Those looking for a holiday this year beyond sun, sea and sand can head to the Italian region of Liguria for a learning break. The coastal and mountainous region, otherwise known as the Italian Riviera, has plenty of motivating breaks throughout the year whether it's brushing up on Italian, scuba diving or learning to sculpt from inspiring mountain top locations.

Italian language and scuba diving course- This Genoa based two week course is perfect for combining culture with adventure. The course offers 20 hours of Italian lessons and eight hours of scuba diving, all in small groups of 2-8 people. Participants will be placed in classes of their ability for diving and a basic knowledge of Italian is required. Liguria's diving is exceptional with highlights including the Milford Haven wreck, the biggest wreck in the Mediterranean and the sunken "Christ of the Abyss" statue. The course costs £980 per person including all tuition, diving equipment, travel insurance and accommodation. Available on various dates from March until October. http://bit.ly/1mS3i0N

Sculpting retreat - This week long sculpting retreat in the mountain village of Mortola on the French/Italian border teaches wood, clay and stone sculpting and life model classes. The retreat is run by artist Nicole Durand from her stunning hilltop workshop which has inspiring sea views over the Italian Riviera. Classes are based on the ability of the group and accommodation is in the villages' guesthouses. As well as sculpting, guests can head off on excursions into France to Picasso's museum in nearby Antibes and the Friday morning market in the neighbouring town of Ventimiglia. Available from June 23-July 2 or September 17-24, the course costs from £600 per person. This includes all artistic instruction, materials and pick up from nearby Menton train station in France. Flights, meals, accommodation and excursions not included. www.nicoledurand.net/index.html.

Rural yoga break- Those looking for something a little more holistic can book a week long yoga break at a rural retreat in the Ligurian mountains. The course is run in a private villa and includes three yoga sessions a day either on the outdoor deck or in the studio. There is plenty of time to relax in the villa's pool, walk down to the medieval mountain village of Dolceacqua and visit the beaches and local markets. The course costs from £409 per person including the yoga lessons, accommodation and most meals. freespirityoga.co.uk

Day culinary courses- Visitors looking for short introductions to Ligurian cuisine can join a range of one day courses with Alba Travel. These vary from a four hour lesson on how to cook stockfish ("stoccafisso") and salt cod ("baccalà") in Genoa (£90 per person) to a morning hike in the hills near Levanto followed by a pesto making lesson (£65 per person). www.albatraveliguria.com Liguria is accessible with flights from London Stansted to Genoa with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) starting from £80 or from London Gatwick to Nice with British Airways (www.britishairways.com) starting from £102 return.

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For further information on "in Liguria" please visit www.turismoinliguria.it

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