Where to sleep in Liguria

The guide to choosing the perfect location for your holidays in Liguria, with hotels, apartments and B & Bs selected and divided by area

Liguria has an ancient history of hospitality that began in the late 1800s, with the arrival of noble travelers who moved here from all over Europe for the pleasant climate and enchanting landscapes.

Today Liguria offers many hotels, apartments, bed & breakfasts of all categories and suitable for all budgets.

The real difficulty in choosing an accommodation to sleep in Liguria is precisely in choosing the place to spend the holidays . Or, in the case of a multi-stage itinerary, the places where to stay overnight while discovering this wonderful area.

The beauties in this region are many. There is really plenty of choice.

To help you we have created a simple guide divided into 4 areas .

• Genoa
• The Cinque Terre
• The Riviera di Ponente
• The east coast

So you can orient yourself in this region full of wonderful places.

For each of these 4 areas we have recommended some locations. We have selected them for their particular beauty , for the services they offer or for their geographical position .

Some locations are extremely strategic to discover many attractions and points of interest that will make your holiday in Liguria unforgettable.

As we have said, there is no shortage of accommodation facilities of every category in Liguria.
Moving from one place to another is also quite easy. In fact, the highway, the Aurelia state road and the railway run along the region.

Depending on the duration and type of holiday you want to experience, some areas and some locations are better suited than others.

If you want to take a long vacation , one week or more, the west coast is perhaps the most recommended for several reasons: the variety of attractions, the breadth of the beaches and the general offer of services in the cities.

The Riviera di Levante , on the other hand, is ideal for shorter stays . The locations here are smaller and you can visit them entirely over the weekend.

The Riviera di Ponente is recommended for those who love sandy beaches or in any case large beaches with more services. The eastern coast is dotted with many small rocky and pebble beaches.

For those arriving from afar, the most comfortable areas are those around Genoa and those of the extreme west of Liguria. They are both served by two airports. Genoa airport , the only one in Liguria, and Nice airport , which is only 30 minutes by car from Ventimiglia.

For a relaxing vacation, the best destinations are Bordighera, Diano Marina and Varigotti in western Liguria. Santa Margherita, Sestri Levante and Lerici in the Levant.

For a vacation full of social life and fun you should look for accommodation in San Remo, Alassio or Chiavari.

The most romantic places are Camogli , Portovenere and the Cinque Terre villages.

Finally, if in addition to the sea you would like to visit a rich hinterland just a few minutes from the Bordighera coast and the extreme west of Liguria, they are perfect. This area is full of wonderful medieval villages, paths between the mountains and the spectacular views of the maritime alps.

Genoa is a city full of history , contrasts and surprising wonders to be discovered.

It is therefore not just a city where you can stay a few hours to visit the aquarium , to set sail with a ferry or to make a stop towards the two rivers.

Here we advise you to stop for a short weekend break or even a longer stay . With the right information, Genoa will amaze you with its wonders.

The old port and the surrounding area have been revolutionized in recent years, becoming a real living room of the city, full of clubs, culture and avant-garde attractions.

Behind the ancient port shines the wealth of this ancient maritime republic among its elegant baroque streets, ancient noble palaces and historic churches.

Genoa is the largest historical center in Europe , a labyrinth of fascinating alleys. Long and narrow alleys on which the traditional Ligurian tower-houses, symbol of the city, stand out.

Among these alleys you can still breathe the atmosphere that inspired the great singer-songwriters of the Genoese school , who gave prestige to the Italian song.

If you are looking for a comfortable accommodation to visit Genoa, you realize that the capital of Liguria is not that big for travelers who want to explore it.

The most important attractions are in fact concentrated within a few kilometers between the historic center and the ancient port.

Thanks to its tourist and commercial vocation, Genoa is full of accommodation facilities of all bands and all prices. You will surely find the ideal accommodation for your stay without particular difficulties.

Depending on the type of vacation you want to do and your needs, there are some precautions to take and areas that are better than others.

The vast majority of travelers want to stay in the old port and downtown areas, but if you have special needs (such as parking a car, for example) this may not always be the case.

The Cinque Terre are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, unique and extraordinary areas of the entire Mediterranean Sea. This stretch of the Ligurian Riviera, just 10 kilometers (6 miles) between Genoa and La Spezia, has this name because five wonderful seaside villages surrounded by unspoiled nature rise here.

The five villages, from West to East, are Monterosso , Vernazza , Corniglia , Manarola and Riomaggiore .

If you are deciding which of the five villages to sleep in, don’t worry too much, they are all enchanting with their little peculiarities.

