Travel Matters Insight
Colletta Village
About…
Hidden amongst the Maritime Alps, within Italy's Liguria region, the pastoral village of Colletta (Colletta Di Castelbianco) is waiting to be discovered. As you enter the village, via its cobbled streets, you will be transported back through the centuries due to Colletta’s impressive ancient stone buildings. Consider this your personal enclave, with intact antiquities and striking views of the accompanying countryside!
Colletta has been carefully restored to mimic its ancient village façade, whilst providing modern amenities. Although each apartment has been renovated with all the facilities you might need for a typical holiday stay, please bear in mind that this unique destination has kept true to its history & identity and would not be perceived as contemporary. This said, Colletta is the perfect opportunity for a family or large group of friends to immerse themselves in nature and astonishing cuisine - especially as Colletta is neatly tucked up within the Valle Culinary, which is a renowned area for agriculture – often producing exceptional vegetables, fruit and flowers. This really is the ideal getaway for those who are seeking adventure and want to be amongst nature at any time in the year.
This ancient hillside village has a collection of 8 studios & apartments, accommodating between 2, 3, 4 or 5 guests (please enquire for further details). If you are travelling with just your partner and desire a charming one bedroom studio, Colletta can accommodate. Equally, if you are travelling with friends & family, Colletta can host up to 29 guests within its village walls. The village has access to a communal Swimming Pool, Bar, Osteria and amphitheatre.
With plenty to do during the summer and the more autumnal months, Colletta Di Castelbianco is an experience like no other!
Key Sustainable Features…
Colletta enjoys promoting local partnerships whenever it is able to! Two local attractions that are not to be missed are the Vineyard of Torre Pernice and Mr Buffas Jewellery Shop.
The commune of Albenga is celebrated for its wine, more specifically the Pigato and Vermentino wines’. The local vineyard of Torre Pernice is your best opportunity to learn more about the harvest, grape selection, fermentation, ageing and bottling before tasting. The perfect opportunity to wine down after a busy day!
Ole Wiig, a renowned Norwegian architect, immortalised the Albenga Roman city plan by hand-crafting La Cittá Doratas and Albenga Bracelets. These are available in either sparkling diamond, gold, polished silver or matt titanium and can be purchased from Mr Buffas Jewellery Shop.
If experiencing the life of ‘living off the land’ has always interested you, step into Colletta’s Horticultural Calendar and celebrate the following produce during the 12 months of the year:
January – ‘Oranges & Lemons’, February – ‘Artichokes’, March – ‘Spinach’, April – ‘Asparagus’, May – ‘Apricots’, June – ‘Cherries’, July – ‘Courgette’, August – ‘Figs & Peaches’, September – ‘Pigato Grapes & Mushrooms’, October – ‘Chestnuts’, November – ‘Olives’ and December - ‘Cauliflower’.
Features & Experiences…
•Communal Swimming Pool
•Guided Tours
•On-site Parking
•Self Drive Package
•Transfers
Travel Matters Highlights…
Colletta is set amongst some of the most beautiful countryside in Liguria. This region of Italy is famed for the spectacular scenery framed by the Ligurian Alps and Ligurian Apennines, so it goes without saying that you & your guests will be privy to exceptional natural sights. If you are in search of a holiday outside of the mainstream travel windows, Travel Matters assures you that you will be able to immerse yourself in the great outdoors of Colletta and Liguria. If interested, we are able to assist in the planning of hikes on popular trails that will lead to breath-taking sights hidden within the Ligurian forests and hillsides of the Maritime Alps. Allow Colletta to rejuvenate the explorer in you!
This part of Italy is well known for its food, architecture and history too! It will therefore come as little surprise that there is an abundance of festivals throughout the year and we have highlighted some of these key dates:
Early June: Cherry Festival, Castelbianco
June-October: Various events in Zucarello
Early July: Fritto Misto di Campagna, Castelbianco
Middle/end July: Palio dei Rioni Albenga, a Medieval weekend in Albenga
Late July: Rose Festival, Pogli
July/ August: Chamber Music Festival, Cervo and Live Music & Open Mic, Colletta
Early August: Paella, Castelbianco
Middle/end August: Un Mare di Emozioni, Albenga
Late September: Chestnut Festival, Castelbianco
Early November: Olive Festival, Colletta and Gathering & producing Colletta’s own oil, Goccia Dorata.
Map & Location…
North-western Italy is known as the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, the medieval, Renaissance, Baroque & Gothic architecture, its idyllic coastline and typical Genoese cuisine. This region of Italy also borders Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, so the skyline is sculptured with the likes of the Alps and the Apennines mountain range.
Travelling inland will expose the he eastern part of the Italian Riviera, more particularly Liguria. This is home to the iconic & beautifully multi-coloured houses, pebble beaches and crystal clear coastline that you commonly see on postcards. The nearest city to Colletta is Albenga, where the theme of pre-Roman architecture and medieval buildings continues. This city is ideal for those who want a greater variety of bars and restaurants.
Venturing out a little further will bring guests to Cinque Terre National Park. ‘Cinque Terre’ describes the five lands in Italian and this National Park is comprised of five villages; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. These are perfect destinations for those who desire to explore further afoot, but are within a reasonable driving distance of Colletta. We urge our guests to do as much exploring as possible and eat the famous mussels & oysters of the region, drink copious amounts of wine and frolic on the beaches.
Reviews…