Highlights of Liguria and Tuscany on a Mediterranean Coastal Journey
This is the third in a series of posts about our Collette tour along the Mediterranean coasts of France, Spain, and Italy. We’ve been to Italy many times but the Collette trip enabled us to see many new exciting places and participate in fun new activities. Come along to get a glimpse of the final portion of our trip that included some of the alluring highlights of Liguria and Tuscany.
Cinque Terre on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria
Genoa and picturesque seaside villages on the Ligurian coast
One of my travel goals is to visit every region in Italy. Our Collette Mediterranean Coastal Journey tour enabled me to add Liguria on the Mediterranean coast of the northwest portion of Italy. We were based for three nights in the region’s capital city of Genoa, taking day trips to picture-perfect seaside villages.
Genoa (Genova)
I was very much looking forward to a first visit to the classical Italian city of Genoa and the Italian Riviera on our tour. I anticipated an interesting step back in time and a look at Genoese culture and history. On day trips, I was prepared to be mesmerized by the colorful hillside villages and terraced vineyards of Cinque Terre, and the glamour of Portofino. I was not disappointed!
Porto Antico (Old Port) area of Genoa
The history of Genoa goes back to the Middle Ages as a wealthy and powerful trading port and center of art and culture.
Port of Genoa
Today, the Port of Genoa is the busiest Italian port, supporting global commerce and many cruise lines.
Vista of Genoa and the Mediterranean Sea
A morning walking tour of the Centro Storico (historic city center), a UNESCO-listed site, took us down narrow streets and alleyways, often a little gritty but pretty, and also brought us to overviews with vistas of the sea and port in the distance.
Genoa’s old town
Genoa
Surrounded by imposing buildings and palazzos, the central fountain in the Piazza de Ferrari was built in 1936. While admiring the architecture and people-watching, look for cool sculptures life Benoît by French-Italian sculptor Bruno Catalano (a temporary installation shown below) and other artistic pieces. Other key landmarks to see are the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the Palace of the Doges, and Teatro Carlo Felice.
Fountain and sculpture at Piazza de Ferrari
Our hotel for three nights during our Ligurian exploration was located on the renovated Old Port of Genoa, a very vibrant place with restaurants and shops lining the harbor. On the balmy evenings we were there, we loved walking along the promenade lined by palm trees. It’s a great place to shop, eat, drink, take the Bigo panoramic elevator ride, or visit the Galeone Neptune (an impressive replica of a 17th-century built in 1985 for Roman Polanski’s film, Pirates).
Porto Antico (Old Port) of Genoa
Portofino
We arrived in beautiful Portofino by boat from Santa Margherita Ligure, another lovely seaside resort town of the Italian Riviera. The 15-minute boat ride added to the diversity of our tour and is a very scenic way to approach and leave Portofino.
Portofino
Portofino is one of those places that come to my mind when thinking about idyllic Italian destinations of the rich and famous. It’s understandable why it has gained notoriety over many decades.
Portofino
It continues to be an alluring and glamorous destination for people from around the world. Portofino’s famous piazzetta, the small square facing the waterfront, is bustling with tourists browsing the shops and stopping for lunch at one of the cafes and restaurants. During free time in the town, Mr. TWS and I found an outdoor table at one of the upscale restaurants to have a refreshment and take in la dolce vita (the sweet life) of the Italian Riviera.
Cinque Terre
You’ve probably seen countless depictions of the cliffside fishing villages of Cinque Terre (translates to “Five Lands”) in photos, paintings, and even jigsaw puzzles. This picturesque strip of the eastern Ligurian coastline includes the towns of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore (listed from north to south). A fun part of our tour was riding the local train ride to visit two of the towns.
Manarola
Boats and snorkelers in the waters below the colorful hillside buildings of Manarola
We were guided by a Cinque Terre local who showed us those two picturesque towns of Manarola and Vernazza. In Manarola, we steadily climbed steps and some steep narrow alleyways to the highest point of the town for panoramic views. Seen in the photo above is the harbor with boats, swimmers, snorkelers, and a few people jumping into the crystal clear water from the cliffs.
Colorful buildings along a winding street of Manarola
The terraced vineyards of Manarola (seen in photo below) have been maintained and expanded since the early days of the town. It’s pretty amazing to picture the residents carving the terrain to plant and harvest on these steep hillside terraces over the centuries.
The Church of San Lorenzo (its bell tower is seen in the photo below) was built in 1338 and is evidence of Manarola possibly being the oldest of the Cinque Terre towns.
Terraced hillsides of Manarola
Vernazza
Vernazza
From Manarola, we boarded the local train to go to Vernazza. We strolled around the busy town and its small square on the harbor. We were lucky to find an outdoor table at one of the appealing restaurants on the square for a lovely lunch. A few others in our group chose to walk to an old castle ruins above the harbor from which they said were fantastic views.
Lunchtime in Vernazza on the harbor square
A taste of Liguria
Sweet and savory delights of Liguria – brioches, fresh pasta, panissa, sardines, Genoese focaccia, pesto lasagna, and candies in the center
The tastiest lunch we had in Liguria was in Recco at Da O’ Vittorio, famous for its cheese-filled focaccia. After a lively demonstration of how they make this specialty dish, we were treated to a hearty meal of several courses featuring the focaccia and other traditional Ligurian delights such as panissa and pasta with home-made pesto sauce.