If you want to arrive comfortably you could opt for Riomaggiore and Monterosso al mare, which are the two at opposite ends.

If you are looking for a town that has a spacious beach you should go for Riomaggiore.

If you want tranquility and a breathtaking view from above, Corniglia could be for you.

Vernazza is perhaps the most popular and Manarola the smallest and most graceful .

The Cinque Terre are now among the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. This has given a strong impetus to the availability of accommodation to stay, both within the villages and in the surrounding area.

Don’t expect large hotels with lots of rooms. Indeed, you will find small guest houses, B & Bs and apartments created in the ancient houses of the historic centers.

However, the number of accommodations is not always sufficient to satisfy the large number of visitors who want to stay here. Especially in the summer.

It is recommended to book your hotel in Cinque Terre in advance to be sure of finding a place and booking the best accommodations.

The Riviera di Ponente represents the area of Liguria with the most incredible variety of landscapes : Mediterranean scrub, olive trees, vines, citrus groves, long beaches and valleys with ancient medieval villages perched.

Since the end of the nineteenth century, refined and welcoming places such as Bordighera and Sanremo have been the destination of nobles from all over Europe. Even today they are popular seaside destinations for travelers from all over the world.

What makes the Ligurian west even more pleasant is the rich hinterland , full of wonderful well-preserved medieval villages , all to be discovered.

In Bordighera you will find different types of structures based on your needs and the type of holiday you want to do.

The hotel offer satisfies all categories of travelers. You can opt for a large hotel on the sea, a family-run Bed and Breakfast or an apartment for the whole family.

In Bordighera there are hotels of all categories and prices.

It is advisable to plan your stay in Bordighera in advance to be sure of finding a place and booking the best accommodation, especially for the summer season, Easter and other holidays.

Sanremo is the most popular tourist destination on the Riviera di Ponente and one of the most renowned in all of Liguria.

As in Bordighera, even here at the end of the 19th century English and Russian tourism chose this wonderful land as their favorite tourist destination.

Sanremo has been transformed over the years and today, in addition to being a perfect city for summer and seaside tourism, it is a popular destination all year round.

In addition to the extraordinary climate it shares with the entire Riviera dei Fiori and the many things to see, San Remo is the scene of important international events.

In sanremo there are tourist facilities of all categories. The most popular period, and therefore the most expensive, is that of July-August, and that of major events such as the Sanremo Festival , the Milan-Sanremo , the Tenco Award and the Rally .

The Ligurian Riviera di Levante is dotted with wonderful landscapes : the coast is full of splendid gulfs, renowned beaches and beautiful towns.

This territory rich in gulfs, beaches and seaside resorts can be divided into 5 main coastal stretches: the Gulf of Paradise , the Gulf of Tigullio , the bays of the Levant , the Cinque Terre and the Gulf of Poets .

Many of the photographs of Liguria that are famous throughout the world were taken between the inlets of this coast and many poets and writers have sung its beauty.

Santa Margherita Ligure is a very well-known and renowned town in Liguria.

This elegant seaside town considered the Pearl of Tigullio is set in a protected bay on a truly suggestive stretch of coast.

As for other places in Liguria, its tourist vocation originated with the English. Today “Santa” is a lively town, especially during the summer. It is full of bathing establishments, bars and restaurants and maintains its elegance.

There is a good choice of elegant hotels and comfortable apartments in Santa Margherita, but it’s not exactly cheap.

If you are looking around for the lowest prices you can also evaluate the nearby Rapallo .

Sestri Levante is “the city of the two Seas” , it is located right next to a promontory, called “I’isola”, which extends towards the sea.

This thin strip of land divides the Baia delle Favole from the smaller but even more suggestive Baia del Silenzio .

Sestri Levante combines a wonderful landscape and territory with the characteristic elegant buildings with pastel-colored facades that are reflected in the sea.

Travelers choose this beautiful location for its wide beaches of fine sand, a lively cultural life and wonderful paths along the sea.

You will find many restaurants offering excellent cuisine, hotels, B & Bs and apartments of a good standard, as well as a strategic position to discover the entire Riviera di Levante.

Lerici is the perfect destination to enjoy a holiday on the eastern coast in the name of the sea and tanning : it is loved and renowned for its beaches and wonderful views.

From here you can easily go to the discovery of the other wonders of the surroundings : Portovenere, the Cinque Terre or a trip to the fashionable resorts of Versilia.

Lerici is full of accommodation for sleeping. By planning your trip a little in advance, you can easily find hotels and apartments of all categories and all prices.

Most of the accommodations, hotels, B & Bs are located near the beach, in the historic center or just a few minutes away.

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