Luxury holidays in Riviera di Levante

When to go

The jetset settles in for July and August, when the area’s at its busiest. It’s warm from April until October, so avoid the crowds accordingly. A lot of shops and restaurants shut between November and February.

Getting there

• Planes

  The region’s main airport is Genoa, served by both Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) and British Airways (www.ba.com). There are plenty of car-hire desks.

• Boats

  Tour the coast the traditional way and go by boat: Trasporti Marittimi Golfo Paradiso (www.golfoparadiso.it) runs a ferry service from Camogli to the nearby hamlets of Punta Chiappa and San Fruttuoso, and from mid-June until mid-September, excursions to the Cinque Terre, Portovenere and Gulf of Tigullio.

• Trains

  From Genoa, direct trains go to Camogli and other towns; see Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com) for details.

• Automobiles

  These bendy coastal roads are made for cruising along, so get yourself some wheels, preferably vintage ones, and just beware of the bends.

• Taxis

  All of the busy seaside towns (Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino, Camogli) will have taxi ranks; otherwise, order one: in Camogli, try Taxi Autopubbliche (+39 0185 771143).