Holiday Apartment in Liguria, Cinque Terre, Italy.

If you’re looking for an authentic rural Italian holiday then this is it!

Carro with Castello in the background. The sunny apartment is at the top left hand side of the village.

You can rent a perfect holiday apartment in an ideal setting for nature lovers, walkers, or cycling.

Italy has also has some wonderful rural areas which are perhaps its best kept secret. From the Alps in the north down to Mount Etna in Sicily, it is a country of mountains, hills, forests, wonderful scenery, and delightful regional differences.

This holiday apartment is in the beautiful Alta Val de Vara (valley of the River Vara), and is an idyllic place to spend a holiday. It is a spacious, comfortable, private flat that sleeps four in the delightful village of Carro.

The apartment is the highest building in this photo

Carro is located in the vale of Velva and nestled close to it are three tiny historic villages called Pavareto, Cerreta, and Agnola. It is a wonderful place for walkers and cyclers.

It is a Roman hillside village with a 15th century church, Chiesa di San Lorenzo. Although it is small, it has a bar, a grocery shop, a post office, a chemist open for an hour a day, and a wonderfully active, friendly community.

Narrow street outside the apartment

Nicolo Paganini’s parents were born and lived in Carro, and an annual music festival is held here (from the 14th July till the end of August) when esteemed classical musicians are invited from all over the world to play under the stars. Tickets for people staying in Carro are always available.

World class music festival in Carro’s church piazza

The valley is almost entirely in the province of La Spezia in Liguria, and it connects La Spezia with Genoa with a spectacular autostrada that cuts its way through the mountains. Its other main road is the Roman Via Aurelia, one of the most beautiful roads in Europe that meanders along the coastline all the way from Rome to Genoa.

This is a sparsely populated area dotted with charming villages, characteristic towns, and wonderful unspoiled countryside. The river Vara is wonderful for wild swimming in the summer. Wonderful places like Pisa, Parma, and Lucca are only about an hour’s drive on the motorway, and Florence is two hours away.

Monterosso – the first of the five spectaular Cinque Terre

Along the Riviera are the beautiful Cinque Terre, and the Gulf of Poets. Delightful seaside towns like Deiva and Bonassola are about 40 minutes away. Portofino and Rapallo are also nearby and all can be visited in one day. The nearest train station is in the seaside town of Sestri Levante, with its enchanting Baia Del Silenzio. What more could anyone wish for!

This is an area of beauty, and each season offers its own delights. The high ridges that separate valley from the sea affect the climate. The valley has cooler summers than the coast making it very pleasant and locals drive up to escape oppressive temperatures of the seaside towns. Winters are colder too, and there is always a good chance of snow at the start of the valley and on the higher peaks.

This apartment will offer you a calm and peaceful break away from the hustles of everyday life. Imagine paradise and your halfway there!

For more information about the apartment, photos, prices, and availability,click here.

Portofino is a perfect place for a day trip

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Giovanna Sanguinetti has been a teacher for many years and loves teaching dyslexic children. She is a qualified and experienced teacher of drama and theatre arts too. Her big love is theatre directing. She lives in London and is currently embarking on a very exciting project home educating her son through his exams years of school. While she does this she will continue writing online about education. Giovanna also loves adventure travel and is passionate about responsible and sustainable travel. She enjoys writing about this and has her own brand-new website. She is also the Travel Feature Editor on Tastes Magazine.