Spend five unforgettable days in Liguria, the colorful Italian coast. Start in Genoa, the capital of Liguria, and stay for a few days in Rapallo, a cozy city close to the famous Portofino and Cinque Terre.

This guide includes time for swimming, so it's best for the Summer months. You can also adjust it for milder weather and wander nearby towns instead of swimming.

Cinque Terre, SP, Italy

Genoa, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy

San Fruttuoso, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy

Rapallo, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy

Portofino, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy

Camogli, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy

🇮🇹 A Colourful Liguria - 5 days

The nearest airports are Turin, Milan, and Bergamo. And the best way to reach Genoa is by train.

Depending on the time you arrive to Genoa, you can decide what to do on the rest of the day. You can go for a walk in a pier, take a drink or visit a city center.

If you come to Milano Malpensa or Milan Bergamo, take a bus to Milano Centrale. 

From Turin Airport take a bus to Torino Porta Nuova train station.

Upon arrival, look at Genoa Train station and the statue of Christopher Columbus. Both look nice, especially at night. 

IT - Trenitalia

Always visit this website beforehand to check if there's a strike on the day you arrive. Italians occasionally go on a strike that can mess up your itinerary.

Genoa is the capital of Liguria and the sixth largest city in Italy. Located on the Gulf of Genoa on the Ligurian Sea, Genoa has historically been the most important port on the Mediterranean. It is currently the busiest port in Italy and the Mediterranean, and the twelfth busiest in the European Union. Genoa's central streets are very narrow and confusing. This was done to defend against enemies, who had to get lost in the streets and, because the streets were narrow, could not pass in large numbers. It's better not to wander these streets in the dark, as there is a risk of being attacked.

I've chosen Rapallo as a base town for my trip because I found an affordable hostel there. If you find a place to stay in another nearby city,  adjust the itinerary accordingly.

Rapallo was granted city status in 964, the year it was first documented as a city. In 1229, it joined the Dominion of Genoa and remained under its protection until the Napoleonic Wars. In the 16th century, the Ottomans and Barbary pirates attacked and ravaged the town. A castle was built on the coast to defend against them.

Rapallo is known for its climate, which for many years has been the main reason why wealthy Italians flock to the town for the winter season. The town on the seafront is the perfect place to spend the mild winter months enjoying gentle walks along the sunny promenade.

You can reach Rapallo or almost every nearby town by train. Check Trenitalia website for the timetables.

Take a ferry and go see nearby towns from a boat.

Portofino is a millionaire's town. Therefore, luxury yachts along the coast and luxury shops in the streets can be seen. In the late 19th century, British aristocrats  began to visit Portofino, which they reached by horse-drawn carriages from Santa Margherita Ligure. Later, aristocrats from other northern European countries joined them. Aubrey Herbert and Elizabeth von Arnim were among the most famous people in England who popularised the town. Eventually, the immigrants built expensive holiday homes, and in the 1950s, the town's primary source of money, which used to be fishing, was replaced by tourism.

You can choose to walk to San Fruttuoso or take a ferry. A hiking trail requires you to have good walking shoes. So if you don't have such a thing, you better take a boat.

The San Fruttuoso coastline is a place where boats are moored and where people swim and sunbathe. It's an exciting sight - a boat stops just a meter or two away from a person sunbathing. The town is small - just a church, a waterfront café, two beaches, and a few houses. It can only be reached by boat or footpaths, as no road exists.

Camogli is a fishing town and a tourist holiday destination. Its name dates back to ancient times, but its origin is disputed. One theory is that it is a shortening of the phrase 'Casa de Moglie'. When sailors went to sea, they would leave their wives (mogli) in a house (casa) reserved for them. The town was notorious for this, hence the name Camogli.

The town is attractive because it is situated on a hill and the houses are arranged in a "high-rise". The harbor, seafront, cafes, and restaurants are on the ground floor. The railway station, cafés, and other houses are on the second floor. On the third floor are the railway tracks, houses, etc. Stairs connect the "floors" of the city, and, in one place, there is even an elevator that takes you from the ground floor to the first floor.

Cinque Terre is made up of five towns on the seafront, but only four of them have access to the water. The fifth is accessible by train. Cinque Terre cannot be reached by car. The road to Vernazza is narrow and ends a kilometer before the town. The most convenient way to get there is by train, as trains stop in all five towns and can be accessed from La Spezia and Genoa. The four towns can also be reached from Genoa, La Spezia, Lerici, and Porto Venere.

If you want to walk for 1 or 2 days on the paths or take the trains between the towns of the Cinque Terre without restrictions, you can buy a Cinque Terre card (different cards for walking and trains).

Cinque Terre Card 2023

Train timetable Cinque Terre 2024

Go to the airport by train. If needed, spend one night in a city near the airport. Then you will have one additional evening in Turin, Milan or Bergamo.

1. Go to the last town Riomaggiore by train.

3. To save time, skip Manarola and Corniglia.

Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Vernazza are similar, and Corniglia doesn't have access to the sea. Monterosso al Mare differs from all of the others and resembles Camogli. In this way, you can have more time to spend swimming.

From Monterosso al Mare go back by train.

Spend this day in Rapallo or Santa Margherita Ligure, or go to the beach.

All five towns are linked by a path called the 'Sentiero Azzurro' (blue path), which is popular with tourists, but for some time now, the part of the path called the 'Via dell'Amore' (love path) from Riomaggiore to Manarola has been closed. There is, however, another road linking the two towns, but it is steeper and longer than the closed path along the sea.

🇮🇹 A Colourful Liguria - 5 days

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