This is the easiest of the walks around Bordighera and the one that starts closest to the sea: from the little church of Sant’Ampelio, on the tip of the Capo, you cross the harbour, pass below the hill of Arziglia and climb along mule tracks and lanes to the sanctuary of Nostra Signora del Monte Nero. The return leg comes down by a different route, alongside the old sandstone quarry.
It is a half-day loop, suitable for anyone who enjoys walking even without much training, with the sea almost always in view below you.
The route at a glance
- Length: about 5.8 km (loop)
- Elevation gain: about 150 metres up and down
- Walking time: 2 hours 30 minutes, excluding stops
- Difficulty: T (tourist): lanes and mule tracks, no technical difficulties
- Best time to go: autumn, winter and spring
Please note: the route follows the Town Council’s trail map “On the paths of Clarence Bicknell and the English”. The Town Council and the Bordighera branch of the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) are checking the trail network: some sections may have changed or been closed. Before you set off, ask for information at the IAT tourist office or the CAI, and use the GPX track as a rough guide only.
The route step by step
From the Capo to Arziglia
From the church of Sant’Ampelio head east, go down to the harbour and cross it. Carry on eastwards to the railway underpass in via dei Pescatori, which brings you back out onto the via Aurelia: walk to the right for about 150 metres, cross over and turn into via Winter, next to the Giardini Winter, following it to the end. Just before the end you can see Villa Garnier from the road, the home of the architect of the Paris Opéra.
The mule tracks up to the sanctuary
At the end of via Winter a narrow path skirts a house and a greenhouse and turns into a flight of steps. A little further on, leaving the path that continues on the level, climb to the right along a lovely mule track. After about a hundred metres, near a boulder covered in prickly pears, turn left onto a wide, steep path with a rocky surface, towards a small pink house.
Continue to the right along strada Nandria, tarmacked and climbing steeply between private properties and cultivated terraces, up to the provincial road, via Cornice dei Due Golfi. Here turn right and go down two hairpin bends to the sanctuary of Nostra Signora del Monte Nero, founded in 1904 by Father Giacomo Viale, the parish priest of Bordighera Alta. From the square in front of it the view sweeps over Arziglia and the coast.
The return along the old quarry
To head back, take via della Cava, which starts just before the sanctuary. It runs down between a few houses and succulent nurseries until the lane gives way to the old mule track, which passes above the former quarry: you can see the great hollow with its sheer walls of sandstone, the typical stone of this coast. The mule track ends on a steep concrete ramp: turn right uphill and, after about fifty metres, cross a massive single-arched stone bridge on your left. An uphill mule track soon brings you back onto the outward route, which you follow to the left, downhill, back to the Capo.
Before you set off
- What to bring: Walking boots with a good sole, poles (very useful on the stretches gullied by water), plenty of water and a hat.
- In summer: the slopes face south and it gets very hot: set off at dawn or choose another time of year.
- Variations: if you have more energy you can carry on from the sanctuary towards Monte Nero: see the Monte Nero walk.
- Before setting off: ask about trail conditions at the IAT tourist office or the Bordighera CAI.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the walk to the Sanctuary of Monte Nero take?
About two and a half hours there and back, excluding stops, for just under 6 kilometres.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, for children who are used to walking: the elevation gain is about 150 metres, but some stretches of mule track are steep with a rocky surface. It is not suitable for pushchairs.
Can you get to the sanctuary by car?
Yes, the sanctuary is on the provincial road, via Cornice dei Due Golfi, above Arziglia.
Safety notes: Some stretches of mule track are steep, with a rocky surface: you need shoes with a good sole. On the last part of the outward route you walk on narrow tarmac roads with little traffic but no pavement.
