Levanto, Italy

Living in Levanto means trading big-city conveniences for quiet coastal life. The town sits wedged between hills and sea, with olive groves and pines covering the slopes. You’re close enough to Genoa for occasional city runs, but the nearest hospital is in La Spezia—a 30-minute drive when you need more than the local clinic. The Cinque Terre connection brings summer crowds, though they thin by October.

Bureaucracy moves at Ligurian speed here. Getting residency sorted takes patience, and English isn’t widely spoken outside tourist spots. The upside? Walkable everything, from the train station to the pebble beach. Winters stay mild, but the valley traps damp sea air—expect mold battles in older apartments.