Regional info

Italy

Liguria is based on the Genoa Gulf and has many names such as the Italian Riviera, Ligurian coast and the Flower Riviera.  Genoa is its capital and borders France to the west. This border is known as Riviera di Ponente.  To the east is the Riviera di Levante, which continues until it meets with Tuscany.  Liguria is a narrow region enclosed by mountains and sea.  Most of the cities are quite small and have narrow beaches with colourful rows of deckchairs and parasols. The southern-facing beaches are also very popular with the locals.  The old harbour city of Genoa was an important trading city for centuries. Christopher Columbus was born here but ended up in the service of the Spanish government, which was when he discovered America.  South of Genoa is the charming harbour town of Portofino.  It is picturesque and its beauty has been copied in Florida but is still nowhere near as captivating as the original Italian Portofino. It's very friendly and the luxurious yachts in the harbour indicate how expensive life is here.  The Cinque Terre, to be found north of La Spezia, makes a fantastic photo and this whole coastal area was put on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1997.