Nature and surroundings

Santa Margherita Ligure, the “Pearl of the Tigullio”, is one of the most prestigious holiday resorts in Italy. Its appeal lies in an urban landscape that blends beautifully into the natural one, in its night clubs, its boutiques and its places of historical interest, such as Villa Durazzo Centurione and the 16th century castle.

4 kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino, with its Piazzetta, its painted façades, its villas and castle and its harbour is synonymous with high society and glamour. But perhaps not everyone knows that the tiny church of San Giorgio contains relics of the saint carried there by Portofino sailors returning from the Crusades.

10 kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure, Camogli, the “Gem of the Golfo Paradiso” or “City of the thousand white sailing ships”, is one of the most famous and best preserved old ports in Italy. Visitors to this village of sailors and fishermen are struck by the pastel coloured houses, the beach, its festivals and the panoramic views from its high ground.

The walk from San Rocco di Camogli to the rocky Punta Chiappa (12 kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure) is one of the most moving outdoor experiences to be had on the Riviera. It’s reached by 900 steps down through the green woodland. Punta Chiappa is great for swimming, snorkelling and admiring the views. Return to Camogli is by boat.

4 kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo is the main city on the Gulf of Tigullio. Its seafront castle, and civic emblem, was built in 1551 to defend against Saracen pirates. Of religious interest is the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montallegro (16th century), at 612 metres above the sea, reached by the only aerial tramway in service in Liguria.

At 28 kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure, Sestri Levante is known as the city of two seas. A narrow isthmus, in fact, separates the suggestive Bay of Silence from the Bay of Fairy Stories, so named after Hans Christian Andersen, whose stay in the town is celebrated every year in an important festival of children’s literature.

95 kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure, Portovenere, pearl of the Gulf of Poets, with the Cinque Terre and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, is a Unesco Human Heritage site. The magical church of San Pietro (once a temple to Venus), the Doria Castle (12th century), the old centre and the grottoes are must-see attractions of the place.

95 kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure. The Island of Palmaria, together with Portovenere, the Cinque Terre and the islets Tino and Tinetto, is a Unesco Human Heritage site. A narrow strait separates it from Portovenere. On the west coast, characterized by high cliffs, are the Grotta Azzurra and Grotta dei Colombi, which can be reached by boat or with ropes.

At 94 km from Santa Margherita Ligure, Le Cinque Terre, with Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, are a Unesco Human Heritage site and a National Park and Protected Marine Area. The townships of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are linked by the famous Via dell’Amore between cliffs and terraced vineyards.

At 43 kilometres from Santa Margherita Ligure, Genoa, the capital of Liguria, has an astonishing wealth of architectural and cultural attractions. The Palazzi dei Rolli, in Europe’s biggest historical centre, form a Unesco Human Heritage site. The city’s Aquarium, in the old port, is one of the biggest collections of aquatic biodiversity in the world.