San Remo, Bordighera & west

The Riviera of Flowers

The far west of the Italian Riviera, close to the French border, is known as the Riviera dei Fiori after the flowers grown on its terraced hillsides. It has a mild climate all year, palm-lined promenades and a string of seaside towns backed by steep valleys of olive groves and small medieval villages.

Sanremo is the largest town, with an elegant casino, a seafront of grand hotels and villas from the Belle Époque and a Russian Orthodox church built for the Russian visitors who once wintered here. Above the modern centre, the old quarter of La Pigna is a maze of covered alleys and steps. The town also hosts Italy's best-known song festival every year.

Bordighera was a favourite winter retreat of the British in the nineteenth century, and its old town, palm gardens and seafront promenade still have a gentle, unhurried feel.

Hill villages and the French border

Inland, Dolceacqua has a ruined castle of the Doria family and a humpbacked stone bridge painted by Monet, and it gives its name to Rossese di Dolceacqua, a light local red. Apricale, perched on its hill, is one of the prettiest villages in the area, and Bussana Vecchia, abandoned after an earthquake, has been revived by artists.

Near Ventimiglia, the Hanbury Botanical Gardens run down to the sea at La Mortola, and the French border town of Menton is just beyond. Monaco and Nice are both within easy reach for a day out. A cycle and walking path built along an old coastal railway line follows the shore from Ospedaletti past Sanremo.

Food, seasons and getting here

Ligurian food is built on olive oil, herbs and vegetables. Try sardenaira, a local cousin of pizza topped with tomato, anchovies and olives, along with farinata, a thin chickpea pancake, and the small Taggiasca olives grown in the hills.

Nice Côte d'Azur airport is around an hour's drive away, with Genoa further east. The mild winters make this a good choice outside the summer season, while summer brings beach days and long evenings on the promenades.

The area suits couples, walkers and anyone who likes to combine Italy with the Côte d'Azur. Explore more of the Italian Riviera, or browse the villas listed below to find your base in the west.