LIGURIA
LIGURIA, North of Italy
Overlooking the Sea and dominated to the north by the Alps and Apennines, Liguria is famous throughout the world for its splendid Cinque Terre and full of many treasures.
Liguria is a recommended destination for both lovers of relaxation and the most dynamic: with its jagged territory, its hills, peaks and villages overlooking the sea, it is the perfect destination for those who want to dedicate themselves to trekking or cycling, go diving or paragliding, but also get to know villages full of history.
FOOD & WINE EXPERIENCES
Ligurian cuisine has the scents of the sea and basil, basil which combined with oil, garlic, cheese and pine nuts becomes pesto, one of its most famous specialties. The protagonist of the kitchen is fish and also vegetables, without forgetting the traditional focaccia and farinata.
If you want to start with an appetizer, you can choose a seafood and shellfish salad, such as Cappon magro, a sumptuous and tantalizing combination of fish and vegetables, or frisceu, savory pancakes with lettuce, whitebait and cod, and cakes savory, such as the Pasqualina cake, filled with chard, parmesan and eggs or in the form of chickpea porridge, one of the most famous dishes in Liguria.
The first most classic of Ligurian cuisine includes trenette or trofie with pesto, a condiment based on extra virgin olive oil, basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano. On the other hand, pansotti alla Genovese are similar to ravioli, filled with vegetables, to be tasted perhaps with walnut sauce; those who want to taste a seafood first course can opt instead for fish ravioli, with numerous variations, even with vegetables.
Among the second courses we recommend the Genoese top, the tip of veal stuffed with eggs, peas, artichokes, pistachios, pine nuts, ham and sweetbreads; for those who love fish, mackerel with peas, with strictly local fish, the cuttlefish buridda, a classic Genoese one, with cuttlefish, peas and tomato, or Ligurian fish, with fish of your choice from sea bass, sea bream, occhiate and cooked gallinelle with tomato, pine nuts, olive oil, Taggiasca olives and rosemary.
OUTDOORS
There are many beaches where you can enjoy the sun and the sea: among the most beautiful the Baia del Silenzio, in Sestri Levante, the San Fruttuoso beach in Camogli (where the scenic Abbey of San Fruttuoso is set), the Bay of Saracens in Varigotti, the beach of San Lorenzo al Mare, the beach of Bergeggi and the bay of Paraggi in Santa Margherita Ligure.
For diving the most recommended areas are the Cinque Terre Marine Area, where you can dive among shoals, wrecks and caves, the Marine Park of Portofino, which includes more than twenty dive sites between Santa Margherita Ligure and Camogli, Capo Noli and the Marine Area of the Island of Bergeggi, in the Riviera di Ponente, also suitable for beginners. Do not forget Camogli, in whose waters, 17 meters deep, there is the statue of Christ of the Abyss, protector of divers.
The Ligurian sea is part of the “Pelagos Sanctuary”, a sea area between Liguria, Sardinia and France populated by cetaceans: by taking part in a boat trip it is common to spot dolphins; tours organized from Savona, Genoa or Loano organize whale watching trips where you can spot sperm whales, fin whales, turtles and flying fish.
Liguria offers many delicious opportunities for trekking enthusiasts. Hiking trails cross the entire region: among the most popular are the routes in the Cinque Terre, such as the Sentiero Azzurro, which winds along the sea, joining all five villages, the Via dei Santuari, which connects five different sanctuaries together (practicable also by bike or on horseback), the path halfway up the coast from Manarola to Corniglia or from Levanto to Monterosso, or the 14 km path from Portovenere to Riomaggiore, in the Gulf of Poets, where there are three parks (the National Park of Cinque Terre, the Portovenere Regional Park and the Montemarcello-Magra Regional Park) or the 15 km panoramic walk from Sestri Levante to Moneglia. The Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, on the other hand, runs through the region for its entire length, 440 km in total from Lerici to Ventimiglia, going further into the hinterland. Thanks to the particularly mild climate of the Ligurian Apennines, the trails are accessible even in winter.
EVENTS
Do you want to participate in an unmissable event? Among the most famous events in the region there is Sanremo in Fiore, the Carnival of Sanremo, with the famous floral allegorical floats, the Infiorata of Pietra Ligure on the occasion of Corpus Domini, the luminous Nativity of Manarola, in the Cinque Terre, the nativity scene illuminated largest in the world, the Stella Maris Festival, a traditional festival in honor of the Madonna celebrated in Camogli on the first Sunday of August, and the Autunnonero Ghost Tour, dedicated to mystery and legend, organized in Triora, the famous “town of witches “.
