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Italy - Riviera di Levante
RIVIERA DI LEVANTE
Liguria, one of the smallest provinces in Italy is just like a croissant centred on the great port city of Genova and hemmed in between the Appenine mountain chain and the sea: its geography and mild climate have given rise to exceptionally beautiful places that are enhanced by a lush tropical vegetation.
It has an age-old history and an ancient people: fishermen and expert navigators on the coast; farmers with a strong sense of the seasons, inland. The first inhabitants were the Ligurians in the 7th-century BC; after many invasions and Roman rule, Goths and the Saracens then made their mark. This history is reflected in the seafront landscape: towns and villages with narrow, tall houses – at least one window facing the sea. The yellow and ochre facades are today part of this gorgeous coastline's inimitable charm.
The Riviera Ligure stretches from San Remo to Genova, on to Portofino, past the famous Cinque Terra villages before ending at the ancient fortress of Lerici; however, it's the Riviera di Levante between Portofino and Rapallo which is truly the most exquisite.
Blue skies, low mountains and a shimmering sea with the smell of wild herbs in the air – olive groves, orange, fig and lemon trees, vineyards, cypress trees and the vivid bougainvillea dazzle the senses. One has the feeling that time has almost stood still along this stretch of the coast with unspoilt nature and the ancient maritime pine forests majestically sweeping almost down to the water's edge.
It has an age-old history and an ancient people: fishermen and expert navigators on the coast; farmers with a strong sense of the seasons, inland. The first inhabitants were the Ligurians in the 7th-century BC; after many invasions and Roman rule, Goths and the Saracens then made their mark. This history is reflected in the seafront landscape: towns and villages with narrow, tall houses – at least one window facing the sea. The yellow and ochre facades are today part of this gorgeous coastline's inimitable charm.
The Riviera Ligure stretches from San Remo to Genova, on to Portofino, past the famous Cinque Terra villages before ending at the ancient fortress of Lerici; however, it's the Riviera di Levante between Portofino and Rapallo which is truly the most exquisite.
Blue skies, low mountains and a shimmering sea with the smell of wild herbs in the air – olive groves, orange, fig and lemon trees, vineyards, cypress trees and the vivid bougainvillea dazzle the senses. One has the feeling that time has almost stood still along this stretch of the coast with unspoilt nature and the ancient maritime pine forests majestically sweeping almost down to the water's edge.
The city of Rapallo is by far the largest port in the region: a beautifully-curved bay, many fine buildings, an elegant seafront with cafés and boutiques, a great harbour and up in the hills, an 18-hole golf course with superb views.
North-west along the coast towards Portofino, we come to another jewel, the tiny, chic port of San Michele di Pagana located on a creek with two fine, sandy beaches, Trelo and Prelo lying on either side of a small promontory.
Then we come to Santa Margherita di Liguria founded in an awesome natural amphitheatre: multi-coloured houses around the winding, narrow alleyways; the remarkable 16th-century Villa Durazzo Centurione on a smallish hill surrounded by a park with exotic plants; a 17th-century basilica with its lovely façade and twin steeples, elegant white villas and rococo hotels.
North-west along the coast towards Portofino, we come to another jewel, the tiny, chic port of San Michele di Pagana located on a creek with two fine, sandy beaches, Trelo and Prelo lying on either side of a small promontory.
Then we come to Santa Margherita di Liguria founded in an awesome natural amphitheatre: multi-coloured houses around the winding, narrow alleyways; the remarkable 16th-century Villa Durazzo Centurione on a smallish hill surrounded by a park with exotic plants; a 17th-century basilica with its lovely façade and twin steeples, elegant white villas and rococo hotels.
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