Read all of JOY DODDS’ previous Mediterranean Musings – from Italy to Spain and France, and including gastronomic delights …
The rest of the Ligurian Riviera, east to Genova, is known as the Riviera di Ponente, literally “The Coast of the Setting Sun”. An important tourist destination, predominantly for those coming from northern Italy’s cities, it offers art, history and “la bella vita”.
From Imperia to Genoa, to the east of San Remo, lies the Province of Savona in Liguria. The coastline east of Imperia, including Varazze and Savona, is often referred to as the Riviera delle Palme because of its palm trees which feature at the Vatican over Easter. Yet this region of coast, mountains and valleys, has far more than palm trees to discover. Apart from green pines and olive trees, there are Roman ruins, medieval villages and black truffles!
The coastal town of Imperia has a restored port which is home to every vessel from small fishing trawlers to luxury yachts, attracting enticing port-side restaurants and cafes. A nearby promontory is the site of traces of cave dwellers from the pre-Iron Age, with a museum containing art and tools dating from 100,000 years ago.
Albenga’s Medieval Quarter
Located east of Imperia, Alassio is quaintly different again, a coastal resort with a sandy beach and typically Ligurian terracotta and green-shuttered ochre houses. Sheltered from the wind by mountains to the north and west, until the 1930s it was so popular with Britons that the winter population would swell by about 5000. A few kilometres south is Laigueglia, Alassio in miniature, with its colourful houses on the seafront.
Rising from the coast road 10km south of Laigueglia is Cervo, a medieval hilltop village whose maze of ochre alleys leads to the magnificent baroque San Giovanni Battista church, with sweeping views of the Mediterranean.
Further east is the beautifully preserved Roman town of Albenga, whose medieval towers have given it the nickname of the “San Gimignano of Liguria”, after its more famous Tuscan counterpart. Albenga was once located on the seafront until sea level change caused it to lie inland on the Centa River. Albenga’s architecture is fascinating, especially the three 13th century towers around the cathedral of San Michele. To the north of this is Piazza dei Leoni named after its three stone lions. The remains of a Roman ship and its amphoras, sunk around 100BC, can be seen in the Museo Navale Romano.
Albenga cafes and piazza
To amble along Albenga’s narrow lanes, past quirky art-covered walls, is fascinating. In the town centre, the popular Muretto di Alassio is a low wall covered with more than 550 ceramic plaques of celebrities’ signatures. Along with that of Ernest Hemingway (who started it with the cafe’s owner back in 1953) are scores of Italian stars, plus underwater star Jean Cocteau.
Running parallel to the promenade is Alassio’s heart, or rather its intestine, the English translation of “budello”. More prosaically known as Via XX Settembre, this narrow street of tall terracotta buildings is home to attractive shops, delis and cafes.
Nearby Noli’s medieval centre and its ruined walls are fascinating, creating a good deal of character in this old fishing village. Along the Riviera di Ponente are fascinating seabeds to be explored, above all, those around the Island of Gallinara, a Regional Natural Reserve since 1989.
Noli beachfront
Further east lies Finale Ligure, named as one of Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages. Its medieval centre with twisting alleys behind its ancient walls comprise its oldest precinct called Finaleborgo. In stark contrast is other aspect – the laid back seaside town where the bulk of restaurants are found. Finale Marina has a splendid promenade and carruggi (tiny winding lanes and side streets), with elegant shops and lively cafes. Two other precincts, Finalpia and Finalborgo, further inland, add to the creative mix and innate beauty.
Another gem just to the west of Finale Ligure is the tiny seaside town of Pietra Ligure, surrounded by beautiful hills and vegetation, as well as by great beaches. Hospitable accommodation adds to the mix, making it unmissable on the Riviera di Ponente journey.
Borgomaro
And what of the fascinating villages dotting the omnipresent mountains overlooking the Riviera di Ponente? Outdoor activities including rock climbing are popular with holidaymakers in mountain towns such as Borgomaro and Apricaler. The medieval-age village of Borgomaro is built on a hillside sliced in two by a mountain stream. The aged houses along its cobbled alleys are in various states of disrepair while others have successfully been transformed into albergos. The town is famous for its local Taggiasca olives and olive oil, as well as truffles (nero pregiato) excavated from underground mounds and served with risotta – delicious! – and buffalo mozzarella.
In Liguria’s rugged hinterland, other medieval villages hide among the olive groves and wooded peaks. North along the Valle Arroscia lies Pieve di Teco, not far from the Piedmont border. Its massive 18th-century San Giovanni church and neoclassical dome hint at a grand past when the village was an important border town. Now it’s pleasingly sleepy, with a medieval arcaded high street and a huge monthly antiques market.
Gallinara Island
The Coast of the Setting Sun ends at Italy’s maritime giant, Genova. Known as “La Superba”, Liguria’s capital is a fascinating mix of history, architecture, art and culture, throbbing with vitality – but more next time.
TOP IMAGE: Albenga cathedral towers
