Type of holiday
Family holidays in Bordighera
A child-friendly town: beaches, a car-free promenade, giant trees, pirate cannons and day trips to prehistoric caves and castles.
Bordighera is a compact town you can explore on foot: the sea is just a few steps from the centre, and the Lungomare Argentina is a straight, car-free promenade of about two kilometres where children can run and ride their bikes away from traffic. Along the shore, beach clubs with facilities alternate with stretches of free public beach.
Beyond the beach there is plenty to discover: trees as tall as buildings, a garden with thousands of cacti, the cannons that once defended the town from pirates. And less than half an hour away are the caves where prehistoric people lived, a completely flat 24-kilometre cycle path and, across the border, the changing of the guard in Monaco.
2 km
of car-free seafront promenade
24 km
of flat cycle path along the sea
3,000
varieties of cacti and succulents at the Pallanca garden
25,000
years ago: the Triple Burial of the Balzi Rossi
Sea, beaches and promenade
Along the Lungomare Argentina and towards the east, beach clubs alternate with free beaches, handy when travelling with children. Bordighera’s shoreline has stretches of pebbles and rocks, so water shoes are useful. Below the Capo, among the rocks, the water is crystal clear: with a mask and snorkel even children can watch fish and seaweed.
Older children can go kayaking along the coast; for everyone there is the Riviera dei Fiori cycle path, starting from Ospedaletti, with the illuminated Capo Nero tunnel.
Giant trees, palms and cacti
In Bordighera the trees are characters in their own right. The ficus trees of the Museo Bicknell have roots that hang from the branches like lianas and have swallowed up the old gate; the Canary Island pine on Via Romana is 40 metres tall; the araucarias on the seafront look like giant Christmas trees.
At the Giardino Esotico Pallanca you walk among more than 3,000 varieties of cacti and succulents, on terraces and little stairways between the rocks. The pine wood on the Capo offers shade, benches and a viewpoint over the sea.
Pirates, cannons and prehistoric caves
In the pine wood on the Capo stands the Marabutto, the old domed powder magazine, and beside it three cannons with dialect nicknames — Butafoegu, Tiralogni and Cagastrasse — that defended the town from raids from the sea. Inside, a mirror tells the legend of the Saracen pirate Boabil.
25 minutes away, on the border with France, the Balzi Rossi are a red cliff with caves where Neanderthals and the first Homo sapiens lived: the museum displays the Triple Burial and the small Palaeolithic Venus figurines, and admission is free for under-18s. For lovers of mysterious tales there is Triora, the “village of witches”; for stargazers, Perinaldo, the “village of the stars”.
Day trips
In the Principality of Monaco, less than an hour away, the changing of the guard takes place every day at 11.55 in front of the Prince’s Palace, free of charge; the Oceanographic Museum stands on the same rock. Dolceacqua has a castle and a medieval bridge straight out of a fairy tale; Borghetto San Nicolò, close by, is an open-air art gallery of painted doors. In summer, the laghetti di Rocchetta Nervina, natural pools in the stream, are the place for a swim.
Ideas for 1, 2 or 3 days with the family
Days at children’s pace: few stops, long breaks.
Beach and cannons
Morning at the beach on the seafront. In the afternoon, when the sun is lower, the pine wood on the Capo with the Marabutto cannons and the little church of Sant’Ampelio on the rocks.
Cycling by the sea
From Ospedaletti, the Riviera dei Fiori cycle path: the Capo Nero tunnel and then on to Sanremo along the sea, all on the flat. Turn back whenever you like.
Caves and gardens on the border
The Balzi Rossi and their prehistory museum (closed on Mondays) and, a few minutes away, the Giardini Hanbury sloping down to the sea. Or Monaco for the changing of the guard.
When to go
Spring
Bright days and few crowds: perfect for gardens, day trips and villages.
Summer
Sea and beaches; the hottest hours by the water, walks at dawn and sunset, and a swim in the natural pools.
Autumn
The sea stays inviting for a long time: ideal for short breaks and long weekends.
Winter
Mild, sunny weather: cycling along the seafront and trips to the Côte d’Azur.
More ideas for families
All the other places suitable for children.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bordighera suitable for children?
Yes: it is a compact town you can explore on foot, with a car-free promenade of about two kilometres, beaches with both beach clubs and free stretches, gardens and a flat cycle path a few minutes away.
Are Bordighera’s beaches sandy?
The coastline alternates stretches of pebbles, rocks and small coves. Along the Lungomare Argentina there are beach clubs with facilities and free beach; water shoes are recommended.
Where can we cycle with children?
On Bordighera’s seafront and on the Riviera dei Fiori cycle path: 24 flat kilometres from Ospedaletti to San Lorenzo al Mare, away from cars and suitable for children too.
What can we do with children when it rains?
The Balzi Rossi museum, with its prehistoric finds, is 25 minutes away; the Principality of Monaco has the Oceanographic Museum. In Bordighera, the Museo Bicknell holds one of the most important butterfly collections in Europe (limited opening hours: check them on its page).
How much does it cost to visit the Balzi Rossi?
Admission is free for under-18s, and free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month. Up-to-date prices and opening hours are on the Balzi Rossi page.
Plan your family holiday
How to get here, the beaches and the climate: the practical information for a carefree trip.
