Liguria

The Italian Riviera - pretty, quirky and picture postcard perfect. Curving north westwards around the Mediterranean, towards France, and nestled amongst rocky coves, this region comes alive in the summer months.

Divided into four provinces of Genoa, Imperia, La Spezia and Savona, Liguria has a lot to offer its visitors. The capital of Liguria, Genoa, is where you'll find the famous Piazzi De Ferrari; Imperia has the lovely little alleyed town of Porto Maurizio; La Spezia is part of Italy's largest Naval base with museums and Castello San Giorgio to explore and Savona's 15th Century Ceramics museum is worth a visit.

Cinque Terre is particularly popular for visitors and it isn't hard to see why. The string of five small seaside villages are situated on the edge of the jagged coastline, with colourful houses and tiny harbours full of fishing boats, the seafood here is of the highest quality, and the views are nothing less than stunning.

Portofino, a fishing village and pretty harbour shaped in a half moon crescent, is legendary for being an exclusive holiday spot for the rich and famous and attract those with the most lavish yachts to moor there for a stay.