Mortola

Camogli is a well-kept secret. Along the Italian Riviera near Genoa, it is a typical, but particularly charming, fishing village perched on a rocky outcrop. It has beautiful beaches, a small harbour full of colourful boats, shops and restaurants and has a distinctive seafront with brightly coloured houses decorated in trompe l'oeil designs. Known mostly to Italians but quite like the neighbouring, and more famous, town of Portofino. It is an authentic taste of Italian seaside life, a little off the beaten track, and far from the bustle of tourists. If you're after a holiday full of relaxation, culture, good food and beautiful scenery, this is just the place.

Come to San Fruttuoso, a magical part of Liguria’s coastline! Tourists can access San Fruttuoso only by boat or by foot which only adds to the enchantment of this place and its two famous attractions.

One is a beautifully preserved Benedictine monastery, a stone building with a tower topped off with a small dome.

Book a villa in Liguria to easily explore all the coastal treasures along this scenic region!

Over time a beach formed here in front of the monastery but originally boatmen carrying goods to the monastery could row right under the basement arches supporting the building and deliver them right to the cellars. The local tourist office can supply visitors with the prices and opening hours of the monastery and nearby watchtower here and supply more details on a famous underwater attraction in San Fruttuoso just off the shore!

The Abbey of San Fruttuoso in Camogli is a famous tourist destination, filled with art, architecture and history but off the coast from this institution is a rather more unique attraction.

The Christ of the Abyss is a submerged bronze statue of Christ called Christ of the Abyss which was placed in the bay at San Fruttuoso in 1954. Copies of the work have been placed in the waters at Grenada and Florida since then. If you have a passion for diving or in seeing oddities around the world, this might prove interesting.

Why not find a villa with pool in Liguria and spend your entire holiday in the water?

Focaccia is a delicious flat oven-baked Italian bread that is similar to pizza and is topped with herbs and other ingredients. It is an incredibly popular dish throughout all of Italy and is thought to have originated with the Etruscans, but today it is widely associated with Ligurian cuisine. The long line of coastal towns in this region meant that a large number of local variations were born in Liguria such as the biscuit-hard Focaccia di Camogli, the oily softness of the one made in Voltri and the Focaccia col Formaggio ("focaccia with cheese") made in Recco, near Genoa. Other variations are available all throughout the country but, if you're interested in or love focaccia, Liguria is the place to be. Just find a luxury villa in Liguria and try out as many as you can get your hands on!

For now, while you plan a trip, here is a basic recipe for the kind of standard focaccia that most are familiar with to help whet your apetite.

San Fruttuoso is a tiny little bay along the coastline of Liguria that is a truly magical place. It is completely tucked away, accessible only by boat or by foot, and, as a result, often goes unknown to most who have found a vacation rental in Liguria and are exploring the area. Overlooked by a beautifully preserved Benedictine monastery that is topped by a tower with a small dome and home to the hidden Christ of the Abyss, a spectacular bronze statue 15 metres under the water a few hundred metres away, it boasts two rather extraordinary attractions in a very small area.