Alfred Hitchcock chose these grounds for his first film, and the cinematic grandeur remains: three Victorian colonial villas filled with Pre-Raphaelite paintings, dramatic marble staircases, and museum-worthy interiors overlook two hectares of award-winning botanical gardens cascading toward the Ligurian Sea. Panoramic terraces, two heated pools, a full spa with hammam and sauna, plus cooking classes with the chef reward aesthetes seeking an immersive Belle Époque escape.
Minutes from Alassio's sandy shores, this 26-room retreat channels English country house elegance amid Ligurian hills. Gardens frame a heated pool and jacuzzi, while the adjacent 18-hole Golf Club Garlenda draws enthusiasts to one of the region's premier courses. Twin restaurants—Il Rosmarino for refined terroir cooking, Il Bistrot for casual fare—pour Piedmontese wines. Pet-friendly garden suites and family amenities complete the appeal.
A belle époque landmark presiding over Alassio's seafront promenade, this 61-room resort pairs neoclassical grandeur with interiors that drift from Art Nouveau flourishes to contemporary clean lines. The Thalassio Medical Spa ranks among the Riviera's most comprehensive, featuring hammam, sauna, and jacuzzi treatments. Dining spans Ligurian seafood and Neapolitan pizza, while a summer kids' club and interconnecting rooms welcome families with ease.
Occupying the oldest quarter of Alassio along the bay's most photogenic curve, this family-run property pairs a private beach with unexpectedly accomplished dining—a gourmet restaurant that outperforms the traditional seafront format. Young families find particular appeal: the Ludoteca club entertains under-10s with cooking classes and supervised activities, with additional play facilities available at sister property Hotel dei Fiori nearby.
Belle époque grandeur pervades the Royal Hotel Sanremo, where the Russian Tsarina once held court along this storied stretch of Ligurian coastline. Guests dine beneath Murano chandeliers before retreating to the poolside pergola for evening drinks. A heated saltwater pool, private beach across the promenade, tennis courts, and mini golf make this an ideal choice for families seeking old-world elegance with modern resort comforts.
Balconies here hover so close to the Ligurian shore that the Mediterranean feels within arm's reach. This intimate 25-room property underwent meticulous restoration in 2022, reviving its historic coastal character while adding contemporary comforts. Guests claim loungers on the private Bagni Windsor beach by day, then settle into Savô restaurant for seasonal seafood drawn from local waters—a rhythm suited to travelers seeking unhurried seaside immersion.
Villa della Pergola's botanical gardens descend toward the Ligurian coast, and at their edge sits Nove, a one-Michelin-star restaurant with a terrace suspended above the sea. The kitchen works closely with the estate's biodynamic farm and Orto Rampante, translating hyper-local vegetables and seafood into refined modern plates. Guest rooms allow the experience to extend overnight, Alassio glittering below.
Since 1987, chef Paolo has cultivated western Ligurian cuisine with ingredients drawn largely from his own kitchen gardens—eggs, olive oil, vegetables, even wine. His signature cappelletti, filled with local San Remo crayfish and bathed in a vegetable broth brightened by Abruzzo saffron, demonstrates a precise reinterpretation of regional tradition. Barbara commands the dining room, guiding guests through thoughtful wine pairings with quiet authority.
Inside a fifteenth-century Palazzo Vescovile, chef Giuseppe Ricchebuono orchestrates an elegant, minimalist approach to Ligurian seafood—fish hauled from Noli's waters appears on the menu in local dialect, cicetta for monkfish among them. The panoramic terrace surveys the bay below, while a trolley of exclusively regional cheeses rounds out the experience. One Michelin star; guestrooms available upstairs.
A converted 1970s cistern perched above Andora, Vignamare rewards the winding drive with vineyard-framed sea views and Alessandro Di Giacomo's one-starred cooking. The Caserta-born chef draws almost entirely from PEQ Agri's own gardens, applying refined Mediterranean technique to Campania-inflected dishes—courgette alla scapece, tortelli alla genovese. Seven or nine courses unfold on the panoramic terrace; a fully vegetarian tasting menu earns the Green Star distinction.
