IN LOVE WITH LIGURIA
Our Top 10 guide to this beautiful coastal region
Home to the ancient Liguri and later the maritime Republic of Genoa, Liguria’s spectacular coastline, pastel-coloured villages, well-equipped beaches and mild climate have been loved by many. The first bathing establishment was opened in 1866 in Savona and in the 1870s trains arrived from cities and towns in Lombardy and Piedmont. By the late 1870s Alassio and San Remo were popular with the British as an alternative to France’s Côte d’Azur. More visitors discovered Italy’s northern shores after the Second World War; then, during the post-war boom of the 1950s and 1960s, the Italian beach holiday was born and Liguria became one of its favourite destinations. Read on to find out why.
1 Retrace the steps of 19th-century travellers in Alassio and Bordighera
ALASSIO’S HISTORY of 19th-century British visitors has left both the Anglican Church, Hanbury Tennis Club and beautiful Hanbury Gardens in nearby Ventimiglia (). Enjoy sandy beaches, go shopping along the Budello di Alasso or head to Villa). Bordighera is where Monet once stayed for 79 days and painted over 50 canvases. It’s famous for its Villa Regina Margherita di Savoia, the queen’s private residence and where she died in 1926. Also visit the exotic gardens of Giardino Esotico Pallanca and take a walk along the seafront promenade. Nearby Albenga has a beautiful with medieval towers, symbols of the power of its inhabitants. Albenga is also particularly suitable for families with young children because of its sandy beach and shallow waters. Look out for purple asparagus in spring.
