A thin arc of land squeezed between mountains and sea, where villages long ago learned to grow vertically. The Cinque Terre — UNESCO-listed since 1997 with their cliff-edge terraced vineyards — and Portofino are the celebrities; Genoa, once a maritime republic, surprises visitors with the Rolli palaces, aristocratic residences recognised by UNESCO in 2006, and a harbour redesigned by Renzo Piano.
Liguria tastes green: pesto, focaccia and farinata were all born here. Take it slowly, trail by trail, with the sea always at your shoulder.
The provinces of Liguria
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The best of Liguria
The places worth the trip on their own, picked by our editors.
The top 6 places in Liguria
Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →
1
🏛️ Squares & old towns Portofino Piazzetta
📍 Portofino
Awarded Historic Locale status in 2012, this waterfront square is the architectural and social heart of Portofino.
2
🏰 Castles & palaces Via Garibaldi e i Palazzi dei Rolli
📍 Genoa
An innovative network of aristocratic palaces used to host visiting monarchs and popes during Genoa's golden age.
3
🎈 Unique experiences Acquario di Genova
📍 Genoa
Designed by Renzo Piano in 1992, Italy's largest aquarium houses thousands of animals from ecosystems across the globe.