Liguria is one of Italy's small regions. Shaped like a narrow ribbon that stretches west along the coast of France, it is composed of four provinces namely Imperia, Savona, Genoa and La Spezia. The region is famous worldwide for its world-class resorts in the style of Cannes and Monaco. The capital city of this region is Genoa.



The coast is divided into two parts, the one located between the French border and Genoa is called La Riviera de Ponente. It is famous for is long sandy beaches and historical towns like San Remo which is a favorite tourist destination. O the opposite side, from Genoa to the border of Tuscany is called La Riviera de Levante, which is characterized by mountains and cliffs that hang over the coastline.

Many tourists come to Liguria not only for its historical places but also for its beaches, which is an uninterrupted string of resorts. Along the coast a lot of water activities could be done from windsurfing, scuba diving, water skiing, kayaking and sailing. In the inland areas you could do a lot of outdoor activities from horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking.

Once in Liguria, there are a lot of historical places you can visit. One famous example is located in Genoa, which is The Lanterna. . It is the symbol of the city; a lighthouse built on 1543 and is 117 meters tall. Its previous olive oil illumination used during its construction is now gone, being replaced by a 1000-watt bulb that could reach as far as 50 miles away to the sea. From its top you could get a beautiful view of the city down below and also that of the Gulf and the Riviera.

Other sights to visit in Genoa are the numerous palaces and museums, which offer a vast wealth of displays of art. The museums carry many paintings done by famous artists.

Among the popular tourist destinations of Liguria the famous ones are Genoa, Portofino, San Remo, Cinque Terre, and Rapallo. These places offer a variety of places to visit like resorts, beaches, casinos, mountains and historical monuments. Aside from these places, there are other towns and fishing villages which area delight to visit as well.

The food in Liguria is based mainly on the Mediterranean diet. A staple on the Ligurian menu is the Ligurian olive oil called the pesto, which is a sauce made up of a mixture of basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil.

A common Ligurian food is Foccacias and pies. They are eaten during mealtimes or as a tasty snack. The foccacia comes with olive oil or filled with cheese, either way it simply is delicious to eat.

You may notice when eating in restaurants that the main menu is generally made up of a variety of pasta. These pasta are flavored with their delicious pesto or meat sauce. Don't fail to try out their ravioli, especially the pansotti that is a type of ravioli that is made of vegetables and herbs with a walnut sauce

Getting to Liguria is easily done by air travel. The Christopher Columbus International Airport located in Genoa serves many flights daily from Italy and many other European cities. It is also possible to reach Liguria by boat cruise that would dock in the port of Genoa, and you could also reach it by car and by train.