Liguria

From the harbour of Portofino to the graceful promenades of Santa Margherita Ligure and Rapallo, Liguria celebrates the quieter side of Riviera life. Maritime heritage, understated refinement and authentic Italian charm come together along one of Europe's most beautiful coastlines.

Liguria is a narrow crescent of land between the Apennines and the Ligurian Sea, with Genoa at its centre. To the west runs the Riviera di Ponente towards France; to the east the Riviera di Levante, where most travellers settle. Terraced olive groves, umbrella pines and pastel façades rise almost vertically from the water, and villages are linked as much by boat and railway as by road.

The Portofino promontory is the heart of the Levante: a protected headland of woodland paths, with the abbey of San Fruttuoso reachable only on foot or by sea. Beyond it lie Santa Margherita Ligure and Rapallo, then Sestri Levante and the five villages of the Cinque Terre. Genoa itself, with its Rolli palaces and old port, rewards a day of its own.

The Riviera is mild for most of the year, sheltered from northern winds by the mountains behind it. Spring arrives early: by April the gardens are in flower and the coastal paths are at their best for walking. May, June and September bring warm sea, long evenings and harbours that are lively without being crowded.

July and August are the height of the season, when yachts fill the bay of Portofino and the narrow coast road slows to a crawl. October is calm and golden, the month of the olive and chestnut harvest. Many seaside hotels close from November to March, while Genoa and the larger towns stay open all year.

The defining address on the coast is Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, a former monastery turned villa on the hillside above Portofino, with its sister house Splendido Mare on the piazzetta by the harbour. In Santa Margherita Ligure, the Grand Hotel Miramare has stood on the seafront promenade since the early twentieth century, within easy reach of Portofino by boat or on foot.

These are independent or Belmond houses, so no programme applies: LVXVRY advises on rooms, views and dates and arranges each stay directly with the hotel. Boat transfers along the coast, a day in the Cinque Terre and tables in Portofino for high summer are best arranged at the time of booking, as the season is short and the best rooms are few.