Luxury villas in Italian RivieraPhoto by Gotta Be Worth It

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Luxury Villas on the Italian Riviera

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Pastel harbours and terraced hills above the Ligurian Sea

The Italian Riviera is Liguria's crescent of coastline, running from the French border through Genoa to the Gulf of La Spezia, where pastel fishing villages cling to cliffs above a deep blue sea. A private villa here, whether on the coast or in the quiet hills of the Val di Vara behind the Cinque Terre, gives you a pool, privacy and a concierge while the crowds come and go by train.

Updated October 2026

  • The five cliff-hung villages of the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage coastline
  • Portofino's yacht-filled harbour and the coves of the Golfo del Tigullio
  • Genoa's vast medieval old town, palazzi and grand aquarium
  • The Gulf of Poets around Portovenere and Lerici, loved by Byron and Shelley
  • More than 150 homes, many with private pools in the coastal hills, with concierge-arranged boats, chefs and transfers
Known forCinque Terre and Portofino, pastel harbour villages, coastal hiking, sailing, pesto and fresh seafood
Best time to visitMay to June and September to early October for warm sea and thinner crowds; July and August for full summer
Nearest airportGenoa (GOA); Pisa (PSA) is convenient for La Spezia and the eastern Riviera
Ideal forCouples, families and groups who want coastal glamour with quiet hillside retreats behind it

Villas in Italian Riviera

GenovaAndoraSestri Levante
108homes available
1–11bedrooms
up to 24guests
14with a pool

What's on in Italian Riviera

  1. Second Sunday of May

    Sagra del Pesce, Camogli

    The fishing village of Camogli fries fish for thousands in a giant pan on the harbour front, a beloved Ligurian tradition dating to the 1950s. Combine it with the blessing of the fleet and a walk to San Fruttuoso.

  2. Late June

    Festa di San Giovanni, Genoa

    Genoa honours its patron saint John the Baptist around 24 June with processions through the old town and celebrations at the port. A colourful excuse to spend the evening in the city's medieval lanes.

  3. First Sunday of August

    Palio del Golfo, La Spezia

    Thirteen villages of the Gulf of Poets race traditional rowing boats across the bay, preceded by days of seafront festivities and fireworks. The best views are from the La Spezia promenade or a chartered boat.

  4. Late September

    Genoa International Boat Show

    One of the world's great boat shows fills Genoa's waterfront with new yachts and sailing craft. Worth planning around if the sea is your reason for coming to Liguria.

Italian Riviera through the seasons

  1. Spring (March – May)

    Trails and villages before the crowds

    Wildflowers line the Cinque Terre paths and the coastal towns wake up gently. Ideal for hiking, boat trips in light crowds and long lunches on quiet harbours.

  2. Summer (June – August)

    Swimming coves and harbour evenings

    Warm seas, beach clubs at Monterosso and Levanto, and aperitivo hours in Portofino and Vernazza. A hillside pool villa is the calm counterweight to the busy coast.

  3. Autumn (September – November)

    Warm seas, harvest and the boat show

    September keeps summer's sea temperatures with fewer visitors, while the hills turn to grape and olive harvest. Genoa's boat show crowns the season.

  4. Winter (December – February)

    Mild, quiet Liguria and Genoa's old town

    The Riviera's sheltered climate keeps winter mild. A slow season for coastal walks, Genoese palazzi and seafood lunches without a booking in sight.

All 107 villas in Italian Riviera

Every home in Italian Riviera that can be booked with Smiling House, as a plain list.

Smiling House also offers a concierge for private chefs, transfers, ski instructors, yachts and cars, a VIP Club with first access to new residences and member rates, chalets for sale in the Gstaad region through its real estate division and instantly bookable homes with live availability.

The Area and Where to Stay

The Riviera divides into the Riviera di Ponente, west of Genoa towards Sanremo, and the Riviera di Levante to the east, home to Portofino, the Cinque Terre and the Gulf of La Spezia. Genoa anchors the middle: a working port city with one of Europe's largest medieval centres. Coastal property is famously tight, so many of the more than 150 homes in our Riviera collection sit just inland, in the green Val di Vara around villages such as Beverino, where restored stone farmhouses with pools look over vineyards and olive terraces, twenty to forty minutes from the sea. La Spezia makes a practical gateway for the Cinque Terre and the Gulf of Poets, while stays near Genoa put the whole coast within reach by car or train. Our concierge arranges boat charters, transfers and restaurant tables wherever you base yourself.

Things to Do

Walk the coastal paths that link the Cinque Terre villages, then reward yourself with a swim from the rocks at Vernazza or Monterosso. Take a boat from La Spezia or Lerici around the Gulf of Poets to Portovenere, whose striped church stands on a headland above the sea. Further west, stroll the piazzetta at Portofino, hike through the protected parkland to the abbey at San Fruttuoso, or dive the Christ of the Abyss statue offshore. Genoa deserves a full day for the Palazzi dei Rolli, the old port and the aquarium. Inland, the Val di Vara offers quiet cycling and river swimming, and sailing, kayaking and open-water swimming are everywhere on this coast. Your concierge can arrange skippered day charters, guided hikes and private tastings.

Food and Local Flavour

Liguria is the home of pesto alla genovese, made with the small-leaf basil grown on these terraces, and of focaccia in every form, from the plain, salty Genoese classic to the cheese-filled focaccia di Recco. Seafood defines the coast: anchovies from Monterosso, fritto misto on harbour fronts, and octopus and mussels from the gulf. The hills add olive oil, chestnuts and the crisp white Vermentino and Pigato wines that suit long villa lunches. Markets in Genoa, La Spezia and the coastal towns make self-catering a pleasure, and a private chef at your villa turns local produce into the easiest dinner on the Riviera. The concierge can also book tables in the villages, where seats are scarce in summer.

When to Visit

The Riviera enjoys a mild, sheltered climate, which is why Ligurian towns have drawn winter visitors since the nineteenth century. For villa holidays, May, June and September are the sweet spot: warm seas, open trails and space in the villages. July and August bring full summer heat and the liveliest harbour evenings, though the Cinque Terre paths are at their busiest and booking ahead matters. April and October are quieter and greener, good for hiking and food-led trips, with enough fine days for lunch outside. Winter is calm and low-key, best suited to Genoa city breaks. A hillside villa with a pool lets you enjoy the coast on your own schedule, visiting the famous villages early or late in the day.

Getting There

Genoa's Cristoforo Colombo Airport (GOA) serves the whole Riviera, with the eastern coast about an hour's drive away. For the Cinque Terre, La Spezia and the Val di Vara, Pisa (PSA) is often the easier gateway, roughly an hour and a quarter by road, and Milan's airports work well for the western Riviera. The coastal railway is one of Italy's most useful, linking Genoa, Sestri Levante, the Cinque Terre villages and La Spezia, so you can leave the car at the villa on busy days. A hire car is recommended for hillside properties, and our concierge arranges private transfers from any airport.

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