Amy Finley, Adventure Guides Italian Riviera: San Remo, Portofino & Genoa

Pinned between the mountains and the sea, on a steeply-sloped crescent of land stretching from the French border to Tuscany, more than half of Liguria (better known as the Italian Riviera), is protected park land. The inland towns are some of the most interesting in Liguria, both for their history and their gorgeous settings amid the forests, valleys, and peaks of the Apennine Mountains. The hiking here is fantastic.