Liguria Villas
Villas in Liguria
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Liguria Villas: Regional Information
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Regional Information for Villa holidays in Liguria
One of Italy's smallest regions, Liguria stretches west in a narrow ribbon along the coast from France. This is a land of contrasts, home to belle époque seaside resort towns sandy beaches and rocky coves – as well as some of its most desolate stretches of coast, where lush forests of lemon trees, herbs, flowers, almonds and pines proliferate.A stay in an Igluvillawill provide you with a fantastic base from which to explore this fantastic region.
What to see and do on your villa holiday in Liguria
Genoa, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, is also one of Italy's must-see art centres. A typical bustling seaport with steep, narrow alleys that stretch from the picturesque medieval town centre up to the hills crowding directly behind it. You can visit the explorer's home, which happens to be next door to the serene 12th-century cloisters of St. Andrea, a welcome respite from the lively harbour. Via Garibaldi with its patrician palaces and herringbone brick pavement, is the epitome of European elegance, and the Royal Palace rivals Versailles for its extravagant trappings.
Portovenere is a captivating town on the northern headland of the Bay of La Spezia with a Genoese castle overhanging the very tip of the promontory. The 12th-century church of San Lorenzo, above the port, has a romanesque façade. Lord Byron and D.H. Lawrence loved this haunting spot, which is often overlooked by foreign travellers.
Take a boat trip to the island of Palmaria to see its wonderful blue grotto, or visit the 11th-century abbey on the island of Tino. On the other side of the bay, you'll find the lively resort town Lerici but above its busy yacht harbour is a beautifully preserved 16th-century castle that is said to have inspired Shelley's wife, Mary, to write Frankenstein.
The Cinqueterre takes its name from five small villages - Corniglia, Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore and Vernazza. Almost inaccessible by land, these villages cling to the edges of rocky promontories. The best way to see them is to take the little train that runs between them. As it goes at frequent intervals, one can hop from one village to the next: have a coffee in one, lunch in the next and a digestivo further on. Vernazza is perhaps the most dramatic jutting straight out over the water, with a small boat harbour below. High above are the ramparts of a ruined medieval tower. Riomaggiore is hopelessly picturesque, a beehive of crumbling pastel-colored houses tumbling down to the horseshoe-shaped dock.
Silvery olive groves and terraced grape vines blanket the hillsides of the Riviera di Ponente. A major exporter of flowers and herbs, the air is thick with the heady scent of roses, carnations and mimosas. Villa Hanbury, the vast, extravagant gardens that a 19th-century Englishman built just a few miles from the French border has more than 6000 species of plants and is now considered one of the most important collections of exotic plants in Europe.
The small medieval quarter of the coastal resort of Bordighera is worth a visit. Stroll along its palm-lined boulevard and admire the ornate art nouveau buildings of the Belle Époque. Another interesting medieval town is San Remo, famed for its annual music festival. Pay a visit to Albenga, a thriving market town with fifty brick towers and western Liguria's most important early Christian monument, the 5th-century baptistry in the 13th-century cathedral. Behind the church is the charming Piazzetta dei Leoni. Albenga has a trio of museums, one for prehistoric relics, one for naval history and the other for Roman artefacts.
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