Tucked into the village of Trucco in the Val Roia valley, this one-Michelin-starred table forgoes à la carte entirely for a single tasting menu, "Orto e Mare," celebrating garden and sea through creative dishes grounded in Ligurian tradition. A well-stocked cheese trolley and optional meat courses expand the offering. The chef's wife orchestrates service in a colourful, unpretentious dining room—regional cooking elevated with personality.
An old restored mill in the Ligurian hills houses this one-starred table, where chef Jacopo Chieppa—shaped by formative years at Mirazur and Antica Corona Reale—crafts contemporary cuisine rooted in regional tradition. Ingredients from the adjacent kitchen garden inform dishes like mupa with asparagus and a clam-parmesan emulsion. Melania Chieppa orchestrates service with warmth; summer meals unfold on an outdoor terrace.
Chef-patron Andrea Sarri's one-starred table occupies a converted shed in Borgo Prino, where pastel-washed houses line the waterfront. The contemporary interior belies the building's humble origins, while the kitchen draws directly from the Ligurian Sea—the Oneglia shellfish casserole with aromatic herbs demonstrates this coastal philosophy. Desserts hold their own, particularly a hazelnut crunch layered with salted caramel and passion fruit sorbet.
The Baumgartner brothers have spent three decades perfecting Alto Adige cuisine at Schöneck, where chef Karl's steadfast rejection of culinary trends yields dishes rooted in regional tradition and impeccable local ingredients. Guests dine amid warm wood-paneled Stube rooms or a piano lounge, the atmosphere as refined as the extensive wine list. A destination for purists seeking authentic mountain gastronomy.
Chef Simone Perata's contemporary kitchen at Hotel Mare delivers impeccably sourced fish—whitebait paired with grilled artichokes and green curry sauce demonstrates his inventive yet precise approach. The garden terrace extends over the beach, offering sea views that complement the refined plates emerging from the kitchen. A thoughtfully assembled wine list featuring select vintages rounds out an evening suited to unhurried coastal dining.
A 17th-century olive oil press provides the atmospheric setting for this seafood-focused table in medieval Finalborgo, where the original stone mill and wooden press remain intact beneath vaulted ceilings. The kitchen works with impeccable local catches—Italian-style ceviche changes daily, while the signature Mare Mare arrives in a fragrant casserole of cherry tomatoes, courgettes, and bay leaves. Refined yet rooted in Ligurian tradition.
Perched atop Villa della Pergola's two hectares of botanical gardens, Casa Nirvana captures the Ligurian light through sweeping bay windows. The infinity pool appears to merge with the Mediterranean below, Gallinara Island floating on the horizon. Turkish bath, sauna, sensory showers, and ice waterfall flow through sun-drenched spaces, while yoga sessions and in-room massages extend the wellness rituals beyond the spa walls.
Late spring (May–June) and early autumn (September–October) offer warm weather, fewer crowds, and comfortable swimming temperatures. The mild microclimate means winters are pleasant for walking and exploring, though some seasonal restaurants close from November to March.
A regional train line connects all major towns from Ventimiglia to Genoa, hugging the coast with frequent departures. Driving offers flexibility but parking in historic centres is limited. Ferries operate seasonally between select towns for a scenic alternative.
Bordighera and Finale Ligure attract those seeking a slower pace, with smaller beaches and fewer tour groups than Sanremo or Alassio. Cervo, a medieval hilltop village, offers complete tranquility with views over the Ligurian Sea.
The Riviera di Ponente stretches west from Genoa to the French border, a coastline of terraced hillsides, fishing villages, and Belle Époque resort towns that once drew European aristocracy. Sanremo remains the anchor, its casino and flower market lending an old-world sophistication, while smaller communes like Bordighera, Alassio, and Finale Ligure offer quieter alternatives where Ligurian dialect still peppers café conversations. The microclimate here — protected by the Maritime Alps — keeps palms and citrus thriving year-round, a fact the British discovered in the nineteenth century when they built winter villas along these shores.
Dining follows the rhythms of the sea and the steep olive groves above. Expect brandacujun (a salt cod whip), trofie al pesto made with Taggiasca olives, and focaccia col formaggio from Recco just down the coast. The hotel landscape mixes grand heritage properties with boutique addresses carved into cliffsides, many offering direct access to private beaches or terraced gardens tumbling toward the water. Evenings unfold slowly: aperitivo on a piazzetta, then seafood on a harbour terrace as fishing boats return with the catch.
