{"id":7069,"date":"2026-10-02T08:53:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitbordighera.com\/romantic-weekend-liguria\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T08:53:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:53:06","slug":"romantic-weekend-liguria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitbordighera.com\/en\/romantic-weekend-liguria\/","title":{"rendered":"A romantic weekend in Liguria: Bordighera and the Riviera dei Fiori in 2 days"},"content":{"rendered":"

A romantic weekend in Liguria<\/strong> works because within a few kilometres you find everything a getaway for two needs: the sea on your doorstep, stone villages perched on the hills, gardens for unhurried strolls and sunsets watched from the rocks. And it works almost all year round, because the mild coastal climate lets you stay outdoors even when the rest of Italy is cold.<\/p>\n

Liguria is long, though, and trying to see all of it in two days means spending the weekend in the car. The best advice is to choose a base and move around as little as possible. In this guide the base is Bordighera, on the western Riviera, the Riviera dei Fiori: a small town that drew English travellers in the 19th century for its mild winters, a few minutes from the villages of the Val Nervia and half an hour from the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur.<\/p>\n

Below you will find a two-day itinerary timed to the best moments of the day, three alternative ideas for the second day, a selection of other romantic places in Liguria and some tips on when to go.<\/p>\n

Why Bordighera for a couples\u2019 getaway<\/h2>\n

Bordighera has the pace of an old-time resort: Belle \u00c9poque villas, palm gardens, a medieval village on the hill and a long pedestrian promenade by the sea. You get around on foot, and for a weekend for two that matters a great deal: no parking to hunt for, no timetables to keep.<\/p>\n

There is an artistic reason too. In 1884 Claude Monet came here for a few weeks and stayed almost three months, painting palms, olive trees and the old village. Many of the views he painted can still be recognised today. If you are looking for somewhere to slow down, you will find more ideas on the page about a relaxing holiday in Bordighera<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Day 1: Bordighera \u2013 old village, gardens and sunset<\/h2>\n

Morning: the caruggi of Bordighera Alta<\/h3>\n

Start at the top. Bordighera Alta<\/a> is the fortified village founded in 1470: ancient gates, caruggi (narrow lanes) covered by arches, and little squares where in the morning only the residents pass by. Its heart is the square with the church of Santa Maria Maddalena, which holds the relics of Sant\u2019Ampelio, the patron saint. An hour or two is enough to wander round without hurrying, stopping for a coffee outdoors.<\/p>\n

From the village, head down towards the sea through the pinewood of the Capo: shady paths beneath the pines and, overlooking the drop, the Marabutto<\/a>, the old powder magazine with its dome, three cannons and a lookout high above the sea. It is one of the quietest spots in town to sit in silence for a while and gaze along the coast.<\/p>\n

Afternoon: villas, gardens and Monet\u2019s traces<\/h3>\n

The afternoon is for Bordighera\u2019s gardens. Along Via Romana stand one after another the villas built by the English between the 19th and 20th centuries; almost all are private, but they can be admired from the street. For a seat in the shade there are the public gardens: the Giardini Lowe, with their centuries-old olive trees, and the Giardini Winter, a park of palms. Along Via Romana three \u201cM\u201d signs on the ground mark the spots where Monet painted: stand on them and you will find his compositions again.<\/p>\n

In spring, between April and May, the wisteria on Via Romana turns the fa\u00e7ades purple: if your weekend falls in those weeks, it is the town\u2019s most photogenic moment.<\/p>\n

Late afternoon: the Lungomare Argentina<\/h3>\n

Then go down to the Lungomare Argentina<\/a>: about two kilometres of pedestrian promenade between the beach and the gardens, shaded by a row of monumental araucarias. It owes its name to Eva Per\u00f3n, who opened it in July 1947. It is the locals\u2019 promenade, the one for walking hand in hand before dinner, with the sea always beside you and, on clear days, the French coast on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Sunset from Sant\u2019Ampelio<\/h3>\n

At its eastern end the promenade reaches the foot of the Capo, where the church of Sant\u2019Ampelio<\/a>, a small 11th-century Romanesque church, sits on the rocks almost touching the sea. According to tradition, the town\u2019s patron saint lived here as a hermit. At sunset the sun sinks towards the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur and the light colours the rocks and the church fa\u00e7ade: it is the moment not to miss on your first day.<\/p>\n

Evening: dinner in the old village or with a sea view<\/h3>\n

For dinner you have two atmospheres to choose from: the little squares of Bordighera Alta, which fill with tables in the evening, or a restaurant overlooking the sea. On the menu, look for the dishes of western Ligurian cooking: sardenaira, ravioli, the catch of the day, Taggiasca olive oil and a glass of Rossese di Dolceacqua.<\/p>\n

Day 2: three ideas for the second day<\/h2>\n

On the second day you can choose between the hinterland, France or a great garden by the sea. All are less than an hour from Bordighera: choose according to the season and your own pace.<\/p>\n

Idea 1: Dolceacqua and Apricale, the villages of the Val Nervia<\/h3>\n

About twenty minutes away by car, Dolceacqua<\/a> has as its emblem the old bridge: a medieval humpback arch spanning the Nervia stream beneath the Doria castle. Monet painted it in 1884 and in a letter called it \u201ca jewel of lightness\u201d. Cross the bridge, climb through the caruggi to the castle and stop at one of the village wine cellars to taste Rossese di Dolceacqua, the first Ligurian wine to be awarded DOC status. It is said that the michetta, the village\u2019s sweet, recalls a young bride, Lucrezia, who refused the castle lord\u2019s ius primae noctis.<\/p>\n

Continuing up the valley you reach Apricale<\/a>, the \u201cvillage of artists\u201d: houses huddled around the square and the Castello della Lucertola, murals in the lanes and a bicycle on the bell tower. The name probably comes from the Latin apricus<\/em>, \u201cexposed to the sun\u201d. It is one of the Borghi pi\u00f9 belli d\u2019Italia (Most Beautiful Villages in Italy) and, like Dolceacqua, holds the Touring Club Italiano\u2019s Orange Flag. It is the right place for a long lunch; wear comfortable shoes, because it is all slopes and steps.<\/p>\n

Idea 2: Menton and the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur<\/h3>\n

Bordighera is the last Italian town before the border. Menton<\/a> is about half an hour by car, or by train with a change at Ventimiglia: an ochre-coloured old town stepping down to the harbour, the Baroque basilica of Saint-Michel, the Jean Cocteau Museum and a series of exotic gardens. Cocteau also decorated the town hall\u2019s Wedding Room, a detail worth the stop on a romantic weekend.<\/p>\n

If you have a car and the whole day, carry on to \u00c8ze<\/a>, the medieval village clinging to a rocky spur 429 metres above the sea: at the top, among the castle ruins, there is a succulent garden from which, on the clearest days, you can see as far as Corsica. Remember to bring a valid identity document.<\/p>\n

Idea 3: the Hanbury Botanical Gardens<\/h3>\n

If you prefer a slow day, the Hanbury Botanical Gardens<\/a> are about 25 minutes away, on the Mortola headland. Created from 1867 by the Englishman Thomas Hanbury, they descend in terraces over 18 hectares from the palazzo to the sea, among agaves, succulents and exotic trees. Allow at least two hours and wear comfortable shoes, because the visit goes downhill and then back up. Before setting off, check the opening hours on the official website: the garden closes in the event of a weather alert.<\/p>\n

If you would like to arrange the stops differently, you will find an alternative programme in Bordighera in a weekend<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Experiences for couples<\/h2>\n

Besides the walks, Bordighera offers guided experiences that add something to the weekend:<\/p>\n