In the first part of the post, Blogoitaliano spoke about the most interesting places in the West of the Ligurian Riviera. Today, along the Riviera di Levante, we will go east, where there are several more resorts worthy of special attention.
40 km from Genoa is a resort townRapallo references to which date back to the X century.
Rapallo
Neat houses, old churches, picturesque nature and clean sea air combined with excellent service attract tourists throughout the year. A clear azure sea and pebble Rapallo beaches fully correspond to the glory of a world resort.
At one time, Rapallo's frequent guests were Nietzsche, Maupassant, Pound and other famous personalities who were inspired by the local atmosphere for new works.
Fans of antiquity will be interested in visiting local attractions: the ancient church of Saints Hervasius and Protasius, founded in the XII century, as well as the Basilica of the city’s patroness - Our Lady of Montallegro, etc.
Rapallo was once an ordinary fishing village
Portofino (Portofino)
The most precious pearl in the crown of the Riviera di Levante shines just 20 km east of Genoa - on the cape Portofino. Yachts of the richest people on the planet go to the best natural harbor of Liguria, and the Portofino resort has long been a vacation destination for the "chosen ones". The small fishing village got its name back in the days of the ancient Romans, who, due to the incredible number of dolphins that lived in local waters, called it the "Port of dolphins".
Extraordinarily clean, clear water and picturesque nature, turned an ordinary fishing village into a popular resort and center of European tourism.
The statue "Christ of the Abyss", 2.5 m high, is installed at a 17-meter depth
In the recent past, Winston Churchill and Aristotle Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor and Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart and others often enjoyed the reign of peace and harmony of Portofino. Today you can meet George Clooney and Allen Delon, Lisa Minnelli and Catherine Deneuve, etc. Cameron and others.
In calm weather, at the bottom of San Fruttuoso - a small bay near Portofino - you can see the old statue “Cristo del Abyssi”, standing at a 17-meter depth, right from the boat.
And from the top of the cliff where Castello Brown is located and the ancient 12th-century church of San Giorgio offers an amazing panorama of the Ligurian coast and the parish church of San Martino.
Cinque Terre
When traveling on the Italian Riviera, be sure to map your route Cinque Terre which literally translates as "five lands" and occupies 12 km of the Ligurian coast. The Cinque Terre, together with the nearest islands and the city of Portovenere, have become a World Heritage Site and are protected by UNESCO.
Car traffic in the reserve is prohibited: only small trains and environmentally friendly buses run here. However, in order to get the maximum experience, get ready for a hiking trip, especially since the villages, each of which has its own unique “zest”, are interconnected by hiking trails.
Be sure to walk along the most romantic of them - the Road of Love (Via dell'Amore), leading from Riomaggiore to Manarola. Here you can enjoy stunning panoramas, breathe in the sea air, saturated with a bouquet of aromas from the surrounding vegetation, and also, in a special grid, among thousands of others, attach your lovers lock.
You can get to each of the Cinque Terre towns by boat
Residents of five medieval villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore engaged in fishing, growing olives and grapes. Under the Cinque Terre brand in local restaurants you can try several different and very pleasant wines, as well as the famous dessert dessert Sciacchetra (famous for the whole region) and lemon liqueur - limoncello.
Santa Margherita Ligure
In the very center of the Lirurian Riviera, with small beaches in the bays and curved rocky capes, is one of the most fashionable resort areas in Italy -Santa Margherita Ligure.
Many years ago, like the rest of the villages scattered along the coast, Santa Margherita Ligure was an ordinary fishing village. Today it is an elite resort, where the "cream" of society gathers from all over the world. Here you can easily charter a luxury yacht, with or without crew, have fun in expensive nightclubs or go on an excursion to Nice or Monaco.
Santa Margherita is located on the shores of Tigulio Bay
The town of Santa Margherita Ligure was founded in the Roman era, is proud of its rich history and many architectural monuments from different times. Special attention is paid to tourists by the famous Villa of the 16th century - Durazzo Centurione, surrounded by a beautiful garden with exotic plants, numerous statues and fountains, as well as the Vittorio Museum located in the same territory.
Around Santa Margherita Ligure there are the medieval castle of Parangi, the abbey of Chervara, the Basilica of San Giacomo with the frescoes of Barabino and others.
In addition, sailing competitions are held annually in Santa Margherita, to which a huge army of fans come not only from Italy, but also from all over Europe.
