Holiday apartment in Aurigo: Hiking trails, towers and Ligurian traditions

Aurigo combines historic buildings with a landscape accessible via paths through terraced olive groves, chestnut forests and downy oak forests. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Aurigo will find various starting points here for planning their holiday: circular routes lead from the main village to Guardiabella and Poggialto, as well as along historic, still walkable mule tracks to neighbouring municipalities. At the same time, churches, towers and local traditions are closely connected to the history of the village.

Hiking trails between olive groves and hamlets

In the area around Aurigo, hiking trails mainly run through terraced olive groves and chestnut forests on the slopes. One route leads from Aurigo along a mule track past the Santuario di San Paolo and the Santuario di Sant’Andrea; it passes through terraced olive groves and downy oak forests. The Chiesa di Sant’Andrea is located on a high-level path that connects it with San Paolo.

The circular routes connect the main village with Guardiabella and Poggialto, as well as with neighbouring municipalities. This network of paths can be particularly relevant when choosing a holiday apartment in Aurigo if you would like to include various hamlets, historic trails and landscapes in your stay. The paths offer different opportunities to combine an active day with cultural stops, rather than viewing the village merely as a single sightseeing point.

Churches, palaces and medieval towers

The Santuario di San Paolo houses a valuable polyptych by Giulio De Rossi from 1569. It depicts Saint Paul between Saints Andrew and Peter. Near the parish church is the Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista, with stucco work by Gio Paolo Marvaldi from the late 17th century.

The parish church of Natività di Maria Vergine may have been built in the 14th century, when the population of Aurigo settled at the foot of the Ventimiglia castle. The Palazzo De Gubernatis Ventimiglia was built from the 17th century onwards near the ruins of the former castle of Aurigo, using reclaimed building materials from these ruins. In Poggialto, a hamlet of Aurigo, stands the Baroque church of San Bernardo, which can be reached via Via San Bernardo.

The Torre di Sant’Andrea is a square tower dating from the 12th century. In later periods, it was converted into the bell tower of the church of Sant’Andrea. The Torre della Colombera dates from the 13th century and is located a few kilometres from Aurigo. Together with the bell tower of Sant’Andrea, it formed part of the castle’s military defence system and served as a watchtower for monitoring the Valle del Maro, particularly to spot Saracen raids from the sea.

Fiera di San Paolo and local specialities

The old Fiera di San Paolo, held every year on 29 and 30 June in Aurigo, is part of the local tradition. Torta verde also connects Aurigo with the culinary tradition of the Province of Imperia. In Ligurian, it is called “a turta de gè”; in Aurigo, it was formerly known as “L’Alleluja”. Traditionally, it could only be eaten after the parish priest had blessed it.

A bread-making tradition has been passed down from generation to generation in Aurigo. Dried figs were historically an important economic resource here; residents of neighbouring villages referred to the inhabitants of Aurigo as “figalei”. This combination of paths, religious buildings, festival traditions and traditional foods makes Aurigo a destination for you if you value landscapes and local history when choosing your holiday apartment.

Discover more places in the surrounding area

Civezza, Vallecrosia, Badalucco, Gazzelli, Perinaldo, Apricale, Borganzo and Deglio Faraldi

For the higher-level travel overview: Imperia.