Discover Mediterranean hotels and villas in Riviera di Levante, Italy

The Riviera di Levante is a sea-facing stretch of winding roads on rugged hillsides, rocky coves and hidden beaches. Belle Epoque seaside towns dot the shores, and have attracted literary luminaries over the decades: DH Lawrence, Ezra Pound and Friedrich Nietzsche have all called by to revel in the warmth. Bordered by Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and France, this is the elite’s holiday playground, where you can’t move for super-size sunglasses. Fishing villages have been given a glamorous makeover: expensive Portofino, Camogli and Santa Margherita Ligure all attract a well-heeled crowd come summer. Get away from it all up in the mountains, where the views of the shiny sea come with the scent of olives, lemons and pines.