Apartments in Santa Margherita Ligure

Fishing boats bob in the harbour like colourful toys while locals sip espresso at cafés that haven't changed their recipes in generations. Villa Durazzo offers gardens with views that explain why Italian painters never ran out of inspiration. Take a ferry to glamorous Portofino where the yachts are bigger than some hotels. The Regional Natural Park of Portofino rewards hikers with Mediterranean vistas that seem almost deliberately theatrical. Paraggi Beach provides perfect swimming in waters so clear you can count fish without getting wet. After exploring Santa Margherita Ligure Castle, settle at a harbourside restaurant where seafood arrives having barely met the refrigerator. For a perfect day trip, the dramatic cliff-hugging villages of Cinque Terre await just up the coast.