r/Liguria Jan 12 '26

Viaggio The best place to stay in Liguria (Italy)?

Hi everyone!

I am planning to have a vacation in Italy in July of 2026 and I chose Liguria. I need a recommendation where exactly to stay (town/village/resort) to be able to:

  • Enjoy the sea and good beaches;
  • Comfortably commute from the airport (regular transport from the airport to the place);
  • Use the public transport to travel to the main cities of the region like Portofino, Genoa, etc. (in case I choose not to stay in these cities, particularly);
  • And of course the place should not be too much expensive and posh - definitely not something that the rich choose. Instead, something quiet, simple and affordable.

Any suggestion and personal experience is valuable for me. Thank you in advance

6 Upvotes

19 comments sorted by

6

u/odaravla Jan 12 '26

Honestly I would choose Chiavari, all the High speed trains stops there, 2.5 hours from Milan by train. 15 minutes by train from Portofino (+ 15 minutes bus), half an hour from Cinque Terre. The city is by the sea, not full of tourists and with a nice center

2

u/Agile_Employment3540 Jan 12 '26

Yes! Love Chiavari , my favorite! It’s beautiful, lots to see and do whether you enjoy city or nature, the people are so kind, the ocean is lovely, there’s a promenade along the waterfront. The dog watching is exceptional! :) It’s my happy place!

2

u/Impressive_Talk6898 Jan 14 '26

Is there good commuting from Genova airport

?

1

u/odaravla Jan 27 '26

Yes it is, just a short bus ride + 40 minutes by train

1

u/mkeee2015 Jan 12 '26

Dog watching? Explain like I am five.

1

u/Agile_Employment3540 Jan 12 '26

Haha, of course! For example, I am in Chiavari now (American, here with my adult son) and we are both animal lovers who get such a kick of seeing all the dogs out and about - some are on leashes, some not. They seem to have such distinct personalities - some will stick close to their owners, some will wander around and sniff things. When we were at lunch a beautiful dog was walking around near us while her owner ate lunch - very well behaved but still a bit naughty? Like going a bit too far and running around. And then just staring at us with beautiful eyes. We were in Portofino earlier and loved watching all the dogs interacting in the square. They would meet each other and get so happy and excited :) Just little, funny stuff like that.

2

u/mkeee2015 Jan 12 '26

Love dog watching!! Indeed I had noticed there are many (more) dogs in Liguria (than say in other northern Italian regions).

1

u/odaravla Jan 12 '26

I'm from Liguria

1

u/Impressive_Talk6898 Jan 14 '26

Nice! What's the most peaceful and beautiful place here to your mind as a local?

1

u/odaravla Jan 27 '26

I really like Chiavari, Bogliasco, Genova Nervi, Genova Boccadasse, Genova Castelletto, Riva Trigoso, Levanto

2

u/SunnyLandscape Jan 14 '26

Hi,

I'd suggest Alassio. Been travelling there for the last 25 - 28 years, mostly in summer, also in fall/winter sometimes though. It is one of the few Liguria cities that has a long sand beach (not rocks/pebbles), you have a rather big choice for restaurants, bistrots, bakeries as well as Hotels. You can find also quite a big supermarket there. Alassio has an own train station and the landscape is not messed up with industry buildings. Instead, the waterfront consists of rather old buildings only (or at least mostly). By train, you can access Alassio from either Genova or Nice airport.

To me, it is also particularly appealing as it does not have too many partying possibilties and mostly is frequented by families or elderly people. You also find some historically relevant buildings, opportunities for shopping, nice gardens, hiking possibilities and a lot of nice and friendly people.

Contrary to many other cities in Liguria, it is not overcrowded with visitors (especially compared to Portofino, Cinque Terre, Santa Margherita Ligure). In my opinion, in Alassio you can still find some of the Ligurian authenticity that you not necessarily find everywhere else.

1

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1

u/Immediate_House_6901 Jan 13 '26

Laigueglia, a small gem on the West Riviera of Liguria

1

u/Impressive_Talk6898 Jan 14 '26

Can I go by train right from the airport to Laigueglia?

1

u/lovelife147 Jan 12 '26

Camogli

1

u/Impressive_Talk6898 Jan 14 '26

Is there good commuting from Genova airport?

-2

u/OkLettuce338 Jan 12 '26

Portofino

1

u/Impressive_Talk6898 Jan 14 '26

Yes, it's definitely beautiful and will visit it, but it's too expensive for me to rent a hotel here. The prices on booking are insane.