Why go
West of Genoa, the Riviera di Ponente leads toward Sanremo, Bordighera and the French border. East of the city, the Riviera di Levante includes Portofino, the Cinque Terre and Lerici. That split helps you choose between distinct groups of coastal towns while keeping the sea and the steep inland landscape in view.
What to look for
- Genoa marks the divide between the Riviera di Ponente and Riviera di Levante.
- The coastal strip is pressed between the Ligurian Sea and the Alps and Apennines.
- The Cinque Terre villages occupy one section of the broader eastern riviera.
Useful to know
- Choose western or eastern Liguria before building a town-to-town plan; the riviera spans nearly the full regional coast.
- For a focused eastern visit, group Portofino or Cinque Terre with other nearby coastal stops rather than trying to cover the whole region.