Scents and Flavours of Liguria
Italy
3 days
SEASON
Spring, Summer
TRANSPORT
Car, Bus, Boat, Walk
Scents and Flavours of Liguria
The region is located in North-western Italy, bordering with France and features impressive mountains and lovely rolling hills, overlooking the Ligurian Sea. With its extensive woods and centuries-old trees, the region is a true natural legacy, and an excellent alternative to traditional tourism. Immersion into the region’s natural environments will allow visitors to experience places where man, with love and dedication, has managed to cultivate the best possible fruits from this land. Places full of history, culture and traditions, which witness the passage of ancient civilization coming from the sea.
Its capital city, Genova leans on the Ligurian Sea: one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean, it is the busiest in Italy. The city is nicknamed la Superba (“the proud one”) due to its glorious past and impressive landmarks.
Day by Day
With this 3-day itinerary you will experience magnificent scenery on the sea and discover the herbs and essences that enrich the wild nature of the Ligurian landscape. The itinerary starts from Genoa, passes through Portofino and reaches the Cinque Terre Natural Park.
DAY 1
Genoa Walking Tour
Discover the charm of the old town of Genoa, and take a walking tour through one of the largest historic centre in Europe, replete with curiosities and endless mysteries. The tour sets off from the TIC (Tourist Information Centre) in the Old Port area and winds its way through Genoa's narrow "caruggi" (alleyways) and ancient squares. Some of the main points of interest include San Lorenzo Cathedral, Palazzo Ducale and the Carlo Felice Opera House. The tour ends with a visit to the "Strada Nuova" (Via Garibaldi), UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Location: Tour starts at the Tourist Information Office in the Porto Antico area (Palazzina Santa Maria, via al Porto Antico 2)
Opening hours: every Sunday at 10am
Admission: Full € 17,50 – Reduced (children 12-18 y.o, adults over 65) € 15,50 – Free for children under 12
Contacts: http://www.visitgenoa.it
Botanical Garden Corso Dogali
Located within Genoa’ historic center, it boasts a surface area of about one hectare. The specimens housed in the Garden are currently about 4000, with approximately 2000 taxonomic groups represented. Visitors will particularly enjoy the medicinal Plants section which reflects a perfect blend of traditional Italian medicine traditions and plants originating from other continents, with particular attention paid to the species often used in herbal medicine today. A few of these traditional plants include Valerian, Angelica, Chamomile, Digitalis, St. John's Wort and Hemlock. Those arriving from other continents include the Tea plant, Perilla, Echinacea, Stevia and Jojoba.
More info..
Opening hours:
Monday / Wednesday / Friday from 8:30am to 1:30pm.
Tuesday / Thursday from 8:30am to 7pm.
Admission: Free
Contacts: http://www.ambog.org
Parchi Di Nervi
The district of Nervi is a nice and elegant fishermen village, located a few kilometers away from the centre of Genoa. Beyond the typical small port and the seafront promenade, in this area you can enjoy the marvellous Parchi di Nervi: a large green area formed by different gardens, which once belonged to villa Gropallo, villa Saluzzo Serra, villa Grimaldi Fassio and villa Luxoro. Today it has become the headquarters of a prestigious Museums of modern and contemporary art. The Parchi di Nervi are designed to recall the refined lives of the ancient aristocratic owners with English-style lawn, palm trees and many rare and precious trees, fountains, and rose gardens.
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DAY 2
Portofino Park
The flora of the Portofino Park is made up of about 900 species of higher plants. The remarkable richness and variety of flora is mainly the result of the natural history of the area, of the geology and morphology of the territory.
The Promontory of Portofino, the most northern protected coastal area of the western Mediterranean Sea, shows views and landscapes among the most famous in the world.
It has been a protected area since 1935 and it hosts one of the largest concentrations of flora in the Mediterranean area, a large variety of birds and invertebrate as well as important historical and architectural treasures. There are many itineraries to choose from with different level of difficulty.
