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A
multitude of small centres, whose dimensions and atmospheres are a joy for both
body and soul, mark the coastline of Liguria, a place of wonder where steep,
green hills and sparkling seas of blue harmoniously meet. Resorts on a human
scale, fit for relaxing holidays under the sign of nature and history. Deiva
Marina should be discovered at a slow pace, exploring corners of amenity and
beauty. Settings and architectures unravel the past and the trades of the area,
from the two Genoese towers to the church of Sant’Antonio Abate and the hundred
gems embedded in the landscape.
Deiva Marina is a pleasant seaside resort a stone’s distance from the Tigullio
and from the Parco Naturale delle Cinque Terre. A long-standing favourite of
Ligurian tourism, it boasts a quiet atmosphere, beautiful beaches, excellent
accommodation facilities and a tourist information centre. Recently, its waters
have been awarded the international F.E.E.E. Blue Flag.
The
landscape is a Mediterranean feast of sandy beaches, tiny coves, thick woods and
centuries-old creuze climbing through the hills among cultivated terraces, the reign
of olive trees, vineyards and dry-stone walls – not to forget painters, poets and
photographers. The vegetation is an array of cluster pines, chestnut trees, helm-oaks
and cork oaks, traversed by trails heading to the most secret heart of the area.
Natural and cultural excursions lead to a host of hamlets - an itinerary follows
the tracks of the ancient Via Francigena, once thread by pilgrims and wayfarers.
Do not miss a drive to the Passo del Bracco, providing corners of enchantment and
breathtaking views in a habitat crystallized in time.
Farming
was probably introduced in the district by laymen and clergymen from the renowned
Abbazia of Bobbio, founded in the early Middle Ages by the Irish monk Saint Columbanus
as a stronghold of faith, knowledge and agriculture. In the following centuries
the area was the seat of numberless feudal struggles, up to the Genoese conquest,
which put an end to the alliance between the powerful families of the Da Passano,
Fieschi and Malaspina. A token of the domination of the Republic of Genoa is the
Saracen tower standing in the centre of the resort. Traces of this age of intense
devotion and belligerency show in a dense network of churches, sanctuaries, oratories
and ruins. Like several other coastal villages, the first settlements were located
inland for defensive reasons – commercial boost on the seashore being a more recent
phenomenon.
Deiva Marina’s dualism is the asset of assets: the coast intertwines continually
with the entroterra in a mix of traditions that reverberate also in the flavours
of local gastronomy – the triumph of fish (anchovies reign in a hundred recipes),
vegetables, oil, white wines and sparkling lemons, yellow way marks dotting the
Ligurian Riviere. All year round vacations, fit for every tourist target, are the
area’s precious treasure: the sea sun summer formula is in fact completed by cultural
and religious events, as well as by any sports activity you can imagine. A blue&green
holiday, relaxing and dynamic, full of suntan, trekking, shopping (Saturday is market
day) and diving.
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