Portofino: la piazzetta

Sanremo, il quartiere della Pigna

Monterosso al mare: torre di avvistamento

Are you dreaming of the most beautiful views, the most intense perfumes and the most enchanting colours: This tour of the Cinque Terre and the Riviera of the flowers will bring your dream to life. Although this area is famous for sun and sea, you will discover the charms don’t stop when you leave the coast.

This tour will take you from the Cinque Terre, the realm of vintage wine, passing through Portofino, the most elegant and exclusive “salon” in Liguria, before finally arriving in Sanremo, “The City of Flowers”par excellence, with her intense perfumes and myriad of colours.

You will find yourself in places of exceptional beauty, with their own special atmosphere, rich in tradition, culture and nature just waiting to be explored.

Here you can savour the perfumes and tastes of an area which is rich and fascinating for it’s history, it’s art and for it’s ancient culinary tradition.

Make yourself a present of a holiday based round art and the sea: we invite you to come with us on a journey to discover the art, the colours and the perfumes of Italy. This is a “hot invitation” made with open arms. Take up the invitation because you will have a holiday to remember with pleasure and... to repeat.

1st Day

Arrival in late afternoon in Rapallo in your 3 or 4 star hotel.

Dinner and overnight stay.

2nd Day: A treasure called “Cinque Terre”

The intense perfumes and colours of the Cinque Terre will accompany you as you tour the most evocative and romantic spots on the Riviera di Levante.

After breakfast you will transfer to the port for embarkation on to a small boat for an exciting trip which will enable you to admire the entire coastline of the Cinque Terre. Using the boat also ensures ease of movement between the different neighbourhoods of the Cinque Terre. First stop is the delightful village of Monterosso al mare, a village which is surrounded by hills covered in vines and olives. The vegetation is all the way round the village, almost like a warm embrace: the superb beach, the dramatic cliffs and the crystal clear sea water make this one of the most welcoming spots on the Riviera di Levante.

The “torre medioevale Aurora”, which is located above the hill of the “Cappuccini”, separates the ancient and modern parts of the village. In the church of “San Francesco” you will find notable works of art among which is a Crucifixion attributed by many people to Van Dyck.

You are free to enjoy lunch in one of the many local restaurants where, as well as tasting some of the excellent Ligurian cuisine, you will be able to try for yourself the famous wine of the Cinque Terre.

Return to your hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

3rd Day: The Glories of Times Past

Towards the Riviera di Ponente taking in the treasures of Portofino and Sanremo. An exciting experience filled with the sun and the sea.

After breakfast you will depart for Portofino for an exciting excursion in this most exclusive of fishing villages in the place known as the most elegant and exclusive in Liguria. Here you will find the most surprising and varied of landscapes in terms of colour and of panorama!

You will visit the imposing and picturesque fortress of San Giorgio, also known as castle Brown. The castle, which was built in 1554, is surrounded by a flower filled Mediterranean garden which also contains rose gardens and pergolas. The elevated position of the site, which controls access to the inlet always had a military use. Since 1961 it has been the property of the city and it is now used as office accommodation for the Marine Park and the meteorological services.

Lunch time is free for you to sample the delights of the traditional cuisine of the area.

Afterwards you will embark on a small boat from Portofino for the bay of S. Fruttuoso, a little fishing village where it is of great interest to visit the area of the abbey and the 500 hundred year old Torre dei Doria. For many centuries the abbey belonged to the Doria-Panphili family: in 1986 they donated it to the FAI, who have overseen the restoration and re-opening to the public.

At the end of your visit you will return by boat to Portofino.

Onward travel to Sanremo for check in to your 3 or 4 star hotel.

Dinner and overnight stay.

For a memorable after dinner experience why not try your luck at the gaming tables in the historic Casinò Municipale.

4th Day: Sanremo in Bloom

An unforgettable day as you move between the most important residences of the city, all of which are surrounded by gardens in full bloom.

Your day will begin in the eastern area of the city with a visit to the Villa Ormond. The villa was built by the “Sanremese” family Rambaldi, before being taken over by the Parisian Ormond family in 1887. The recently renovated park is in the late 19th century French style. The colourful plants of the garden have been assembled from every corner of the globe: from the Canaries to Japan, from Tasmania to China and from California to Brazil.

In the immediate vicinity you will find the Villa Nobel, the last home of the Swedish Scientist. You are invited to visit both the exterior and the interior of the villa which is located in a park full of pavilions and ornamental statues. In the interior you will find a collection of relics and equipment which belonged to the scientist on display. The exhibition includes his laboratory, and the apartment where he drew up the famous testimony which brought to life the prize bearing his name.

For lunch you will be free to taste typical Ligurian fare in one of the authentic “Trattoria” of the city or, if you prefer, there are many restaurants which provide international cuisine.

In the afternoon you will visit the lovely historic centre of Sanremo: La Pigna. This area was very close to the heart of Italo Calvino who used it in his novel “Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno”. It is known as la Pigna, and even today it retains much of the feel of a medieval borough. In this way the more inquisitive visitor will be able to find a hidden Sanremo, a city of winding staircases and twisting alleyways, of arches and buttresses and of secluded and serene little squares. At the very top is the “Santuario della Madonna della Costa”, protector of seafarers, which affords a spectacular panorama of the city.

Return to your hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

5th Day: Departure after breakfast.