Liguria Holidays

Holidays in Liguria will introduce you to charming villages of unadorned beauty, places where you can get to know the locals and embrace their slower pace of life. If you prefer a life of luxury, visit swanky resorts with chic bars and restaurants and neatly moored super yachts.

Liguria, also known as the Italian Riviera, has a strong regional identity, a deep sense of culture and tradition and is one of Italy’s smallest regions. Its narrow crescent shaped section of coast, which lies between sea and mountain, stretches from Ventimiglia near the French border to Tuscany, further down the coast. With the mildest of climates, it is an all year round destination, ideal for couples.

As you travel throughout the region you’ll discover a cornucopia of colourful Art Nouveau buildings, beautiful beaches, elegant parks and gardens and some of the finest coastal walks. Historic abbeys, churches and monuments, a window to a time long gone, are also available in abundance. There are bars, restaurants and entertainment to suit all tastes. For foodies there are lots of local specialities to try, whether you’re dining on the beach or on a roof terrace with spectacular views.

Explore Liguria like no other

As the region’s capital and largest city, many holidays to Liguria will start in Genoa, a historic port city and the birthplace of navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus, the city’s most famous son. Here you can explore Porto Antico, the original harbour, now an area filled with bars, restaurants and other visitor attractions. Alternatively, see the Centro Storico di Genova with its narrow streets and place on the Unesco World Heritage list.

Join in some of the many festivals or public events across the region on your Liguria holidays. Take in the Sagra dei Limoni, the Lemon Festival, in Monterosso, Santa Margherita’s Festa di Primavera, the Spring Festival or one of the most unusual, the festival dedicated to Hans Christian Andersen in Sestri Levante.

If you’re feeling energetic, you could walk in the Cinque Terre, take the long walk to Rapallo’s hilltop Sanctuary of Our lady Montallegro or take to two wheels on Diano Marina’s Riviera dei Fiori. Of course you might choose just to relax, enjoy a drink and take in the view.
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Your plans, our expertise

Start planning your Citalia holiday by getting in touch with one of our Personal Travel Planners.

Lines open: Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 17:30 (Wednesdays from 9:30), Bank Holidays 10:00 to 16:00.

Insider tips

Recommendations from our well-travelled team
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Linda Kulka

When staying in Rapallo or Santa Margherita you can take the train for a lovely romantic dinner in Camogli. It is a typical fisherman’s village where the name derives from “Ca” meaning “Casa” and “Mogli” meaning “Wife”. It is said that the wives of the fishermen would wait for them every day to come home and when it gets dark you will see the towns buildings light up so the fisherman can arrive safely home. 


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Destinations in Liguria

Mediterranean sand beach in traditional touristic town Alassio on italian Riviera by San Remo, Liguria, Italy
Alassio
Holidays in Alassio were once a regular fixture on the tourist calendar but in recent times it has regained its hidden gem status.
120724_Swimming_Pool_002-Hybris
Chiavari
Chiavari is a quintessentially Ligurian town. Set on the seafront south-east of Genoa, its houses are decorated in the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows that you’ll see all along the coast here.
Sea in a winter day in Boccadasse, a district of Genoa in Italy,
Genoa
Genoa takes you to a place where history effortlessly melts into a modern and dynamic cityscape. The mid-sized Ligurian capital offers stunning sights, a maze of winding cobblestone paths and family owned hotels and restaurants where visitors are greeted with gregarious Italian hospitality. 
a boat is docked next to a body of water
Portovenere
Portovenere is a quaint seaside town in the south of Liguria. Its waterside row of brightly coloured houses has helped to earn it UNESCO World Heritage status, but the town also boasts an impressive hilly backdrop and a petite patch of golden sandy beach.
italian castle by the sea Castello di Rapallo in the italian riviera Portofino area - Genova - Liguria - Italy .
Rapallo
Holidays to Rapallo take you to the beautiful Italian Riviera, also known as Liguria, and offer couples an eclectic mix of inviting beaches and proud historic buildings and museums set on cosy cobbled streets.
Old town of Sanremo (La Pigna) and Madonna della Costa Church, Liguria, Italy
Sanremo
Sanremo is one of Liguria’s most exciting cities, combining Italian Riviera glamour with a lively entertainment scene. 
Panorama of night fishing village Vernazza with Santa Margherita di Antiochia Church and lookout tower of Doria Castle, Five lands, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy.
Santa Margherita
Holidays in Santa Margherita, situated on the Gulf of Tigullio between Rapallo and Portofino, offer an enticing combination of that glorious style which Italians bring to their seaside resorts.
romantic view at blue hour of Silence bay to Sestri levante
Sestri Levante
Sestri Levante is a gorgeous Riviera town that bears more than a little resemblance to Portofino, which sits just along the coast. 

Handpicked hotels in Liguria

Discover the real Liguria while staying in one of our carefully selected hotels

Liguria's Multi Centre Holidays

Take a look at our suggested itineraries for inspiration, or call our Personal Travel Planners on 01293 765055* for a bespoke multi centre

11 day suggested trip

Liguria and Florence

From £1999 per person
ATOL Protected
  • Explore the glamorous Portofino
  • Fill your camera with colourful photos of the Cinque Terre
  • Visit art galleries not to be missed including Uffizi and Accademia

10 day suggested trip

Liguria and Piedmont

From £2095 per person
ATOL Protected
  • Go wine tasting in the Piedmont region
  • Take a day trip to Monaco or Nice
  • Try the slow food culture of Piedmont
  • Visit the famous Cinque Terre
View all multi centres

Things to do in Liguria

With the ease of train travel in Italy why not make the most of your holiday in Liguria and enjoy more of the attractions the region has to offer? It could be relaxing in a beautiful garden, admiring some of Liguria’s historic villas or churches or treading an old town’s cobbled streets looking for a bargain in one of its little shops.

You could take an excursion to the lovely town of Sestri Levante and admire its picturesque seafront houses, or walk through the city’s ancient thoroughfares in Sanremo to the Santuario della Madonna della Costa. On the other hand you might go diving or snorkelling in La Spezia or join the jet setters in Portofino

Flight Information

Most flights to Liguria arrive into Pisa airport (PSA) although visitors to the west of the Riviera can also fly into Nice (please call our Italy Experts to book flights to Nice). Direct flights to Pisa are available from London Gatwick, London Heathrow and London Stansted and take approximately 2 hours and 10min.

Visa Information

At the current time, British citizens do not require a visa to visit Italy.

Tipping

Whilst tipping isn’t embedded into Italian culture it is always appreciated as an acknowledgement of good service. Nowadays people generally round up a bill in a bar or cafe and leave 5-10% extra on a restaurant bill. Taxi bills are usually also rounded up.
 
On guided tours/excursions, it is customary to leave a token of appreciation for the driver and guide.
 
On small group escorted tours, it is customary to leave a token of appreciation for the driver and guide at the end of the tour.

Introduction to languages

The official language of Italy is Italian. English is widely spoken too, so getting by is easy.

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