Pics courtesy of Sergio Azzaretti. You can discover more of his incredible photos here and here.

Deear Steemians,
In my “introduceyourself” post I've told you that i’m From Liguria, near Genova.
I also made a promise: i will speak about unknown gems to visit in Italy.

Well…. let’s start!!!

Liguria is magic

Liguria is a fantastic region because you can find sea, mountains, green, museums, art….
It’s like all the beauty of Italy is condensed in one tiny land.
100% AWESOME.

But There are some drawbacks

• Liguria is so thick and long that, during summer, chances are you’ll have to fight against traffic and parking or wake up at sunrise if you want to have a day in the seaside.
• 90% of the people (residents+tourists) live close to the Sea
• If you want to relax and not just simply “goin’ to the (wonderful) sea”, you need an alternative

The alternative is….. The Aveto River

In the middle of the eastern coast of Liguria there’s one of the most famous cities of the Italian Riviera and it’s named Chiavari.

45 minutes from Chiavari, towards the hinterland, you can reach a mostly unknown valley
that is named after its main river. The Aveto Valley or, in italian, Val d’Aveto.

In some corners the Aveto River has nothing to envy its marine counterparts.

Beaches and Emerald Water

And you can benefit from a cooler climate than in the seaside.
Not that i’m forcing you, but these rocks are incredible for some adrenalinic moments in water.

Uh… let’s speak about colors now. No filters. My promise.

Trees and Quiet Corners

If a strong sun is a concern for you, there is plenty of trees that will protect you.

Look at this image. That is my towel. It was few days ago, not exactly low season.
Well there was no one else other than me, i admit i loved sleeping a little there after a cold swim. I felt like the King of the River…. :-)

And that’s my kingdom from a larger perspective :-)

So, if you're introvert or willing to explore a less know corner of the Italian Rivera you need to take your steps in the cold water of this magic river.

See you Steemians :-)
have a great day.... almost like mine :-D