Top 10 Must-Visit Beaches in Liguria: Your Ultimate Guide
From late spring until the end of summer, the most gorgeous beaches in Liguria are rather sought-after. Liguria is essentially a mountainous area that has always coexisted closely with the sea.
Actually, the Ligurian Riviera runs 330 km from the French border to the town of Marinella di Sarzana in the province of La Spezia, already on the Apuan Riviera. From the Voltri district towards the west we speak of the Riviera di Ponente, or Riviera dei Fiori, where the coastline is essentially sandy and the seabed is deeper; from Voltri towards the east the coast is known by the name Riviera di Levante: here the beaches are often made of pebbles or rocks and are usually rather small.
In Liguria, which beaches are most beautiful?
Remembering that for some years now local beaches have obtained the highest number of Blue Flags in Italy, we propose a ranking of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Liguria chosen from among the most famous, comfortable, and spectacular to provide some ideas for your next holidays.
- Baia Blu
- Lido delle Sirene
- Spiaggia di Punta Corvo
- Baia delle Favole
- Spiaggia di Paraggi
- Spiaggia del Malpasso
- Spiaggia dei Pescatori
- Spiaggia di Alassio
- Spiaggia di Deiva Marina
- Spiaggia di Punta Crena
Let’s examine them closely, including their features and some helpful background for the trip.
Lerici’s Blue Bay
Between Punta Santa Teresa and Punta Galera, right at the Gulf of La Spezia, the Baia Blu beach in Lerici overlooks an inlet immediately west of San Terenzo on the Riviera di Levante.
Sand mixed with pebbles makes up the beach; the sea reflects blue and emerald colors. Apart from the services of the bathing facility, swimming pools, and umbrellas, there is a free beach area where anyone may have a great day surrounded in a vivid environment among the rocks and vegetation embracing the bay.
Lido delle Sirene, Bergeggi
From which the opposite island of Bergeggi also emerges, we travel to the province of Savona to reach the Lido del Sirene, a lovely dark pebble beach lapped by a crystalline sea. We are in the same-named Marine Protected Area, and, as you would expect, among the cliffs here you can do amazing dives to find the underwater beauty.
Bergedi’s beach offers a free beach area but also has a facility with a linked restaurant. Access in both cases comes from a steep stairway down from the SS1 Aurelia road.
Spiaggia di Punta Corvo, Ameglia
Reaching Punta Corvo (a lovely beach of coarse, dark sand) from the village of Montemarcello (SP), one must walk a difficult path roughly half an hour into the vegetation.
Far from the tumult and crowding of the other Riviera beaches, this location’s beauty resides in its tough and unspoiled look; in fact, there are just nature here without any businesses or amenities.
From the horizon in front of the beach, you could see, respectively, the island of Palmaria, the island of Tino, and the island of Tinetto, which are sea-front in front of Portovenere.
Bay of Fables: Sestri Levante
Main beach of Sestri Levante is Baia delle Favole. Overlooking the eastern end of the great Gulf of Tigullio, it is broad and consists of fine gravel mixed with sand.
Although several beach resorts serve it and it spans more than 1.5km in length, there are also few free beach stretches. Behind it, the very busy seafront divides it from the other well-known beach in Sestri, the Baia del Silenzio.
The moniker “Bay of Fairytales” honors the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who spent some time here during the second half of the 1800s.
Spiaggia di Paraggi, Portofino
We still live in the Gulf of Tigullio, midway between Santa Margherita Lourge and Portofino. Exclusive bathing facilities mostly occupy the sandy beach, tucked in the little Bay of Paraggi, leaving just a small strip of free beach.
The bay is surrounded in rich vegetation, producing a striking display with the turquoise and emerald tones of the glistening clean sea. With the mountain behind us, the shadow already shows up early afternoon given our eastward orientation.
Spiaggia del Malpasso, Baia dei Saraceni, Varigotti
East of the Varigotti town, in the province of Savona, Malpasso Beach is behind which the SS1 Aurelia runs. It is a splendid beach, melancholic, and poignant; here you can enjoy nature and bathe in a crystalline sea. A strip of sand mixed with pebbles is interrupted by rocks reaching into the sea, then resumes beyond the cliff. The main beach, the easternmost, stretches approximately 400 meters and offers services. Access is 5 euros before 3 pm and free afterward. However, parking is almost impossible to find and is also paid.
