Well, hello to you, my reader chums! I'm in love with the Italian Riviera, and the 5 days I spent there were an absolute dream. I was obsessed with the food, the gorgeous coastlines, the calm appeal, and the scenery. I would recommend visiting Liguria to everyone and have to admit it's probably become one of my new favourite regions in the country.
If you're planning a trip to the Italian Riviera (Liguria), here is my guide to things to know before you visit.
Pesto and focaccia are a must (every day)
Liguria is home to pesto and focaccia, and you'll certainly know it once you arrive in the region, especially its capital, Genoa. You'll find endless cafes serving up freshly made, authentic focaccia with all different toppings, from olive oil to pizza-type focaccia with all the toppings. The focaccia here tastes like a dream, and I urge you to have it as much as possible.
Also, most restaurants will give you it as a starter before your meal! The Pesto Alla Genovese is also a staple, and in this region, it is the best pesto you'll ever have; pesto back in the UK doesn't taste the same after trying this. On my visit, I tried to have focaccia for lunch every day and pesto pasta of some sort too, just to make sure I savoured the flavours as much as possible.
The Italian Riviera is in the Ligurian region
The Italian Riviera isn't necessarily on a map, but the region it's in is Liguria, and the area is known as the Riviera. This region encompasses many famous cities and towns, including Genoa, Camogli, Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Sestri Levante, and Rapallo. You could be here for weeks trying to see all of the towns and pick a couple to see on your visit. My favourites were Genoa, Camogli, and Santa Margherita, which I visited.
Stay in Genoa as your base to explore
Genoa is the capital of the Liguria region and the ideal base to explore many of the towns because of its easy transport connections, accessibility, and price. Staying in Genoa is also significantly cheaper than picking one of the coastal towns like Portofino and Camogli.
It's easily accessible to explore towns across the region.
Liguria is very well-connected with trains, buses, and boats accessible between many of the most popular towns, meaning you'll be able to visit other towns with ease, especially if you base yourself in one during your visit.
Make the most of seeing many of the lesser-known towns
The beauty of Liguria is that there are over 200 towns to choose from on your visit, and there are certainly more renowned ones than others. Do your research and figure out what you'd like out of your trip, and add them to the itinerary.
More areas are tourist-friendly than others
You can tell in Italy from the tourist places to the non-touristy places. Liguria as a whole is pretty authentic; however, some towns are much more tourist-friendly than others, like Portofino, which was the most touristy place I visited, while Genoa, even though it's the capital, had areas that were more tourist-friendly and others that were pretty local.
I hope you enjoyed this post. When are you planning your trip?
Thank you for reading <3
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