Archive for 'Liguria'

Liguria is home to the Italian Riviera, a stretch of the coast that boasts some of Italy's most beautiful beaches and, as a result, it is an especially popular holiday destination. However, in addition to having lots of options for days of fun and sun at the beach, a villa in Liguria also means enjoying incredible fresh seafood and plenty of delicious local specialties including mushroom pie and mussels stuffed with cheese and herbs; visits to exclusive holiday resorts such as the luxurious and star-studded Portofino; wonderful walks and hiking routes along the coast where you can enjoy the scent of the sea and endless lemon groves that permeates the air or in the Ligurian Alps where you'll take in some of the most extraordinary views in the world; wandering the picturesque towns of the famous Cinque Terre; trips to villages famous for witch trials, inspiring Monet, annual carnival celebrations, and more; and, of course, time exploring the stunning and elegant capital of the region, Genoa. Genoa is an incredibly beautiful gem with an old town full of pretty winding little streets among tall old buildings, palaces, museums, and architectural feats. Among all of the wonderful things to see and do in the city, however, if you have found a villa in Liguria and are spending the day in Genoa, then a visit to the Palazzo Reale is a must.

Seaside towns in Italy are particularly dreamy places for a vacation as they combine all of the best traits of a beach holiday with the charms of the food, culture, and style of a getaway in Italy. Spend days gazing at incredible works of art, going wine-tasting, enjoying delicious meals, wandering around pretty little historic towns and grand architectural gems, playing on the beach, working on your tan, and more, all in the one holiday and maybe even the one day! From the famous backdrops of the picturesque villages of the Cinque Terre to the perfect beaches ringing Sicily to the lovely towns of the Tuscan Coast, there are lots of excellent seaside destinations to choose from for those looking to vacation in Italy and this is your guide to some of our absolute favourites among them...

Where would we rather be today? Probably in this naturally-occurring and utterly picturesque swimming pool on the La Spezia Riviera in Liguria, that's for sure! In this new series, we will be introducing unbelievably scenic spots that cleanse the soul just by gazing at them and have us looking forward to our next getaway, whenever that may be.

This week's pick, Punta Pineda, and more particularly the Bozi di Punta Pineda (Basins of Punta Pineda), is one of those rare instances of a hidden gem that has somehow remained largely that: a mostly hidden gem. In this day and age of Instagram blowing up once little-known beauties and making them hot spots to go, be seen, and be photographed, it can be rare to stumble upon magical places that have remained within the purview of largely only locals and those in the know. This gem on the Ligurian Coast has remained a place that only gets a little coverage in the media and almost exclusively only in the Italian media. On Instagram, the tagged images here are in the hundreds, rather than the thousands. So, it seems to remain a place you might just get all to yourself when you visit and even if you don't, you'll likely only encounter some locals rather than hoards of tourists. If you have always wanted to visit the area and take in its great beauty for yourself, including this hidden gem, just browse our vacation rentals in Liguria and get planning a trip of a lifetime!

Italy is a dream destination among foodies as it boasts a rich cuisine, endless food festivals, delicious restaurants at every price point, fascinating local specialties, lots of options to learn from locals (plenty of our villa rentals come with the option of adding on in-house cooking class experiences to your trip) and the freshest and best of raw ingredients with which to cook. So, if holidays for you are all about trying food, learning about food, and experimenting with food, then browse our incredible vacation rentals in Italy and find a villa with an excellent kitchen in which you can try and recreate some of the nation's most beloved and delicious dishes!

If you have found a vacation rental in La Spezia, a lesser-talked about but pretty and atmospheric seaside town in Liguria, then you will find that you are in a prime position to get shopping for, and cooking, some delicious local specialties with the most incredible ingredients. As a seaside town, it is a given that excellent fresh fish, shellfish, and other treats from the sea will be readily available. The winding streets of the old town are also lined with trattorias serving up the best of Ligurian cuisine for you to learn from. Plus, the whole port and surrounding streets turn into one giant market on March 19th during the feast day of the city's patron saint, St Joseph.

In Italy, in some places you will find that there are both regular areas on beaches and paid sections where there are more facilities on offer including umbrellas, loungers, toilet and changing facilities, snack bars, and more. Some or all of these amenities can be available on regular, unpaid beaches and then there are some beaches that do not have paid areas at all but they are quite common and can be found all over Italy. For many, the certainty of being assured of a nice spot on the beach, of having all of the various accoutrements of a comfortable day on the beach without having to drag them all around with you, and the ease and convenience of all of this make it very much worth spending the cash. However, not all paid beaches are made equal. Some are particularly beautiful and some are particularly luxurious. While it does not fit in the completely luxurious category but is extremely convenient and one of the best and most scenic beaches on offer in the Cinque Terre, the Bathing Resort Il Gigante Monterosso Al Mare is a noteworthy paid beach in Liguria.

Bathing Resort Il Gigante Monterosso Al Mare is located in the picturesque town of Monterosso al Mare, which is one of the five towns that make up the beloved and famous Cinque Terre in Liguria. If you have found a vacation rental in Cinque Terre or a luxury villa in Liguria and are looking for the perfect place for an idyllic day on the beach, you have lots of different options to choose from but this gem is one of the more popular examples.