Perched just above the modern town is Bordighera Alta, the original medieval settlement. It’s a walled village of narrow stone lanes, vaulted passageways, potted geraniums, and tiny piazzas that look unchanged for centuries. At golden hour, it feels like someone dimmed the world and turned up the romance. The piazze are lit with string lights and cafes bustle with people getting ready for dinner. You can walk from the modern section to Bordighera Alta and stop in the Pineta di Bordighera Park where you can see beautiful views of the seaside port below.
About the Region:
Liguria, the slender crescent of coastline stretching between the French border and Tuscany, is one of Italy’s most distinctive regions—an intoxicating blend of sea, mountains, and centuries-old traditions squeezed into a landscape where everything feels both dramatic and intimate. Known internationally for the postcard-perfect villages of the Cinque Terre, Liguria is far more varied than its most famous stretch: rugged cliffs plunge into turquoise water, terraced hillsides shimmer with olive groves and vineyards, and pastel towns cling improbably to sheer rock faces. The regional capital, Genoa, adds a completely different energy—a gritty, historic port city filled with medieval alleyways, noble palaces, and a maritime spirit that once powered an empire. Along the Riviera di Levante, elegant towns such as Portofino, Santa Margherita, and Camogli offer a refined, yacht-polished version of coastal life, while the western Riviera di Ponente leans toward a sunny, slower rhythm, with palm-lined promenades in Sanremo, Bordighera, and Alassio echoing a 19th-century resort heritage. Ligurian cuisine is simple but unforgettable, shaped by the land’s natural limitations: basil turned into fragrant pesto, chickpea flour baked into golden farinata, and focaccia ranging from salty and soft to the addictive cheese-filled Recco style. Inland, quiet medieval villages, chestnut forests, and green valleys provide an unexpected contrast to the glamorous coast, revealing a region that has always balanced seafaring with sturdy mountain life. In Liguria, the distances are short, but the experiences are layered—every bend in the road reveals another view, another village, another way the sea meets the mountains in a landscape that never stops surprising.