Liguria is the place you imagine when you think of Italy’s spectacularly scenic Mediterranean coastline, stylish Europeans sipping spritzs behind oversized sunglasses, perhaps aboard fabulous yachts bobbing in crystalline waters. I’d traveled to Italy 15 times and when a friend asked why I’d never been to Liguria, I had no answer. It was time!
There are many lovely small cities and towns dotting the Ligurian coast, all with their own particular charms. We settled on Camogli, midway between the bustling seaport city of Genoa to the north and Riomaggiore, the southernmost of the ever- popular Cinque Terre—the Five Towns. We had a rental car and planned to drive from Ortesei in the Val Gardena, where we’d spent a week at the Adler Dolomiti hiking in the beautiful Italian Alps, to the Ligurian coast.
The freeways were fine, but rain and traffic slowed us down considerably. We’d been driving for nearly six and half hours for a trip that should have taken just over five, when 90 minutes shy of our destination we entered another of an endless string of tunnels (the Italians call them galleries) and quickly noticed that not only had traffic completely stopped, but everyone around us had turned off their engines. Did I mention I was claustrophobic? Just as I was beginning to hyperventilate, the people in a car ahead of ours jumped out, skateboard and a soccer ball in hand.
This was the distraction I needed for the next hour until miraculously, engines started, and traffic began to move ever so slowly out of the tunnel. What a relief to finally arrive at the Cenobio dei Dogi in Camogli.
Camogli- Under the Radar but Not for Long
We chose the Cenobio after reading about it in a Frances Mayes book. It’s a stylish grand dame of a hotel, with a prime location at the end of the esplanade overlooking the sea and the town below. It has a private beach, a pool with plenty of lounge chairs, a well-reviewed restaurant and an outdoor terrace for drinks and lunch, all with amazing sea views. It is steps away from the main pedestrian street, Largo Luigi Simonetti, and a five-minute walk to the train station.
We had phoned ahead (from the tunnel), and they had a table was waiting for us in Il Doges restaurant. We tucked into a fresh mushroom salad, spaghetti al vongole (with clams), and a tower of fritto misto del mare with every kind of fish imaginable, before heading upstairs where we were lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves below.
Our room was on the top floor of the bright pink building behind the main hotel. The room was amply sized, and simply but comfortably furnished with a private balcony. I could have spent every waking moment admiring the sea view.
Camogli boasts a bevy of tall pastel- hued buildings, most at least six stories high, looking out to the sea, where historically, many in this community have earned their livelihood. There are more working boats than pleasure craft in Camogli’s harbor and townspeople go about the business of living among the tourists who descend on the pedestrian main street in search of fresh seafood, focaccia, and beachy souvenirs.
We devoted the next day to exploring Camogli, wandering the harbor area, window shopping, and learning about the Sagra del Pesce. Since 1952, the town has hosted a huge annual fried fish feast, originally served free to all. The event happens the second weekend in May, and honors the patron saint of fishermen, San Fortunato.
The early festivals used smaller cookware but in 1954, the first of a series of massive pans was introduced. That one was four meters in diameter. Two of these immense pans are displayed on a wall on Via Guiseppe Garabaldi near the Largo Luigi Simonetti. This year, three tons of fish, fried in 3,000 liters of olive oil, were served. In all, 30,000 portions were prepared by volunteers. Hungry attendees are asked to contribute 6 Euro each, all of which goes to charity. They even fry up gluten-free portions of fish!
The Largo Luigi Simonetti, an elevated esplanade above the sea, serves as the main thoroughfare and is where you’ll find most of the town’s restaurants and shops. Families gather and children ride bicycles around the small piazzetta, which is also a perfect place for a sunset aperitivo and dinner.
One of the joys of staying in a seaside town is all the fresh fish. Camogli has so many excellent places to eat it was hard to choose, but Izoa was one of our favorites.
Camogli has its share of tourists who visit, eat, shop, and mostly depart by nightfall. The crowds here do not compare to towns further south, particularly in the Cinque Terre, and we were very grateful for that!
The Abbey at San Fruttuoso
A trip to the Abbey at San Fruttuoso is a highlight of a stay in Camogli. This beautiful Benedictine abbey dates to the 10th century and can only be accessed by foot – an arduous hours-long hike to the end of the peninsula, or a pleasant less than 30 -minute jaunt aboard a boat. You can catch the regularly scheduled boat, which is well signed-posted, on Camogli’s pier near the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta.
After a quick stop at Punta Chiappa, we landed on the beach below the abbey. Upon arrival, you have options. You can climb the stone stairs up to reach the abbey immediately, take a hike up the hill beside it for the views, or just relax on the beach, as we saw a number of people doing.
Many beaches in this area are filled with smooth stones rather than sand, so pack your aqua socks. The cobbles are really hard on tender feet!
