Regioni d'Italia - Liguria

Continuing our journey through the regions of Italy, the next one I would like to share with you is Liguria. I feel like Liguria, perhaps because of its smaller area, is more easily classified and identifiable. A small horseshoe on the northwestern coast of Italy, also sometimes referred to as the “knee” of Italy, Liguria is known for its picturesque small towns and elegant maritime culture.

We had a perfect beach day at Monterosso al Mare, one of the five towns of the Cinque Terre

I have so far only traveled to Liguria once, and that was to visit the spectacular Cinque Terre, which you can read more about here. The Cinque Terre are five villages along the Ligurian coast that have become one of Italy’s most famous destinations. From late March until late October and early November it is possible to visit these “five lands:” Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. What makes these villages special is both their unique styles and charming beauty, but also the fact that you can hike between them. In season, you can also take the “Cinque Terre Express” train or ferries between them. I’ve written more about my experiences in each village in my “Cinque Terre” blog post.

As you can imagine with so many people wanting to see them, it can get quite crowded in these little towns. Therefore when visiting Cinque Terre you could instead stay in Levanto or La Spezia, the cities which border the Cinque Terre on either end of the coast. While there will still be many tourists, you can get a little more off the beaten path and have a glimpse into Italian daily life.

Not pesto, but a local pasta dish served with the typical pine nuts from our stay in La Spezia

Beyond Cinque Terre, Liguria certainly has much to offer, and that I can’t wait to explore more of it one day. There are many other small cities along the Italian Riviera coast, such as Portofino. And there is of course Genova, the capital of the region, which has a great history as a port town with the explorers, artists, and scientists who have lived there over the centuries. Today, the city is still a major hub for culture, science, and art.

Since it’s along the sea, Liguria is of course famous for its seafood dishes; however, I will always remember Liguria for introducing me to pesto. I had never been a fan of pesto before, but I had to try it here, where it began. Pesto genovese is the specific type of pesto made by crushing together pine nuts, basil, parmigiano reggiano cheese, garlic, salt, and olive oil, traditionally in a mortar and pestle. It is traditionally served with trofie pasta, a little twisted pasta. If I am making pesto myself (I do use a blender), I always like to buy fresh trofie or trofiette as a special treat.

Wanting to recreate my new favorite dish, I did make it at home in Sicily, which you can watch here:

So that is it for now on Liguria! If I visit again I will be sure to update you on what else I discover. If you are looking for a taste of Italy, I highly recommend following my video and trying to make pesto for yourself! It’s very easy and even more delicious!

Note: The header image shows the view over Vernazza, one of the five towns of the Cinque Terre.

To explore more of my “Regioni d’Italia” posts, you can find them here.