Oasi del Belvivere

The very first thing on your to-do list When you reach Oasi del Belvivere (all right, you can unpack first) should be a tour of the villages of the Cinque Terre. The stunningly scenic villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso) are dotted along the coast between 45 minutes’ and an hour 10 minutes’ drive from the site, and are well worth the trip. Stay with the aesthetically pleasing with trips to Monte Caprione, Blue Bay beach and the Montemarcello botanical gardens (all within half an hour of the site), then pivot right in to history with stops at Castello di Lerici (there be dinosaurs), Castello di San Terenzo, Castello Malaspina and the National Archaeological Museum and Roman City of Luni. Feeling the need to burn through a wad of cash? Head to Sarzana or Spezia, both within 20 minutes, to traipse around shops, galleries and restaurants, or make your way to Pisa, 50 minutes away, for shopping on a grander scale (and a few clichéd-but-worth-it shots of you holding up the Leaning Tower). Wrap up your stay with a final few moments of relaxation at the spa Anthurium, 10 minutes away.