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Portofino Eco Farm and Lunch at the old mill
Visitors will be welcomed by a local producer to visit the eco-farm created by recovering abandoned lands with the aim to develop sustainable agriculture and sustainable tourism.
Highlights: breathtaking views, gardens perched on the rocks between sea and sky. Visitors can enjoy a private guided tour of the hops area, visit the bees’ wood, the vineyard, the olive grove and taste local products. The tour includes a lunch at the old mill to taste local specialties and specifically the famous Pesto Sauce.
More info..
Tours are available from March to October on request.
Contacts: https://beautifuliguria.com/experience-detail/portofino-eco-farm-and-lunch-at-the-old-mill/
DAY 3
Cinque Terre National Park
Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage site: five small medieval villages on the Ligurian coast linked by hiking trails, Monterosso, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Riomaggiore. Nature and flora lovers will definitely enjoy a hiking day in the Cinque Terre through the terraces supported by dry stone walls where vines, olive trees, citrus fruits, basil and medicinal plants are cultivated, or along the coast, in a balcony overlooking the crystal clear sea. On the winding paths in the mountains, a hike in the Cinque Terre is a source of wonder in the heart of a carefully preserved environment and the best way to encounter plants in their natural environment.
Vegetation: the steep slopes of the Cinque Terre’s coast are covered with a high vegetation consisting of several shrubs, such as rockroses, heaths, spurges and strawberry trees. On drier and rocky soils one finds the “Garrigue”, where some aromatic plants species grow, such as rosemary, thyme, curry plant and lavender. Capers growing in the clefts of the dry stone are a remaining cultivation from the last century.
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Each town of the Cinque Terre can be reached by foot through the «Via dell’Amore». Not to miss are other beautiful spots as the Golfo dei Poeti. The narrow inlet from Lerici to Portovenere, which enchanted Shelley, Byron, Petrarch and Montale.
Contacts: http://www.parconazionale5terre.it
Azienda agricola l'Olio del Busanco
The Azienda agricola l'Olio del Busanco di Ferri Giampietro & S.S. is a not to miss destination if you are in Cinque Terre. Located in Riomaggiore, here you can enjoy guided tour of the farm and olive oil tasting. This olive oil is produced only in limited quantities, and its obtained from the olives given by the farmers living within the territory of the Cinque Terre National Park. It retains all the organoleptic properties deriving from the olives traditionally cultivated on the terraced plots, overlooking the sea of the Cinque Terre, and it represents the result of a centuries-old tradition of the territory.
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Location: Riomaggiore
EXTRA
Visit of Boccadasse
Boccadasse is one of the most famous ancient fishermen villages that still can be visited in Genoa and is located a few minutes from the city centre, between Corso Italia and Capo Santa Chiara. Here you can find colourful houses, rounded cobblestones, fishing boats and fishermen nets on the small beach, stone staircases and unforgettable ice creams, but also restaurants where you can taste typical dishes and have a drink looking at the sea: Boccadasse is one of the most beloved places by Genoese people and by visitors for its timeless charm.
More info..
Location: Boccadasse – 16145 Genoa
Admission: Free visit
Castello Brown – Portofino
Castello Brown is a house museum located high above the harbour of Portofino. The castle is surrounded by a Mediterranean garden full of flowers, rose gardens and pergolas. Castello Brown was probably built around the tenth century and its strategic position has always been important, indeed, in 1435 the fort saved Portofino from the assault of the Venetian fleet. It is named after the English consul, Brown, who owned the building from 1867 to 1905, and who personally took care of the castle and the magnificent garden surrounding it.
More info..
Opening hours:
From April to October: open evry day from 10am to 6pm
From November to March: open only on Saturday and Sunday
Admission: 5 €
Contacts:
www.castellobrown.com
San Fruttuoso
A beautiful bay accessible only by foot or by boat, which has just 50 residents. The Abbey of San Fruttuoso is on the Italian Riviera between Camogli and Portofino. It is the seat of the Catholic parish of the same name of the Vicariate of Recco-Uscio-Camogli, Archdiocese of Genoa. The abbey is located in a small bay beneath a steep wooded hill.
