Riviera di Levante

The Riviera di Levante follows the Ligurian shore east of Genoa, where steep hills descend to the sea. Along the coast between the Cinque Terre and Portovenere, generations of inhabitants built terraces supported by dry-stone walls, creating cultivable ground on the difficult slopes. Small towns occupy narrow valleys and promontories beside the water. Riomaggiore's houses line the valley of a stream, one of the settlements shaped by the meeting of mountain and sea.