Slowing down on the Italian Riviera (From York Press)

Slowing down on the Italian Riviera

10:48am Saturday 5th November 2011 in Holiday reviews By Matt Clark

Mystique and adventure off the beaten track on the Italian Riviera. Words and pictures by MATT CLARK.

RIVIERA may conjure images of Cannes, with its film stars, or St Tropez, full of beautiful people and yachts the size of pocket battleships, but cross the border from Menton and parts of the Italian Riviera are surprisingly different; an adventure even.

Here you will find traditional fishing communities where no one speaks English, slow trains and hidden villages that can only be reached by boat.

This is Liguria, a region characterised by waterside houses painted in pastel shades which glow as gloriously as the sunsets.

And at this time of year, chances are you will only rub shoulders with the locals. It’s a part of Italy that has little in common with Rome or Milan. There’s an air of Abruzzo about Finalborgo, which is widely regarded as the most beautiful medieval town in Italy.

And next door is the lovely seaside town Finale Ligure nestling under the steep Rock of Caprazoppa. This is a charming, slightly faded and mostly uncrowded resort – except in high summer.

Further along, Genoa old town is worth a visit if you have the time. If not, change trains and head for Portofino, the Riviera’s most glamorous location. Here you will bump into crowds again with ferries delivering tourists by the hordes.

But stay overnight and you can have the place almost to yourself.

When Ingrid Bergman and Elizabeth Taylor fell for Portofino’s charms, locals in this simple fishing village couldn’t understand what the fuss was about. To them it was a place to haul in the day’s catch, or mend nets on ancient cobbles before catching up with the week’s gossip over coffee.

You don’t happen on the village by chance. It’s at the end of the road, there’s nowhere to park and the best way to get here is by ferry. It also gives you the most spectacular view.

As you approach, Portofino looks unchanged, apart from sun-seeker yachts bobbing with the fishing smacks in the quaint horseshoe harbour. Pastel cottages painted in ochre and russet have kept their faded charm by avoiding designer makeovers; fishermen still mend their nets on the ancient cobles before catching up with the week’s gossip over coffee.

In truth though, it has changed. Madonna and Kylie now list Portofino as a favourite destination and Rod Stewart chose the village for his marriage to Penny Lancaster.

While the chandlers’ shops have given way to designer labels around the Piazzetta, this place remains one of simple pleasures. Join the locals at Canale Bakery, the only one in town, to buy focaccia for breakfast, and later head down to the harbour side for the unpretentious and surprisingly reasonable Ristorante Puny for lunch.

It may be the place celebs like to be seen, but Puny, the owner, runs a proper old-fashioned trattoria, where regulars chat with staff while the gregarious host will regale you with the latest news as you sample his speciality curried risotto with prawns.

To work off those calories, take the two hour walk to San Fruttuoso, set in a stunning cove of pebbles and dominated by a huge Benedictine abbey. You can only get here by boat or on foot and the best way to head back is again by ferry for a perfect panorama of rugged coasts filled with the heady scent of thyme.

Another boat ride will take you to Santa Margherita Ligure, another wonderfully old-fashioned and picturesque Riviera town, which has long been popular as an out of season resort because of its balmy climate.

A feature of Riviera towns is Trompe L’Oeil decorations to the houses which give a painted impression of grandeur and like Portofino, Santa Margherita has some fine examples along the quayside.

Next door is Rapallo. The town was sacked successively through the ages and its symbol, the Castle on the sea, was built in 1551 to defend against pirate invasions.

These days Rapallo is a peaceful, elegant town with a seafront promenade adorned by palm trees and flower beds, which offers a breathtaking view of the bay. To be honest you could stop almost anywhere in the Italian Riviera and be stunned by the simple beauty of its villages.

And while things may have changed since Ingrid Bergman discovered the region, travelling here still involves mystique and adventure. Thank goodness for slow boats and trains.

• Ferries run hourly between Rapallo, Santa Margherita and Portofino and there are summer excursions from Rapallo to Le Cinque Terre.