Liguria is our neighboring region, located on the Italian Riviera and the Mediterranean Sea. From Acqui Terme it is only 1 hour by car down to the Ligurian coast and a swim in the sea.
It is worth considering that all of August all Italians are on vacation and many of them go to the coast. In August it is usually more or less fully booked so it can be tricky to get a sun chair to rent for the day.
Celle Ligure
Celle Ligure is probably the cosiest 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.
On large parts of the Italian Riviera there are more 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 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 Varazze / Celle Ligure.
Varazze is our closest sun and beach resort on the Italian Riviera. It is a city that also has cozy alleys and shopping streets that you can visit.
The beach
Varazze has a number of beaches and the one we usually visit is Bagni Diana. In large parts of the Italian Riviera there are small round "soft" stones instead of fine-grained sand that finds its way everywhere. Here you can rent a sun lounger for the day and enjoy the Mediterranean. In August when all Italians are on vacation, all sun loungers are often subscribed and sold out. We have been here in July and then there have been chairs to rent for the day.
The car journey
By car it takes 1h 10min 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 turn west towards Varazze.
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 Varazze.
One of our favourite places is Finale Ligure, which is a little further west on the Italian Riviera towards France. This is like a big "Celle Ligure" with a lot more to choose from and a little bigger of everything.
It takes 1.45 hours by car to get there. The mild and stable climate in Liguria makes Finale Ligure one of the pearls of the Italian Riviera.
The pleasant town consists of three parts: Finalmarina and Finalpia, which are located along the coast, and Finalborgo, which is hidden further inland. The beaches are undoubtedly the main attraction and there is plenty of space on the beaches!
Finalborgo with its medieval quarters further into the valley is well worth a visit. Here is the 17th century church Collegiate San Biagio and the archaeological museum Museo Archeologico del Finale.
World-class MTB
Finale Ligure is also a mecca for MTB. MTB enthusiasts will find all levels of difficulty on MTB trails here. Finale Ligure is ranked as one of the top 5 places in the world for its MTB trails.
Genoa is the nearest big city to Acqui Terme. It is located in Liguria right where the "boot" of Italy turns west. Genoa has 550,000 inhabitants.
It is a really beautiful city where you can walk from piazza to piazza. Inside the city itself it has a bit of a small town feel where you can also find smaller alleys and maybe you will find the street with all the palaces.
Genoa also has a large port that is well worth a visit. By car it takes 1h 10min to Genoa from Acqui Terme, but there is also a direct train from Acqui Terme to Genoa which can be a very good alternative. The train takes only 50 min.
The Birthplace of Pesto
If you're a pesto lover, then Genoa is the place to be. It was here that pesto was first created and there are plenty of restaurants and activities centered around great pesto.
Aquarium
The port also houses one of Europe's largest aquariums, called "Acquario di Genova". It can be a fun visit for those who like the underwater world and all kinds of fish. https://www.acquariodigenova.it/en
Football Serie A
If you want to experience Italian football in Serie A, Genoa is the closest city to Acqui Terme. Here you will find the Serie A team Genoa CFC, and tickets for the team's home games are also much cheaper than the top teams from Milan and Turin. https://genoacfc.it/
Portofino – “the beautiful port” – is beautifully situated on the southernmost tip of a small peninsula south of Genoa. Originally Portofino was a small fishing village, but today the fishing boats have been replaced by unimaginably luxurious boats, fantastic houses, beautiful clothes and perfect people. Portofino is today one of Italy’s most exclusive holiday resorts.
We have also visited Portofino and yes, it is worth the visit to experience it once. It is an incredibly picturesque and beautiful village by the sea.
The journey by car
By car it takes 1h 50 min and is 105 km to Portofino from Acqui Terme. The best route is probably via Ovada and then on the E25 south and past Genoa east. Shortly after Genoa you change to the E80 which you then follow to Rapallo where you turn off and continue towards Portofino.
In July and August there are usually many, many people in Portofino, so if you want to visit Portofino, start your journey very early in the morning. The police are standing by and stop the traffic towards Portofino as soon as there are too many people there. An alternative is to park your car in Santa Margherita and take one of the shuttle buses that run back and forth to Portofino.
Camogli
If you want an alternative to Portofino or simply get stopped on your way out (the police stop you when Portofino is full), the town of Camogli, located on the north side of the same cape as Portofino, is a very good alternative. This is a seaside resort on the Italian Riviera that does not have the same number of visitors as Portofino and lives a little in the shade. This is a more genuine fishing village with pastel-colored houses where you can also enjoy a swim in the Mediterranean.
Cinque Terre are the 5 small villages that hang out on the edge of the cliffs of the Ligurian coast. They offer a breathtakingly beautiful hike, but avoid the high season when it is really crowded.
We ourselves have hiked Cinque Terre when it was low season and in early spring. The trail is a magical experience and must be experienced by those who like to hike.
The car trip
By car it takes 2h 20 min and is 150 km to Levanto (a village next to the first Cinque Terre village) from Acqui Terme.
From Levanto it is then advisable to take the train that runs between the 5 small villages, it only takes a minute between each village with the train. Taking the car out to the Cinque Terre villages is not so smart as it takes a very long time and the roads are very winding and crowded once you arrive.
Podere Tonette
Strada della maggiora 75
15011 Acqui Terme (AL), Piemonte, Italy
