From Le Palme, the views of the sea are front and center. To one side, the Portofino promontory juts out into the sea with the fishing village of Camogli at its feet. To the other side, the blazing sun sets. Below the railings of a large and private patio are large boulders lapping up the gentle waves. Le Palme is a large, casual beach house that's located half a mile from the small Riviera town of Recco and a 15 minute drive west of Portofino.

This home has been passed down through the family owners for several generations and used as their summer getaway. It was last renovated during the Dolce Vita years. While its frame shows signs of being weathered by the sea, Le Palme remains a comfortable and very centrally located base for traveling around the Italian Riviera.

Le Palme is found along a dead end street lined with similar homes. The spacious living room and four of the five bedrooms look out over the clear blue of the Mediterranean. One bedroom with two single, joinable beds faces the local railway, 70 feet away behind bushes on the opposite side of the street.

For those who don't mind walking a half mile into town and relying on commuter rails for day trips, it is possible to stay here without a rental car. A bus within 100 yards services the center of Recco with restaurants, pizzerie, cafes, shops and two supermarkets. The Recco Centrale station is one and a half miles from the house and serves coastal towns along the Italian Riviera including the Cinque Terre villages, reached in a little over an hour.

Along the Riviera, renting a sun chair at a small, pay per use private beach club is a splendidly relaxing way to spend a day. Guests of Le Palme have their choice of a small beach club within 300 yards where chairs are positioned along a strip of flat boulders or heading into Recco for a spot along the pebbly cove beach.

May and September are among the best months to visit. Festivals during May celebrate the town of Recco's culinary invention, focaccia formaggio and the annual Fish Fry with a blessing of the fleet. On September 7 and 8, the town hosts an international fireworks competition.

Le Palme is perfectly situated for touring the Riviera. The palm tree lined resort towns of Santa Margherita and Camogli along with the entrance to the autostrada highway are all within 10 minutes by car; Portofino: 20; Rapallo: 20; Genova: 30; Monterosso al Mare (Cinque Terre): 70; Lucca or Pisa: 90; San Remo or Monte Carlo: 2 hours.

Discounts for rentals beyond 2 weeks do not apply to this villa.

Technical Description
Ground floor: Entrance foyer. Sea view living room with ornamental fireplace, TV and doors to a large, furnished sea view patio. Dining room. Kitchen with stove top, oven, fridge, dishwasher and washing machine.

First floor: Two sea view bedrooms each with a queen size bed. One sea view bedroom with a single bed. One bedroom with a single bed and small sea view balcony. One bedroom with two single, joinable beds. Two bathrooms each with a tub and hand shower.