Find The Perfect Holiday Home In The Italian Riviera

In the late 19th and early 20th century Sanremo was a Mecca for aristocrats from across Europe as well as the likes of Russian composer Tchaikovsky, who penned his Fourth Symphony here in 1878 and the chemist Alfred Nobel, who died in Sanremo in 1896.

Half a century on it was to Portofino, further down the coast, to which the likes of Sinatra and Bardot thronged. Now the faces are those of Cruise, Clooney and Washington.

In other words, the coast of Liguria in Italy has for countless decades exuded the level of star quality that to this day entrances nearly 4.5 million visitors each year, making it one of Italy’s most popular areas and a favourite among people looking for holiday homes.

For good reason. For one, Liguria boasts a superb 280km of coast also known as the Italian (or Ligurian) Riviera, spanning the border with France at one end to the picturesque villages that make up the well-known Cinque Terre, honoured as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Stef Russo, who runs property for sale in Italy finders The Property Organiser, says: "It is second only to Tuscany in terms of parts of the country most asked for by our buyers. As well as the Cinque Terre coast, its sandy beaches and scenic countryside, France is just a leisurely drive away, there is skiing in 40 minutes away in Piedmont, while access is made easy by airports in Genoa and Nice."

The priciest resorts are probably Alassio, Bordighera, Portofino and the Cinque Terre. Bear in mind you pay a premium if you are set on being on the sea front. The market is kept bullish by rich Swiss, French, Germans and Italians. Typically be prepared to pay some Euro 395,000 for an apartment within strolling distance of the coast and up to two and a half times that for a house with sea view in a similar position.

As ever, canny buyers can pick up bargains by looking around. In Alassio, 85sq m homes boasting a view over the Ligurian Sea can be discovered from Euro 235,000. And in Bordighera, Euro 335,000 can get you a 85sq m property again a view of the sea, although you will probably find yourself slightly farther out from the sea.

However, a short drive from the coastal resorts is the mountainous countryside crammed with beautiful hamlets and villages. But if you are prepared to sacrifice a sea view, go just 25 minutes inland, to villages such as Perinaldo, which is what a growing number of British and American investors have done in recent years. Here, you will probably pay a 70sq m apartment to come with a price tag of around Euro 140,000.

Prepared to take on a property needing some work? Then you can get away with Euro 95,000, possibly with a 1,000-2,000sq m garden as well. Given Liguria's enduring popularity, rental potential remains bullish, in particular if you have bought close to a coastal resort. Expect a two-bedroom apartment can fetch Euro 1,250 a week in summer and a four-bedroom house with pool Euro 2,500-plus.

Some of the most stunning resorts on the coast are undoubtedly Alassio, Sanremo and Portofino. Alassio has two miles of sandy beaches and has pulled in Brits since the 1900s while names such as the writer Ernest Hemingway began holidaying here in the 1930s. Sanremo oozes ageless glitz and is these days best known for its music festival.

While one of Portofino's most striking features is multi-coloured rows of fishermen’s homes overlooking its harbour. In spring and summer its high-end clothes shops crammed with designer goods and the sleek boats in its marina say it all about the level of wealthy visitor that comes here.

But in terms of natural beauty nothing comes close to the five clifftop villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore that constitute the Cinque Terre. Then again, some things in life money can't buy.

The author works for Italian real estate experts Homes and Villas Abroad. She also focuses on property in Sicily and affordable Calabria real estate.