There are two small restaurants on either side of the beach that we didn’t visit but seemed to be doing a good business. We climbed the steps, past the old rowboats and went inside to explore the maritime art, medieval artifacts, and antiquities housed on several floors of the abbey. We also visited the 10th century chapel and the crypt.
Though the abbey was important in the 11th and 12th centuries, it fell into disrepair and in 1467 was abandoned by the Benedictine monks who founded it. Genoa’s Doria family assumed patronage which lasted until 1885. Many members of the prominent family are buried here in the striking grey and white marble crypt.
We spent a few hours exploring the Abbey and the grounds and were back in Camogli in time for a leisurely late lunch on the hotel’s terrace and a swim.
The Cinque Terre–Beautiful But…
Since we were so close to the Cinque Terre, we planned to take a train early the next morning to Riomaggiore, the southernmost of the five towns, and make our way back up the coast by boat, stopping in each of the towns as we went. We had a car, but parking is almost impossible in these small Ligurian towns. It was a gorgeous, sunny October day — perfect for exploring, or so we thought. We caught a local train and less than an hour later disembarked along with a shocking number of other visitors. We could not believe how crowded the town was in the so-called off season.
Riomaggiore
We made our way through the heaving throngs down to the pier only to find a sign announcing there would be no boats “due to adverse weather.” Too nice to spend the day at work was our guess!
We waited to climb up the stone steps to enjoy the views out over the water, waited to climb back down, waited to get a cup of coffee, and waited some more. We were not enjoying the highly touted charms of Riomaggiore. We decided to get on a train heading north and pay a visit to Vernazza, reputed to be the most beautiful of the five towns.
Vernazza
If Riomaggiore was crowded, Vernazza was mobbed! Even climbing the stairs to exit the train station was a challenge. There were tour groups galore. We finally made our way down to the water, and after noting the crowds, headed for the 11th century church of Santa Margherita d’Antiocchia for a bit of peace and quiet.
After a walk around the main square, Piazza Marconi, we decided to head back to Camogli.
The ticket machine at the station wouldn’t take our credit cards or our cash. We asked the information person what to do since we didn’t want to get a fine, or worse, for traveling without a valid ticket. He laughed, said the machines had been broken for some time and advised we just get on the train with the tickets we’d used to come south. On we went, back down through the masses to the tracks below and northward to Camogli. We treated ourselves to gelato, headed for the hotel, and spent the rest of the afternoon at their private beach, enjoying the serenity of our beautiful little town.
Picture Perfect Portofino
By now we had explored Camogli, visited the much-vaunted Cinque Terre, had gone swimming in the Ligurian Sea’s crystal-clear waters, enjoyed a spritz or two, but still hadn’t seen any yachts. One stop on the local train took us to Santa Margherita Ligure and then a short bus ride brought us to picture-perfect Portofino.
The pretty town boasts upscale boutiques, inviting restaurants and a gorgeous harbor filled with yachts. There were also plenty of tourists, which at this point was not unexpected. We had a nice wander around town but the sculpture garden, Museo del Parco, we had planned to visit was closed, though we’d checked the website first.
We hiked up the hill to the lovely church of San Giorgio, lit a few candles and enjoyed the views. We realized we could probably see at least some of the art from above and took a winding path back down from the church to the harbor, enjoying the sculpture as we went.
We decided to take a boat back to Santa Margherita Ligure—an excellent choice as it turned out. The boat took us on a scenic tour of the harbor where we saw plenty of pleasure craft, and spotted magnificent homes in the hills above the town.
After our all too brief boat ride, we enjoyed a walk around Santa Margherita Ligure’s waterfront and headed to the train station for the one- stop train ride back to Camogli.
Genoa
Here’s where our well-planned day took a turn. Santa Margherita Ligure’s station was small and didn’t have the large electronic signs with train numbers, expected arrival times and destinations you’ll typically find in Italian train stations. Five minutes before ours was due, a train pulled in and I insisted we get on. My husband reluctantly climbed aboard and as soon as the doors closed, I sensed I’d made a mistake. This train was much more luxurious than the locals we’d been taking up and down the coast. Sure enough, when I asked another passenger if the next stop was Camogli, he shrugged and said, “No lo so, Camogli.” –he didn’t know Camogli. Not a good sign. A conductor came along and when I showed him our tickets he laughed and announced we were on an express train to Genoa which, by the way, had nine different stations. He advised we keep our tickets, get off at Piazza Principe, and take the next local train back to Camogli.
We arrived in Genoa in less than 30 minutes. The leisurely ride back to Camogli took more than an hour and stopped no fewer than eleven times, but the views over the sea were spectacular. Lesson learned. Trains in Italy may be delayed, but they do not arrive early.
Though I still struggle with the appeal of the tourist- packed Cinque Terre and our misadventures landed us in Genoa, I loved our time in Liguria. It is a beautiful area with enormous charm, delicious food and wine, and absolutely worth a visit. I’ll definitely return to Camogli, may explore Genoa, but will give the Cinque Terre a miss next time!
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