in the western valleys — is some of the finest in Italy, pale gold and delicate.
Liguria has four provinces: Genoa, Savona, Imperia, and La Spezia. Each has its own character and all of them repay proper exploration.
