“We got Santa Margherita by the liter. She knows if I’m ‘messing around’ with her, I don’t really need her.” This classic Drake lyric was trapped in my brain on repeat during the four days we spent based in Santa Margherita. Nary a liter of pinot grigio was actually consumed. Travesty.

Santa Margherita is the pastel Easter-egg of the Ligurian coast complete with a church from the 14th century built by fishermen and decorated with sea shells. Could it be more adorable? Cafes and bakeries share customers with those shopping for open air produce while groups of tourists walk by to keep it all afloat. An idyllic place to spend an afternoon meandering or as your base for a tour along the Italian Riviera.