More info..
It can only be reached by sea or by hiking trails, there is no road access.
Contacts: www.sanfruttuoso.eu
Accessibility
Starting Point: Genoa
Nearest Airport: Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport
Distances:
Day 1
Genoa Airport > Ancient Port: 7 km (10 min drive – 35 min train or bus)
Ancient Port > Botanical Garden: 5 km (15 min drive – 15 min walk or public transport)
Botanical Garden > Parchi di Nervi: 13 km (25 min drive – 40 min bus)
Downtown > Boccadasse: 6,5 km (12 min drive – 35 min bus)
Day 2
Downtown Genoa > Portofino: 35 km (55 min drive – 2h train)
Day 3
Portofino > Cinque Terre: 73 km (1,5h drive – 2h train)
Downtown Genova > Cinque Terre: 89 km (1,5h drive – 2h train)*
*Moving around Cinque Terre can be done in three ways: car, train, boat. The most convenient means are boat or train: the average time for going from one to the other is approx. 3-4 min.
Accomodation
Grand Hotel Savoia
Genoa
Via Arsenale di Terra 5, 16126 Genoa
Contacts:T. +39 010 27721
M. info@grandhotelsavoia.it
$$$
Go to the websiteHotel Liberty
Genoa
Via XX Settembre, 23 interno 8, 16121 Genoa
Contacts:T. 0039/0100995605
M. hotelgenoa@gmail.com
$$
Go to the websiteBristol Palace Hotel
Genoa
Via XX Settembre, 35 – 16121 Genoa
Contacts:T. +39 010 592541
M. ristorazione.bristolpalace@duetorrihotels.com
$$$
Go to the websiteVilla Pagoda
Genoa
Via Capolungo 15, 16167, Genoa Nervi
Contacts:T. +39 010 3726161
M. info@villapagoda.it
$$$
Go to the websiteLa taverna del sole
Genoa
Via Fossa dei Carboni di Sopra, 7 – 16167 Genoa Sant’Ilario
Contacts:T. 010 323686
M. tavernadelsolesantilario@gmail.com
$$
Go to the websiteCenobio dei Dogi
Camogli
Via Nicolò Cuneo, 34, 16032 Camogli (GE)
Contacts:T. +39 0185 7241
T. +39 0185 1836330
M. cenobio@cenobio.i
$$$
Go to the websiteImperiale Palace Hotel
Santa Margherita Ligure
Via Pagana 19 – 16038 Santa Margherita Ligure
Contacts:T. +39 0185 288991
M. info@imperialepalacehotel.it
$$$
Go to the websiteVilla Riviera
Lavagna
Via Costa, 18 – Santa Giulia 16033 Lavagna (GE)
Contacts:T. +39 333 394 9791
T. +39 331 3007385
M. info@villarivieraitaly.com
$$
Go to the websiteCatering
MOG – Mercato Orientale Genova
Via XX Settembre, 75r, 16121 Genova GE
Contacts:info@moggenova.it
+39 010 89 73 000
Price range:$$
Go to the websiteZimino
Genoa
Vico delle Scuole Pie, 4, 16123 Genoa
Contacts:T. +39 010 403 0321
Price range:$
Go to the websiteZeffirino
Genoa
Via XX settembre 20, Genoa
Contacts:T. +39 010 591990
M. comunicazione@zeffirino.com
$$$
Go to the websiteManuelina
Recco
Via Roma, 296, 16036 Recco GE
Contacts:T. +39.0185 74128
T. +39 349 2624879
M. manuelina@manuelina.it
$$
Go to the websiteLa Brinca
Genoa
Via Campo di Ne, 58, 16040 Campo di Nordest GE
Contacts:T. +39 0185 337480
M. labrinca@labrinca.it
$$
Go to the websiteIl Ciliegio
Monterosso al Mare
Località Beo, Monterosso, Cinque Terre
Contacts:T. +39 0187 817829
M. info@ilciliegiocinqueterre.com
$$
Go to the website
