Provinces:
Apricale
Bordighera
Cervo
Cinque Terre
Corniglia
Dolceacqua
Loano
Manarola
Monterosso
Portofino
Portovenere
Rapallo
Riomaggiore
San Bartolomeo
Santa Margherita Ligure
Sarzana
Toirano
Vernazza

Liguria is a narrow strip of land (300 miles long and 16 miles wide at most) that faces and encircles the Ligurian Sea. It is one of the most breathtaking regions in Italy. The lush mountains drop dramatically to the sea. In between you have footpaths connecting the seaside villages that seem left in another time — modern life (thankfully) has left much of Liguria alone. Liguria is located in the northwest and shares borders with France, The Tyrrhenian Sea, Toscana, Piemonte and Emilia-Romagna Regions. The main cities in this region are Genova, Imperia, Savona and La Spezia. The touring possibilities here are enormous….the coastline and the upper villages just inland have a lot to offer the traveler.

Liguria is almost totally mountainous. Across all of the hills, up and down the mountainsides and everywhere the locals can find a patch of land, you’ll find them farming. There are olive groves, vineyards, fruit, flower and vegetable gardens in abundance. In these hills you’ll find charming small stone houses that the locals use during the harvest….the Ligurians are smart and industrious. Liguria has introduced the world to some wonderful tastes: pesto, ravioli, pansoti con salsa di noci (pasta with spinach and walnut sauce), onion foccacia, goat’s milk cheese (from the Valle Argentina) and farinata (chick pea flour bread which you’ll also find in southern France) to name just a few food delights. Because of the location you’ll find fish and fish soups on many menus, but don’t let that get in the way of ordering the fabulous pastas and sauces of this region. Liguria produces some of the best olive oil in the world. The wines of this region are the Rossesse di Dolceacqua, Pigato, Vermentino, Morasca, Chiaretto del Faro and Sciacchetra (a wonderful dessert wine made with grapes grown by the sea).