Liguria's coast is 300km of towns clinging to cliffs. Everyone knows Cinque Terre. The rest is better.
Plan a trip here →The best of the Cinque Terre five: a natural harbor, a castle tower, a Romanesque church, and zero cars. Arrive by train or hiking trail. Pop: 850.
The "City of a Thousand White Sails" — once home to the largest merchant fleet in the Mediterranean. Trompe-l'oeil painted facades. Focaccia al formaggio. San Fruttuoso abbey (boat only, €8 return) with the Bronze Christ underwater.
A former maritime republic (one of only four, with Genova, Venice, Pisa, Amalfi). Medieval towers, Romanesque cathedral, beach. Almost unknown. Pop: 2,700.
Inside Finale Ligure — a perfectly preserved medieval walled town with Renaissance churches, artisan shops, and one of Italy's best climbing areas in the surrounding cliffs. Pop: ~1,500 in the borgo.
5. Tellaro — tiny fishing village near La Spezia, D.H. Lawrence's last Italian home. 6. Cervo — a baroque pearl above the Riviera dei Fiori. 7. Dolceacqua — medieval bridge painted by Monet, Rossese wine. 8. Apricale — stone labyrinth in the hills behind Ventimiglia, murals on every wall.
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