Fun fact: Each May, Recco hosts the Recco Focaccia Festival. That would be fun to attend!
Cheese-filled focaccia we watched be prepared (at bottom) and other traditional dishes in Recco
A glimpse of Tuscany — the final part of our Collette tour
As we entered the final two days of our trip, we left Genoa and headed inland to Florence and the Tuscan countryside, a region we’d previously visited and were happy to experience again guided by Collette.
Tuscan countryside
Art and culture in Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance”
You won’t be alone when you visit Florence because it is a truly amazing city of art and culture that attracts people from all over the world. It’s a must-see at least once but return visitors find renewed admiration and plenty more to experience.
Our Collette itinerary included a walking tour of the historic center of Florence with a local guide who led us expertly through the crowded streets to the important sites of the city. At the Loggia dei Lanzi on the iconic Piazza della Signoria, we admired the imposing statues, fountain and architecture around us.
Neptune Fountain on Piazza della Signoria
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is a stunning landmark of Florence completed in 1436. In the photo below, its imposing facade is seen at the end of one of Florence’s narrow streets.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Cathedral
There are many shopping opportunities for souvenirs, gifts, locally-produced crafts, fine leather products, and specialty food items.
Perusing shops along the streets of Florence
Another iconic landmark of Florence is the Ponte Vecchio (“Old Bridge”), aptly named as it is the oldest stone bridge in Europe.
Ponte Vecchio in Florence
For many, including me, seeing in person the famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo is a must. There are also more incredible paintings, sculptures, and plaster casts to see at the Galleria dell’Accademia (Accademia Gallery). A bonus is the Museum of Musical Instruments in a gallery wing with 50 musical instruments dating from 1568 to the 20th century, including acquisitions made by the Medicis.
David, the famous masterpiece of Michelangelo at the Accademia Gallery
Beautiful landscapes and medieval hillside towns of Tuscany
San Gimignano
On the hilltops of Tuscany, there are beautiful and charming medieval towns that can be seen throughout the region. One of the most well-known and architecturally unique is San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Towers of San Gimignano
The towers of San Gimignano form a striking skyline. Walking the narrow streets, you gaze up at these imposing sights as you would skyscrapers in a large city. The first towers were built by clans in the Middle Ages to watch for rival forces. Then throughout the centuries, additional towers were added to demonstrate power and wealth. At its peak, San Gimignano had 72 towers. Two of the remaining 14 towers can be seen partially in the photo above. — San Gimignano is famous for its hand-painted ceramics, and we saw several shops, especially along the main street Via San Giovanni which is also lined with restaurants, and galleries. — TWS On the Hilltops of Tuscany
Away from the bustle of tourists on a quiet side street in San Gimignano
Throughout the town as you climb the main street, walk around the squares, and admire the vistas of the Tuscan countryside, you’ll also notice contemporary art works that enhance the already spectacular views (such as shown below).
Statue on a hillside of San Gimignano and vista of the Tuscan countryside
A taste of Tuscany
Truffle hunting and tasting
We love truffle-hunting experiences. Our first was several years ago in Emilia-Romagna and more recently on a Balkans tour with Collette. It’s fun to follow along with the expertly-trained truffle-hunting dogs who sniff out the hiding places of this delicious and precious funghi. A highlight of this Tuscany experience was having a lunch using truffles as a main ingredient prepared for us by the owners of the business on the patio of their home that included truffle and honey sauce drizzled on cheese, truffle spread on thick slices of bread, and truffle shavings crowning delectable pasta.
Truffle hunting and lunch with truffle dishes in Tuscany
Dinner in Florence
In Florence, a Collette-included meal took our group to Casa Toscana, a long-established Tuscan restaurant on a side street near Piazza di Santa Croce. Served with the traditional courses pictured below was a nice Tuscan Chianti, of course!
Dinner at Casa Toscana in Florence — soup, salad, Chianti wine, pasta with tomatoes and stracciatella cheese
Too quickly, after five nights in Italy to enjoy the highlights of Liguria and Tuscany, it was time to head back home, taking the very special memories of our Collette Mediterranean Journey with us.
Arrivederci, Italia!
View of the Tuscan countryside from San Gimignano
Disclosure: Collette sponsored our Mediterranean Coastal Journey tour, but the perspectives shared in this post are strictly our own. And the pleasure was all ours!
Cathy, Val and I were in Italy last month as well. Used Trafalgar for our tour. Rome-Pompeii-Capri-Assisi-Venice-Pisa-Tuscany-Rome-home. Beautiful Sites, fantastic food, very good people on our bus (though by the end, a bunch of us were coughing, I tested positive). Glad we took business class for our flights.
Oh, it turns our tour guide 1. it was retiring after us. 2. His last name is Val’s maiden name. She will pursue if there is a connection.
Our 2025 stop, Poland.
Great pictures on your trip. Take care.
Thanks for the comment! Glad you and Val enjoyed your Italy trip. For your upcoming Poland trip, check out my three posts about Poland — Warsaw, Krakow (which included a day trip to Auschwitz), and Wroclaw.