Events, food, experiences for an unforgettable trip to Italy

Liguria – Territory

Ligurian landscape includes impressive mountains, sweet hills planted with olive and vine and the coast, with its cliffs interrupted by small coves and sandy beaches.
Because of its landscape variety, Liguria can offer suggestive locations to take a vacation in an environment full of charm and traditions.

The two sides of the coast (West and East of Genoa) are called “Riviere”.
The western coast is also known as Riviera delle Palme (Riviera of the Palms) and Riviera dei Fiori (Riviera of the flowers), in the province of Imperia. It includes towns such as Ventimiglia, which is a few kilometers from the French border with its famous Hanbury Botanical Garden: a large park where numerous varieties of flowers even of exotic species are growing. The city of Sanremo is in this side of the coast, this town is famous for the bike race Milan-San Remo (in March) and as a strategic starting point to visit the French Riviera. Sanremo is also famous for the Italian Song Festival and the Casinò. The West coast offers seaside destinations like Alassio, Varazze (famous surfing destination), Finale and small villages in the hinterland: Borgio Verezzi and Dolceacqua.
In this area also Toirano caves, the oldest caves in Italy.

On the east side of Liguria the town of La Spezia faces a bay known as the Gulf of Poets, once celebrated by Romantic poets Byron and Shelley. The town has a strong sea history, with a military port defined “the most beautiful in the world” by Napoleon. Also in La Spezia the oldest and largest Naval Arsenal and Nautical Military Museum of Italy. Other beautiful spots around the Gulf of Poets: Portovenere (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Lerici, with its medieval castle and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto also registered by UNESCO as World Heritage.
On the East coast also the small pearl of Portofino, with its famous square, hotels and luxury shops; Santa Margherita, fishing village and renowned tourist destination, Cinque Terre (Monterosso, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore and Vernazza) small fishing perched villages, once accessible only by sea and also UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Finally, Sestri Levante, charming village celebrated by Hans Christian Andersen, the writer of the Little Mermaid.

NATIONAL PARKS IN LIGURIA:
The National Parks of Italy are natural areas of land, sea, river, or lake whose value is a well-preserved ecosystem. Thus their nature, together with their cultural, educational, or recreational values ​​are protected by the Italian Government in order to be preserved for the future.  Currently, in Italy there are 25 National Parks, covering an area of ​​over 1,500,000 hectares (15,000 km²), about 6% of the Italian territory.

Cinque Terre National Park


REGIONAL PARKS IN LIGURIA:
The Italian Regional Parks are land, river, lake, and sea areas facing the coast. Their value is being like a system including the nature of the places, art, ​​and cultural traditions of the local inhabitants. The Italian Regional Parks are more than 150 and cover an area of ​​approximately 1million and 500,000 hectares.

Alpi Liguri Regional Park
Beigua Regional Park
Portofino Regional Park
Bric Tana Regional Park
Piana Crixia Regional Park
Antola Regional Park
Aveto Regional Park
Montemarcello – Magra Regional Park
Porto Venere Regional Park


NATURE RESERVES IN LIGURIA:
The Nature Reserves, also called Protected Natural Areas or Natural Oasis, their mission is to maintain their “equilibrium” by conserving and increasing biodiversity. These areas are characterized by heterogeneous landscapes and they are home to different species of animals and plants. They are the animal’s shelter for reproduction.  Hunting is prohibited. Actually Protected Natural Areas in Italy are more than 145

In the Province of Genoa:
Agoraie di sopra and Moggetto Nature Reserve


MARINE PROTECTED AREAS IN LIGURIA:
Marine Protected Areas or Marine Reserves are stretches of the sea where sport fishing, professional fishing, scuba diving, the entry with motorboats, motorcycles, cars are prohibited or limited. And the abandonment of waste on the beaches is severely punished. The typology of these areas varies according to the protection constraints. There are more than 25 Italian Marine Protected Areas, covering an area of ​​approximately 222,442 hectares of sea

Cinque Terre
Isola di Bergeggi
Portofino
Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary


UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARKS IN LIGURIA:
The Unesco global Geoparks are natural areas of particular geo-mining interest representing the 4,600 million-year history of Planet Earth and the geological events that have shaped it. Geoparks’ mission is to increase knowledge about the value of geo-diversity and to promote the conservation, tourism, and the popularization of the geological heritage. More than 100 Geoparks (Global Geoparks) are recognized worldwide in 33 countries, of which 69 in Europe. In Italy, there are 10 Unesco Geoparks.

Beigua Regional Park


BLUE FLAGS IN LIGURIA:
Blue Flag is an International recognition reserved for lakes or seaside tourist resorts that comply with sustainable land management criteria. The Blue Flag is awarded annually by the non-governmental and non-profit organization “Foundation for Environmental Education” (FEE). Only the localities whose waters have been excellent in the previous season can apply. In 2020, more than 195 municipalities and over 407 Italian beaches have been awarded as “Blue Flag”.

In the Province of Genoa:
Chiavari – zona gli Scogli
Lavagna – lungomare
Moneglia – centrale/la Seca/levante
Santa Margherita Ligure – scogliera Pagana, Punta Pedale, Paraggi, Zona Milite Ignoto

In the Province of Imperia:
Bordighera – Capo Sant’Ampelio/Termini, Capo Sant’Ampelio/Ratta Conigli
San Lorenzo al Mare – u Nostromu/prima punta/Baia delle Vele
Santo Stefano al Mare – Baia Azzurra, il Vascello
Taggia – Arma di Taggia

In the Province of La Spezia:
Ameglia – Fiumaretta
Framura – Fornaci [Spiaggia confine Deiva Marina]
Lerici – Venere azzurra, lido, San Giorgio, Eco del Mare, Fiascherino, Baia Blu, Colombo
Levanto – Levanto Ghiararo, Spiaggia Est “La Pietra”

In the Province of Savona:
Albissola Marina – lido
Albissola Superiore – lido
Bergeggi – il Faro, Villaggio del Sole
Borghetto Santo Spirito – litorale
Celle Ligure – levante
Ceriale – litorale
Finale Ligure – Spiaggia di Malpasso, baia dei Saraceni, Finalmarina, Finalpia, Spiaggia del Porto, Loano – spiaggia levante Porto, zona Torrente Nibalto, Tombolo Perelli, zona sottopasso via Genova, loc. sottopassaggio
Noli – capo Noli/Zona Vittoria/Zona Anita/Chiariventi
Pietra Ligure – ponente
Savona – Fornaci
Spotorno – lido
Varazza – Arrestra, ponente Teiro, levante Teiro, Piani d’Invrea
Varigotti, Castelletto San Donato


ORANGE FLAGS IN LIGURIA:
Orange Flag is a tourism-environmental quality mark awarded by the Italian Touring Club to small towns in the Italian inland (maximum 15,000 inhabitants) which stand out for their quality hospitality. The Orange Flag has been awarded to over 200 Italian municipalities.

In the Province of Genoa:
Santo Stefano d’Aveto

In the Province of Imperia:
Airole
Apricale
Dolceacqua
Perinaldo
Pigna
Seborga
Triora

In the Province of La Spezia:
Brugnato
Castelnuovo Magra
Pignone
Varese Ligure

In the Province of Savona:
Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena
Sassello
Toirano

 

 

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