While

While
it might technically be considered part of the greater
Genoa area, Bogliasco and its
surrounding municipalities, together known as the Golfo Paradiso,
stand on their own in our minds. A chocolate-box mishmash of coral,
turquoise and sunflower-yellow homes curling around a pocket of the
Mediterranean, it’s the ultimate
glamorous locale for squeezing in one final fun-in-the-sun holiday.

Don’t miss

While blissing out in the sunshine (never too hot or cold) as
you move from terrace to terrace is one of the more enjoyable ways
in which you could spend a weekend in Bogliasco, the town’s wealth
of art museums is not to be ignored. The Frugone Collections, set
in a papaya-pink villa surrounded by olive, lemon and palm trees,
host Italian art and a renowned rose garden, while the Wolfsoniana
houses over 18,000 artworks from the period between 1880 and 1945.
The Galleria d’Arte Moderna is also a great visit for its Italian
photography, pieces from the Tuscan Macchiaioli painting movement,
and workshops.

When you’ve had your fair share of museum-hopping and Aperol
spritzes, hike the San Fruttuoso coastal trail to catch sweeping
sea views. The reward is making it to itsy-bitsy San Fruttuoso
itself, a hamlet surrounding a miniature blue bay. With its abbey
and handful of rustic restaurants, you’ll feel like you’ve been
transported to a practically deserted early 20th-century version of
Italy.

Who to take with you

A sybaritic companion with an appetite for pasta – trofie with
pesto alla genovese comes al dente in its finest form.

When to go

Early autumn.

Most likely to bump into

Milanese families getting their
fill of the seaside before ski season commences in the Dolomites.

Essentials to bring with you

This is a trip for channelling glam 1950s style. Pack your floppiest straw hat and biggest Jackie O
sunnies – the more OTT the better.

How to get there

Fly directly from London into Genoa on Ryanair for
as little as £42.