Discover Bordighera: Città Alta, Gardens and Sea

Holiday apartment in Bordighera for culture, nature and trails

Bordighera is a place where cultural history, garden art and marine nature bring together a range of travel interests. This creates a mix of discovery, activity and observation for planning your holiday. When choosing a holiday apartment in Bordighera, you can consider whether the focus for you should be on the town’s history, gardens, trails or the sea.

Città Alta and Cultural Heritage

Bordighera’s Città Alta preserves pentagonal fortification walls enclosing a network of alleyways and squares. Its colourful houses are connected by characteristic supporting arches. The Centro culturale inglese was established by Clarence Bicknell in 1888 as a place where the English colony could read or attend concerts.

The Museo-Biblioteca Clarence Bicknell has been the seat of the Istituto Internazionale di Studi Liguri since 1937. Villa Regina Margherita was designed in the Neo-Baroque style and was the queen’s official winter residence. Thus, the cultural theme extends from fortification architecture to the history of royal residences.

Gardens Between Botany and Art

The Monet Gardens are the last surviving evidence of the historic Moreno Gardens. In the park of Villa Mariani, three locations where Monet set up his easel in 1884 can still be seen today. Both garden sites add a historical and artistic accent to travel planning.

Mediterranean Flora on Monte Nero

The Giardino Esotico Pallanca is a botanical garden specialising in cacti and succulents. It lies among sandstone rocks on the slopes of the former volcano Monte Nero. The Lowe Gardens are characterised by centuries-old olive trees, shady paths and flowerbeds. Bordighera is the only place in the world at this northern latitude where Phoenix dactylifera palms grow spontaneously.

Béodo Trail, Cape and Sea

The Béodo Trail is approximately 3 km long and follows the route of an old aqueduct that once carried water from the springs of Monte Nero to the centre of Bordighera. It passes through olive groves, along dry-stone walls and pergolas, and offers views of the sea and the town. The route therefore combines landscapes with a historical connection to the water supply.

Sant’Ampelio is Liguria’s southernmost cape. The rocks beside the Sant’Ampelio church serve as a vantage point for observing marine animals and vegetation. In the Bordighera marine protected area, you can observe the diverse animal and plant life of the seabed with a mask and snorkel. For cycle tourists, the Bicknell Cycle Route begins in Bordighera.

Getting There and Local Flavours

Many train services from Milan, Genoa and France stop at Bordighera station. This is a practical consideration when comparing the location of your holiday apartment with your journey and your preferred daily rhythm. The town also has its own culinary speciality: in Bordighera, Brandacujun is considered a dish made from dried cod, prepared creamy with potatoes.

Discover More Places

For further travel planning, you can also find Isolabona, Diano Marina, Riva Faraldi, Seborga, Riva Ligure, Poggialto, Pairola and Praelo here.

For the overarching travel overview: Imperia.