Page 111 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italian Riviera

THE IT ALIAN RIVIER A AREA B Y AREA  109

THE RIVIERA DI

LEVANTE

When considering this part of the world, thoughts
turn, inevitably to the great poets who have lauded it,
including the romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley
and Lord Byron – there is even a gulf named in their
honour. These poets and other writers have celebrated the enchantment of the
Riviera di Levante, the gentleness of the climate, the colour of the flowers and
the beauty of the coves.

This stunningly beautiful area genuinely (both on the beaches and the roads).
deserves their praise. The often beautifully However, what may seem like high-season
positioned coastal resorts and villages are chaos to some, is liveliness and fun to
truly delightful, the result of the combined others. Largely in response to the effects of
efforts of man and nature. The contrast increased develop ment, including pollution
between the sea and the steep mountains and erosion, nature reserves, national parks
immediately behind adds to the fascination, and other protected areas have been
which increases when heading inland, into founded both along the coast (such as the
the jagged valleys and ravines where Cinque Terre) and inland, and are a vital
villages cling to hilltops. contribution to the conservation of this
The Riviera di Levante is home to a precious landscape.
number of chic resorts – including The way of life in the interior is a world
Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure and away from the bustling scene on the coast.
Rapallo – once the haunt of European, Steep valleys, formed by the rivers Magra,
and particularly English aristocrats, but Vara and Aveto, cut deep into the land-
now frequented mainly by Italians. scape and are carpeted with dense forest.
Tourism has thrived in this area since the There is a serious problem of population
1800s, though this formidable success has decline in some areas (a problem common
resulted in the arrival of mass tourism and, to all parts of the Italian Apennines), but
with it, inevitably, over-development in village communities dependent on
some areas, and periods of overcrowding agriculture, do survive in the hinterland.

Green shutters and flower-filled balconies, a feature of Ligurian houses
Boats in the harbour of the pretty medieval village of Camogli

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