Sanremo, Ligurian Riviera

🚶 Start with Corso Imperatrice — the grand palm-lined boulevard by the sea, named after Maria Alexandrovna: white Art Nouveau villas, soft light, and the even line of the promenade immediately set the “riviera rhythm.” Stop by the Sanremo Casino — Italy’s oldest operating casino in a richly decorated 1905–1906 building; even without gambling it’s a striking architectural landmark. Then take an unhurried loop to Portosole: yachts, salt in the air, tiny bars. In the evening, stroll back along the waterfront — the sunset here keeps “smoldering” above the water for a long time.

🚶 La Pigna is a concentric medieval “city within a city”: arches, passageways, stone staircases, and tiny courtyards stacked into a tight cone of streets, like the scales of a pinecone. Enter through the Gothic Porta di Santo Stefano, then head up to the Madonna della Costa sanctuary: from here you get views of the rooftops, the sea, and the palm axis of Corso Imperatrice. The atmosphere is lively and very human: laundry drying somewhere, a market being set up somewhere else. On the way back, stop by Piazza Bresca for a late coffee and light bites.

🚶 Dedicate the morning to Villa Ormond Park: exotic palms and little pockets of shady lawns stretch toward the sea; in the southern part there’s a Japanese garden as a striking counterpoint to Mediterranean greenery. Inside the park is Floriseum (the Flower Museum): a short but substantial exhibit about Riviera floriculture, heritage carnation varieties, and stories from Sanremo’s flower market. It’s a gentle “green” day: more walking, light, and scents, less rush.

🚶 Villa Nobel is Alfred Nobel’s home in the last years of his life: a villa in a palm garden by the sea with an intimate museum (study, instruments, rare photos). After the visit, walk along the water toward the eastern beaches: this part of Sanremo has more “air,” lower horizons, and distant yachts. A great moment to catch the mood of a resort town without the crowds.

🚶 The triangular Forte Santa Tecla by the old harbor is a rare coastal monument from the 18th century: old bastions, views over the water, and temporary exhibitions inside. Outside: the buzz of the docks, fishing boats, cafés. Pair the fortress with a walk along the piers — to talk to the sea, listen to ropes and masts, and take “salty” photos.

🚶 Behind the Casino, at the edge of Corso Imperatrice, stands the Russian Orthodox Church of Christ the Savior — onion domes against the sea sky, mosaics and icons inside. It’s a reminder of the “Russian winter” on the riviera of the early 20th century, when Sanremo was a home and salon for the aristocracy. Afterward: a promenade along the waterfront — café terraces, old hotels with verandas, the eternal sound of the surf.

🚴 The legendary Pista Ciclabile della Riviera Ligure is a flat, nearly 24 km route from Ospedaletti to San Lorenzo al Mare, built on the former coastal railway line. Ride the Sanremo → Ospedaletti section: the long illuminated Capo Nero tunnel, the smell of salt, beaches, and colorful shacks with coffee and focaccia — the perfect riviera picture without cars.

🏖 Ospedaletti is a mini-resort 10 minutes away from Sanremo by bus/bike. The terrain is gentler here, the beaches are closer, and the pace feels half a notch slower. The plan is simple: a late breakfast, a swim, a book in the shade, a short loop along the promenade, and an aperitif with a sunset view.

🚶 From Sanremo it’s just a short hop to Bordighera — an elegant neighbor with loggias and umbrella pines. The main goal is the Pallanca Garden: collections of cacti and succulents on a slope above the sea, a rare “dry” beauty that’s hard to look away from. Down below is the old seafront, a pleasant place to stay for dinner: here the riviera feels intimate.

🚶 The Hanbury Gardens in La Mortola are one of the great botanical parks of the Mediterranean: terraces, old citrus trees, collections from around the world, and the sea peeking through the foliage. Take the train to Ventimiglia, then a short bus/taxi ride to the entrance. Back in town, drop by Ventimiglia Alta (the old town) or the beach in Latte — it will make the day feel complete.

🚶 Dolceacqua is a stone arched bridge over the Nervia, houses clinging to the rock, and the ruins of Doria Castle above it all. The town inspired Monet — and it’s easy to see why. Climb up to the castle and treat yourself to a glass of local Rossese: it feels as if it was made for this landscape.

🚶 Take the train to Imperia, then bus/bike path to Cervo: an old borgo on a hill ridge and the white-and-pink Baroque San Giovanni Battista, like a sail above the Ligurian Sea. Wander through the “caruggi” (narrow streets), listen to the quiet mixed with the surf, and be sure to linger at the viewpoint in front of the church.

🚶 Go back to where it felt best: walk La Pigna again, finish your coffee on Piazza Bresca, rent a bike and cover the part of the Pista Ciclabile you didn’t ride yet. For shopping — Via Matteotti: boutiques, delicacies, local oils, and perfume shops with neroli and lavender scents.

🚶 One last loop — from Portosole to Corso Imperatrice, with stops “for nothing”: watch the yachts, listen to the tramontane in the palm crowns, and say goodbye to the city at sunset. Dinner — on the waterfront or in the old town: simple pasta with Ligurian pesto, local wine, and the feeling that the sea will be waiting for you here tomorrow, too.