beyond Punta Manara. Soon you reach
the spectacular Cinque Terre, where the
cliffs fall almost vertically into the blue
Mediterranean. Behind this commanding
shore, the parched Ligurian slopes look
wild and remote, yet in the ten miles
between Punta Mesco and Capo Pietro,
fi ve extraordinary villages − Monterosso,
Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and
Riomaggiore − cling to the cliffs without
visible means of support.
Only Vernazza has a proper breakwater
where boats of modest size can moor
stern-to but on still summer days, you
can anchor off the Cinque Terre villages
in clear water with incredible views of
this primeval coast and its mountainous
hinterland. The swimming and snorkelling
are out of this world and you can take the
dinghy ashore to a waterside bar or bistro.
At the end of a lazy day of pleasure, it’s
not far south to Portovenere, an almost
perfect Italian harbour at the mouth of
the Gulf of La Spezia, looking across a narrow strait
towards Palmaria island. Portovenere’s patchwork of
buildings catches the sun as enticingly now as when Lord
Byron was lounging about here a couple of centuries ago.
CRUISING WEST FROM GENOA
The western part of the Italian Riviera is still rather a cruising
secret but from Genoa, you can sample its charms in easy bites
and linger where you fancy. While there are similarities with
the French Riviera, Italy is a different animal to France and its
pace of life more languid. Between Genoa and San Remo there
is less high-rise concrete than on the Côte d’Azur. You pass
traditional Ligurian towns where the tourism is gentle and
many restaurants and café s have a laid-back, everyday style.
VARAZZE
About 16 miles west of Genoa, Varazze is one of my favourite
havens on the west Italian Riviera. Although a buzzing resort, the
town has a pleasantly old-fashioned feel with a leafy promenade
and pedestrian streets behind it full of market stalls. The marina
was designed with Italian fl air and its timber buildings, raised
walkways and green copper roofs create a welcoming effect.
A short stroll east of the marina, we recently found an excellent
family-run bistro called Garbassu, a block behind the seafront
gardens near the beach pier. Their succulent fritto misto di mare
and spaghetti alle vongole were the business.
WEST TO ALASSIO
A short hop from Varazze, Savona is a busy commercial port
whose docks and silos look unpromising as you approach, yet
the town has a graceful old Florentine centre and a snug marina
behind a pedestrian lifting bridge. Locals often gather here to
watch huge cruise ships manoeuvre alongside near the bridge.
Savona has some impressive medieval buildings, including
a sturdy fortress situated between the marina and the sea.
Some ten miles south-west of Savona, the peaceful marina
at Finale Ligure is tucked beneath a rocky headland and backed
by sheltering hills. Then you pass miles of holiday beaches before
Loano appears, a large but easygoing yacht harbour with some
helpful local berth holders. A Romanesque town clusters behind
the quay and beyond a domed church, craggy coastal mountains
rise towards the 3,500ft peak of Monte Ravinet.
A dozen miles south of Loano, Alassio is a long-established
Riviera resort once fashionable with fi lm stars. Its beach seethes
with holidaymakers in summer and at fi rst, Alassio seems a place
to avoid. But at the north end of the town, a wooded cliff juts
out to a chapel on Capo Santa Croce and a breakwater encloses
a cosy marina. The cliff forms an imposing backdrop to the
harbour, which is nicely tucked away from the hectic seafront.
Just offshore, a small island – Gallinara – has a miniature harbour
on its inner side, but the island itself is out of bounds to visitors.SLOW TIME IN IMPERIA
Not far west of Alassio, Imperia is a pleasant sprawling town
renowned for its high-quality olive oil. There are two separate
harbours, each with their own atmosphere. The original port,
Oneglia, has a few yacht berths but is mainly concerned with
fi shing. I like its slow, sociable vibes, especially when the fi shing
boats come in each morning and folk wander down to see what’s
on offer. The customers are unhurried, gazing down at the assorted
fi sh, gossiping among themselves
or with the fi shermen, who in
turn seem relaxed about selling.
The music of Italian voices rises
and falls in a way which is slightly
perplexing to strangers, who
sometimes think some serious
argument is in train. But then
the banter ends in shrugs, warm
smiles and a mutual appreciation
that another sunny Riviera day
should be enjoyed to the full.
Just west of Oneglia, Porto
Maurizio is a modern marina
where visitors lie at the south jetty,TRAVELYou can moor at
the Cinque Terre
village of VernazzaPortovenere’s
beauty inspired
Byron and Shelley