Liguria – the Italian Riviera – is a crescent shaped strip of land bordered by France to the west (Montecarlo is only 25 km from Sanremo, Nice airport is about 60 km), Piedmont to the north, and Tuscany to the east, and by the Ligurian Sea to the south.
The coastal strip is very narrow and the hinterland, known as the entroterra, is hilly and mountainous with the ranges of the Ligurian Alps in the west, and the Apennines in the east. Liguria’s highest peaks are in the west where Monte Saccarello reaches 2,200m. Numerous steep valleys penetrate the mountains and the rivers that run through them are mostly fast-flowing torrents.
Liguria has some of the most stunning coastline in the Mediterranean. The Ligurians like the simple life and the hinterland is well off the tourist track. This is somewhere to have a truly Italian experience.
A landscape having no in-between: the sea ahead – coasting the whole southern area of the region – and the mountains behind: two conditions which strongly influenced the gastronomic culture of the region.
One of the real wonders of Liguria is its fantastic food. This is the home of Pesto sauce, and you will never have eaten a version as tasty as the one they make here.
Fortunately, Liguria is an outdoor place so you can burn off the calories hiking along the mountain tops that offer stunning views along the coast, snorkeling and swimming in the light blue sea or cycling along the mile upon mile of coastal pathways. In the Riviera dei Fiori you can run or bike along the wonderful Parco Costiero del Ponente Ligure, an amazing cycle path 24 kms long, along the coastline, dotted with Mediterranean plants and local aromas. Here you can ride on the waves, while listening to the music of the waves of the Ligurian Sea. This is Mediterranean natural wellness!
The cuisine of the Liguria region is a delicious representation of the Mediterranean Diet — lots of plant foods, plentiful herbs, sweet and fruity olive oil, fish and seafood, tied up beautifully in preparations that reflect local history, culture and traditions.
The villages are perched on the coast, and almost a quarter of all Italian tourism is here, attracted by the lovely beaches, the sun and the deep blue sea. Every kind of vegetable is squeezed into the thin strip between the sea and the hills, which are terraced and planted with olives, vines and fruit trees, particularly peaches apricots, oranges and lemons. Colors burst out from every corner.
Come and see for yourselves!
The microclimates, the climate of the Riviera dei Fiori, don’t just allow open air cultivation of edible vegetables and flowers, which, harnessing the natural sunlight, are particularly rich in phytochemicals, but they are also the basis of a particularly healthy lifestyle, befitting the human dimension. This is “slow living” in contrast with the “fast” rhythm of our society. As well as providing the right diet, it also allows people to spend ample time in the open air in every season. You can play sports at leisure, or simply take walks enjoying the fragrant aromas, the colours and sounds of the Mediterranean environment. You can also pause, close your eyes and allow the natural energy rising from the sea breeze, the light of sunset or the singing of a bird energize you.
All of this is made even easier and more pleasant in the Riviera di Ponente thanks to the cycling and pedestrian track of the Parco Costiero (coastal park) Riviera dei Fiori, one of the most beautiful in Europe, unique with its 24 kms of coastline.
