Liguria
Liguria’s food festivals: the Sagra del Pesce in Camogli, with fish fried in a giant pan each May, plus pesto, focaccia and the Riviera coast.
At a glance
- Home of the Sagra del Pesce in Camogli, held each May since 1952
- Fish fried in a giant steel pan and handed out free on the festival Sunday
- The Riviera of pesto and focaccia, between France and Tuscany
- Trains run along the whole coast, with stations in the seaside towns
- 1food festival
Food festivals in Liguria
Alessio Sbarbaro User_talk:Yoggysot, CC BY-SA
Cities and towns in Liguria
Quintin Soloviev, CC BYMap of Liguria
What to taste in Liguria
Pesto alla genovese
Basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil, the sauce of Genoa, often served with trofie pasta.
Focaccia
Flat, oily bread from the Ligurian bakeries. Recco, next to Camogli, has its own cheese-filled version.
Farinata
A thin chickpea-flour flatbread baked in wide copper pans.
Fried fish
The dish of the Sagra del Pesce in Camogli, fried in the giant pan on the harbour.
Liguria is the narrow arc of coast and mountains between France and Tuscany, with Genoa at its centre, and its best-known food festival fries fish in a pan big enough to make a record: the Sagra del Pesce in Camogli, held each May since 1952. Ligurian food is built on herbs, olive oil, bread and the sea.
Basil and olive oil with a protected name
Two staples of the Ligurian kitchen carry a protected designation of origin (DOP), each watched over by its own consortium.
- Basilico Genovese DOP: grown along the seaward side of Liguria, says its consortium, recognised by the Italian agriculture ministry in 2008.
- Riviera Ligure DOP olive oil: its consortium counts 2,521 hectares of olive groves, 728,100 trees and 359 member businesses, and 6,195 quintals (about 620 tonnes) of oil in the 2024/25 season.
A genuine bottle of Riviera Ligure DOP oil wears the consortium’s numbered yellow neck collar.
Pesto by the basil consortium’s recipe
The consortium’s own recipe names the provenance of each ingredient: Vessalico garlic, Italian pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano with a spoonful of Fiore Sardo, and extra virgin olive oil, preferably Riviera Ligure DOP.
“Pesto e mortaio binomio naturale” (pesto and mortar, a natural pair), writes the Basilico Genovese consortium.
Liguria east of Genoa
Camogli lies on the coast east of Genoa, at the start of the Portofino promontory.
- Focaccia di Recco col formaggio IGP: its consortium invites visitors to taste it where it comes from, in Recco, Camogli, Sori and Avegno.
The Cinque Terre, at the eastern end of the region, are on the same coastal railway.
Sciacchetrà, the passito of the Cinque Terre
Slow Food lists the Cinque Terre’s amber passito among its presidia. It is made from bosco, albarola and vermentino grapes left to dry away from the sun for more than 70 days.
- Then: at the end of the 19th century the Cinque Terre made up to 50,000 hectolitres of white wine.
- Now: 95% of the terraces are abandoned, and working the rest multiplies production costs by six on average, says the foundation.
Before you go
- When: Camogli’s fish festival falls in May. In 2026, 8 to 10 May, and the 2027 dates are not yet published.
- Getting around: the coastal railway links Genoa, the Riviera towns and La Spezia.
- Airport: Genoa has the region’s main airport.
- Crowds: the seaside villages are small, and festival days draw thousands of visitors.
Frequently asked questions
What food festivals are there in Liguria?
The Sagra del Pesce in Camogli, held each May. In 2026 it ran from 8 to 10 May.
When is the Camogli fish festival?
In May. The Pro Loco says the fish is fried on the second Sunday of May. The 2027 dates had not been published on 15 October 2026.
What should you eat in Liguria?
Pesto alla genovese, focaccia, farinata and, on the coast, fried fish.