The Italian Riviera is the stretch of coast that runs along the Ligurian coast towards the Mediterranean Sea. Here you will find lots of nice coastal towns and picturesque villages by the sea. In August when all the Italians are on holiday, all the sun loungers are often subscribed and sold out. We have been here in June/July and then there have been chairs to rent for the day.
Alternative 1 - Celle Ligure
Celle Ligure is probably the coziest and closest sun and swimming beach on the Italian Riviera. It is a village located in a bay of the Mediterranean and along the entire bay there are various "Bagni" bathing places that sell sun loungers for the day.
Large parts of the Italian Riviera has small round stones (instead of just fine-grained sand).
The Beach
Celle Ligure has a number of "bagni" that sell sunbeds, the one we usually visit is Bagni Olimpia Vittoria. During high season we strongly recommend that you book your sunbed in advance as they are often sold out.
Here you can rent a sunbed for the day and enjoy the Mediterranean.
The car journey
By car it takes 1h 10min to Celle Ligure from Acqui Terme. There are 2 roads to choose from.
The larger, slightly more comfortable one goes via Ovada and then on the E25 south and arrives in the westernmost parts of Genoa. Then you turn west towards Celle Ligure.
There is also a winding road over the mountains that takes a some minutes longer. Here you pass the town of Sassello before arriving and seeing the Mediterranean Sea and Varazze / Celle Ligure.
Alternative 2 - Finale Ligure
One of our favorite places is Finale Ligure which is located a little further west on the Italian Riviera towards France, it takes a little longer to drive than Varazze but here you will find a little more of a city center to visit.
The Beach
In Finale Ligure, the beaches are undoubtedly the main attraction and there is plenty of space on the beaches! Here you can rent a sun lounger for the day and enjoy the Mediterranean Sea.
The city
The mild and stable climate of Liguria makes Finale Ligure one of the pearls of the Italian Riviera.
The pleasant city consists of three parts: Finalmarina and Finalpia, which lie along the coast, and Finalborgo, which is hidden further inland.
Finalborgo, with its medieval quarter further into the valley, is well worth a visit. Here you will find the 17th-century Collegiate Church of San Biagio and the archaeological museum Museo Archeologico del Finale.
The car journey
By car it takes 1h 45min to Varazze from Acqui Terme. There are 2 roads to choose from.
The larger, slightly more comfortable one goes via Ovada and then on the E25 south and arrives in the westernmost parts of Genoa. Then you take the E80 east towards Varazze and finally Finale Ligure.
There is also a slightly winding road over the mountains that takes a few minutes longer. Here you pass the town of Sassello before arriving and seeing the Mediterranean Sea and can continue the E80 and the journey towards Finale Ligure.
Acqui Terme - Dinner
The day can be concluded with a meal in Acqui Terme at one of the many restaurants there. You can find all the restaurants on the link below
Podere Tonette
Strada della maggiora 75
15011 Acqui Terme (AL), Piemonte, Italy
