Bordighera was born on the Fifth Century and is a little town situated on the Ligurian Riviera by the sea, right next to the French border: it is the southernmost city in Liguria and has a temperate climate throughout the year. Due to its great vegetation it is also known as “The Queen of the Palms”: legend says that, in the century of its foundation, a religious man called Ampelio who is now patron saint of the town, first brought date seeds as a gift upon his arrival. Nowadays Bordighera offers lots of ways to have all kind of fun among villas, gardens and vintage boutiques, with the background of amazing landscapes between the sea and the hills.

The famous Lungomare Argentina is the longest pedestrian promenade of the Riviera and was named this way thanks to Evita Peron, who spent a few days in Bordighera in 1947. This walk connects the little S. Ampelio Church, that rises on the rocks right onto the sea and is protected by the Region Superintendence as architectural heritage, to the near town of Vallecrosia. It is located between the wide beaches and the main street, called Via Vittorio Emanuele II. On Thursdays it is the basis of the weekly street market of clothes, things and food.

The Old Town, otherwise called Bordighera Alta, is 2 km away from the city centre. Its alleys and little squares make this medieval village live through its art exhibits and ateliers, while looking at the French Coast and the close town Ospedaletti.

From the historical centre, if you enjoy sports and nature, you can walk some natural paths that will lead, through the woods and away from the city traffic, to the near Sasso (Sentiero del Beodo, the former aqueduct of the town), Perinaldo e Ospedaletti. The French architect Charles Garnier used to define these walks “the most exciting of Bordighera, that every artist won’t be able to forget”.

Bordighera owes Mr. Garnier a wonderful villa not to be missed by every art and culture enthusiast: built in 1871, Villa Garnier is made of three floors reachable through a wooden spiral staircase and full of paintings. A chapel and a wide park with more than 600 plant species are also part of the building.

The Museum and Library Clarence Bicknell is another pearl of Bordighera. Hidden by a huge wisteria, it is situated along Via Romana and it is the oldest museum of Eastern Liguria. This scholar was the first to be interested in the history of the area and this is the reason why the mansion that was first opened in 1888 is now the Internation Institute of Ligurian Studies. The Library contains more than 85000 volumes of art, history and science, and one of the greatest butterfly collection in Europe.

The Exotic Gardens Pallanca is right next to the Grand Hotel del Mare Resort & Spa and counts more than 3000 species of exotic plants and cactuses on a surface of more than 10000 square metres overlooking the sea. The botanic garden was in fact built on the ashes of the ancient Volcano of Monte Nero, right behind the Resort.

Villa Etelinda

It was the private residence of Queen Margherita of Savoy who chose Bordighera as a destination for spending long periods at the sea. The Villa saw the passage of many illustrious personalities: initially it belonged to the banker Bischoffsheim who also hosted Pasteur, the founder of modern microbiology. It was later sold to an English family and eventually became the property of the director Margherita. A Villa of such architectural beauty that even the French painter Monet was so fascinated by it that he depicted it in one of his paintings “Les Villas à Bordighera” (1884) now exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

The Villa still has many architectural elements of the time, including the turret, fine and slender, the polychrome mosaics of the facade and the tower that reflect the Moorish decorations, the arches of the entrance loggia of the Villa. Inside you can admire a large atrium with an elegant circular mosaic on the floor. From here rises the imposing staircase leading to the upper floor and to the bedrooms. The Villa is surrounded by beautiful gardens where you can stop and admire the mastery of the house.

Sanremo is the most important city around Bordighera, from a turistic point of view: the Festival della Canzone Italiana is held every year in February or March in the famous Ariston Theatre, which is at the beginning of Via Matteotti, where we can find all of the most elegant and fancy boutiques.

At the end of the road we can find the Sanremo Casino to have some night life fun. Sanremo is also a great seaside area, with two harbours and lots of beaches. On the coast we can find several night life locals and green zones for families and pets.

The Pista Ciclabile del Ponente Ligure (Bicycle Lane of Western Liguria) is 24 km long and connects Ospedaletti to San Lorenzo al Mare through a beautiful path by the sea. It is also possible to go on and trek by the hills to Costarainera and Cipressa. You will also find snack bars and bike rent spots along the way.

Bussana Vecchia is a medieval town situated behind Sanremo that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1887. From its ashes this small town found new life thanks to a group of Italians and stranger artists that turned it into an unmissable village, full of ateliers and shops.

The Hanbury Botanic Gardens, candidated to be recognized as UNESCO heritage, are located in Ventimiglia. They rise on the top of Mortola’s promontory on a surface of more than 18 hectars and they are characterized by a typical English landscape, with small alleys and arbours on a sea scenery. You will be able to observe thousands of different plant species that belong to a Mediterranean, tropical and subtropical kind of vegetation.

In Vallecrosia, on the west side of Bordighera, you will find the peculiar Museo della Canzone (Song Museum), inaugurated by Luciano Pavarotti in 1987. The Museum develops inside a train locomotive of the first half of the Twentieth Century and contains vinyls, musical scores and instruments collected by the owner and belonged to important historical and contemporary characters.

Dolceacqua is a medieval town of about 2000 inhabitants that rises on the river Nervia banks. The town is dominated by the Dorian Castle, which is visitable and hosts lots of art exhibits and concerts: at the end of August the castle is also the background of the famous fireworks of Dolceacqua, that every year represent a different historic event.

Carrying on northward you can find the Rocchetta Nervina Lakes, aim of nature lovers. They are natural pool of crystal clear water that were born along the river Barbaira: in summer you will be able to enjoy the area by doing activities like canyoning and swimming.

The Astronomic Observatory in Perinaldo will allow you to see the magic of a star-spangled sky. Born by the work of a small group of astrologists, the Observatory sets periodical meetings to look and explain our beautiful through the use of up-to-date, technological instruments.