Between the Apennine mountain range, the Maritime Alps and the Ligurian Sea, there is a narrow stretch of coast, on which small, like toy, Italian cities, most often of a port type, are comfortably located. This is the Italian Riviera - the best place to relax (beach).
Thousands of tourists from all over the world who annually vacation in these places think so. And there is every reason for such a statement - hundreds of kilometers of amazing sandy beaches, mild climate, the highest level of service. Isn't this what every tourist dreams of when planning their vacation?
Italian Riviera beaches
Almost all the beaches of the Ligurian coast are good, but there are places that vacationers love more than others. We will tell about them today.
Finale Ligure
What makes the Italian Riviera so attractive? The resort towns are very close to each other. If you wish, you can very quickly move to a neighboring town and relax on the local beach or wander through the narrow streets, looking at the localattractions.
Finale Ligure is fifty minutes by train from Genoa. Almost all the beaches here are sandy, although there are small pebble areas. The sea, as in all resorts of the Ligurian coast, is very clean and calm. This beach is notable for its cleanliness and well-being, because it was not for nothing that it was awarded the European Blue Flag.
Baia dei Saraceni
The best beaches of the Italian Riviera are always in perfect condition. Not far from Finale Ligure is the small fishing village of Varigotti. Today it is famous for the wonderful beach of Baia dei Saraceni, which is surrounded by picturesque hills.
To get to this beautiful place, you need to walk through the narrow streets of Varigotti, which have retained their medieval charm. Colorful houses here descend to the very sea. The beach in Varigotti is comfortably located in a semicircular bay. It is covered with almost white sand and small pebbles that look a bit like rice grains.
Balzi Rossi
The Italian Riviera attracts tourists with a variety of beaches - noisy, crowded and secluded, where people who are tired of the bustle of the city like to relax.
In the west of the Riviera, almost on the border with France, is the pretty town of Ventimiglia. Almost next to it is the pearl of the Ligurian coast - Balzi Rossi. It is located at the foot of a mountain that hides many prehistoric caves. Historians claimthat people lived in them twenty-five thousand years ago.
This beach is famous for its azure transparent sea, the coast covered with rather large pebbles (the size of a chicken egg). For this reason, it is often referred to as the "beach of eggs". It is an excellent place for scuba diving. The rich underwater world delights divers.
Tourists admire the beaches of the Italian Riviera (reviews confirm this). All of them are divided into municipal and private. For example, Balzi Rossi is a private beach, so all services here are paid. On municipal beaches, recreation is free, with the exception of the rental of equipment for scuba diving and some water attractions.
Italian Riviera Attractions
Even the most loyal fans of a beach holiday after a while want a little change of scenery. The Italian Riviera is also beautiful because it is easy to combine a beach holiday with a sightseeing holiday. There are so many interesting places here that it is impossible to get acquainted with them in one trip.
Genoa
Most tourists begin their acquaintance with local attractions from this major port city. It is the sixth largest in Italy.
Lantern Lighthouse
As you know, no port can do without a beacon. The guiding beam in the night prevents ships from crashing against the rocks. It is this function that the Lanterna lighthouse has been performing in Genoa for almost 900 years. This symbol of the city was built in 1128. The height of the building is 76 meters. This is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world.
Today the lighthouse, like 900 years ago, is used by the Italian Navy. Since 2006, it has housed the Museum of the History of the Genoese Port, which houses unique exhibits of maritime navigation.
In Genoa, you should definitely visit the wonderful aquarium with an area of more than 3,000 square meters, ride the Bigo high-rise elevator. From its cabin at a height of 40 meters you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the city. If you happen to visit Genoa, visit the central square of Piazza De Ferrari, see the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. And at the bottom of the sea bay, not far from the city, there is a striking statue of "Christ from the Abyss".
San Remo
The Italian Riviera is familiar to many Russians thanks to this resort, which hosts an Italian song festival. And even earlier (in the 19th century), this city attracted Russian aristocrats. Emperor Nicholas II even visited here with his wife Alexandra Feodorovna.
Temple of Christ the Savior
This is the main attraction of the city. Locals often call the Cathedral of Christ the Savior the Russian Church. It was built in 1913, on the initiative of Russian Orthodox vacationers. The building was erected in the style of Moscow churches (XVII century). Full construction work was completed and the temple was consecrated in 1939.
Today it is a functioning cathedral, where divine services are regularly held in Russian. The temple is crowned with five domes with crosses. The highest of them is located at a height of 50 meters. The magnificent building is decorated with tiles, kokoshniks, stone carvings, which are typical for Russian architecture. A bell tower with a hipped roof rises next to the temple.
The main decoration of the interior of the temple is the richest iconostasis with icons of Christ and the Mother of God. These are copies of the famous works of Mikhail Vrubel. Busts of Victor Emmanuel II (King of Italy) and his wife are installed in the courtyard of the temple.
Cinve Terre National Park
The Italian Riviera has a unique national park on its territory. Its name Cinque Terre translates as "five lands". The choice of the name is easy to explain - the park consists of five small towns-communes, which are picturesquely located near the sea. Since 1997, the Cinque Terre, like the nearby city of Portovenere, has been under the protection of UNESCO.
On the territory of the modern park, the first settlements appeared during the time of the might of the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, most of the monuments are attributed by researchers to the period of the Middle Ages. These are man-made terraces along the sea, monuments of religious and secular architecture: sanctuaries, temples, mansions and palaces of ancient construction.
The Cinque Terre National Park includes the following cities:
- Manarola;
- Riomaggiore;
- Vernazza;
- Corniglia;
- Monterosso.
The word “most” applies to each of the communes that make up the park: the most southern, the most beautiful, the largest, etc. All of them form a single harmonious space, but witheach has a special flavor and unique look, as well as its own attractions.
Riomaggiore
Southern commune, located near the town of La Spezia. It was founded in the first half of the 13th century. The sights of the town include the Church of St. John the Baptist, built in 1340 and painted with amazing frescoes, the castle of Riomaggiore, which in the old days was a city fortification.
Manarola
And this is the oldest one in the park. In Manarola, there are the ruins of an ancient bastion; you can visit the small village of Groppo, where delicious wine is made.
Corniglia
This is a very small and highly located town of the park, but very picturesque. Only it does not have its own port. For this reason, you can get here on foot or by train.
In the city there is an unusually beautiful church of St. Peter. It was built in 1334 in the Ligurian Gothic style. Here you can also see the ruins of the Genoese fortress and, if you wish, relax on the nudist beach of Guvano.
Varnazza
This town holds the title of the most beautiful commune of the Five Lands and a priceless gem of the park. Almost at the very shore, colorful houses are crowded here, medieval villas and modern buildings side by side on the streets. The Belforte Tower and Doria Castle offer stunning views of the area.
There are many religious buildings in the city - the temple of the Black Madonna Reggio,Church of St. Margaret of Antioch.
Monterosso
The largest and liveliest town of the Cinque Terre. There is a large well-maintained beach, so there are always a lot of tourists here. In addition, there is a much wider range of nightly entertainment.
The main attractions of the city are the Aurora Tower, which was once part of an ancient fortress (XVI century), a huge statue of Neptune, who carries a shell on his shoulder.
Italian Riviera reviews
Most of the tourists who had a chance to relax in this wonderful place do not hide their delight from the trip. The Italian Riviera is a unique place where every vacationer can choose a vacation to their liking - bask on a magnificent beach, explore the fascinating underwater world or get acquainted with local attractions. If we add to these opportunities a wonderful mild climate, the friendly attitude of the local population and the highest level of service, it becomes clear why tourists recommend relaxing only on the Italian Riviera.
