Table of Contents:
When to travel to Finale Ligure
How to get to Finale Ligure from Genoa
How to get to Finale Ligure from Milan
Where to stay in Finale Ligure
When to travel to Finale Ligure
Finale Ligure is considered to be a small resort town in the north of Liguria region. The local touristic infrastructure is well developed here. There is a lot of interesting places in Finale Ligure, including an embankment with palm trees for walking, ancient monuments, beautiful foothill nature, sandy beaches, turquoise sea, different types of hotels for staying, cafes, restaurants, bars and other kinds of entertainment.
As an option, you can also visit for excursion the neighboring towns of the Ligurian shore such as Alassio, Savona, Albenga, or you can go a little further, to the French Riviera and see with your own eyes such world-known resorts as Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Saint-Tropez, Monte Carlo and other ones.
Summer time is the best period to visit Finale Ligure as it is a swimming season. It usually starts at the beginning of June and ends at the last week of September. Sometimes water temperature may remain warm enough to swim until the middle of October. The period from November until June is good for excursions, hiking, sightseeing and trying local gastronomy which is famous for seafood and desserts.
How to get to Finale Ligure
Where do you fly into to get to Finale Ligure? Getting to Finale Ligure is not that difficult. You can come here by train or by taxi from the nearest major cities be it Genoa or Milan. Both cities have international airports. You can check the current flight timetable via specialized online services such as Aviasales and other similar ones.
How to get to Finale Ligure from Genoa
The distance between Genoa and Finale Ligure is about 75 km. You can use either public transport or a taxi car or a rented car to reach your travel destination.
By train: Railway connection between Genoa and Finale Ligure starts daily at 5.30 am. Regional and high-speed trains depart from Genova Piazza Principe Station every hour throughout the day. The travel time by regional train is 1 hour 20 minutes, by high-speed train is just 45 minutes. You can check the current train timetable in advance and purchase tickets at the Raileurope booking service or at the Genoa Train Station.
By taxi: You can also get to the resort from Genoa by taxi. You can order a taxi at the information desk in the terminal of arrival, or in advance via the international online transfer services such Kiwitaxi and others. The travel time is approximately 55 minutes, depending on road traffic. Transfer services are especially useful when arriving at night, because public transport does not operate during the night time.
By rented car: If tourists want to travel along the shore on their own, it is better to rent a car, because it will allow to visit more interesting places and even some remote areas where public transport does not run. It is quite easy to find a car rental office in Genoa. There is a lot of car rental points at the airport. You can also find some rental points at the city center. It is useful to book a car in advance. In that case you can be sure that you can choose the best option in terms of quality and price. To book a car for renting in advance you can use different online services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and some others. Genoa and Finale Ligure are connected with #A10/E80 motorway. The travel time by car is 1 hour (see on the map).
How to get to Finale Ligure from Milan
The distance between Milan and Finale Ligure is about 200 km. The cities are connected by the A7 highway (see on the map).
By train: From 7 am, direct high-speed trains to Finale Ligure start running from Milan Main Station. The travel time is approximately 2.5 hours. Trains run throughout the day at intervals of once every 2 hours. You can check the current train timetable in advance and purchase tickets at the Raileurope booking service or at Milan Train Station.
By rented car: Car renting in Milan is also very popular option for travelling around. You can find a lot of car rental offices either at the airport or at the city area. As an option you can also book a car in advance via various international services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings, etc. The travel time from Milan to Finale Ligure by car is about 3 hours.
Where to stay in Finale Ligure
In Finale Ligure, beach holiday is especially popular, so most hotels either have their own access to the sea and beach, or are located close to them. If necessary, in Finale Ligure you can find any accommodation options, be it a 5 or 4-star hotel with additional services, an affordable B&B, an apartment or an individual holiday home.
As a rule, all taxes are already included in the room rates. Some hotels include breakfast or parking place in the price. When choosing an apartment, you should pay attention to the distance to grocery stores or food markets nearby, since with this accommodation option you will have to take care of food on your own.
Hotel Marina Charming Rooms 4* is located within walking distance of the sandy beaches of Finale Ligure. There is a restaurant and a bar on site. Wi-Fi is free of charge. Luggage storage is available at the front desk. Private parking is provided nearby, but reservations are required. The hotel has rooms of various categories, including standard, superior and junior suites;
Lido Resort 4* is located on the first line from the sea and has a private beach. In addition, guests are offered a sauna, a solarium, luggage storage, and laundry services. Wi-Fi is available free of charge throughout the hotel. Paid private parking is provided nearby, but reservations are required. The hotel offers rooms of various types, including studios, apartments, superior rooms, family rooms, etc. You can choose from rooms with sea or mountain views;
Hotel San Pietro Palace 4* is located near the beach. There is a restaurant on site. You can stay in two, three or four-bed rooms. Breakfast is included in the price. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Private parking is provided nearby upon reservation and at an additional cost. The front desk is open 24 hours a day and there is luggage storage area available;
Grand Hotel Moroni 4* is located next to the resort embankment. There is a restaurant, a bar and a spa center on site. There is a private beach nearby. You can stay in classic rooms. The type of meals offered is breakfast or half board. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Private parking is provided nearby for an additional cost and upon reservation. The front desk serves guests 24 hours a day. There is luggage storage area available;
Hotel Medusa 3* is located on the waterfront and is close to the beach and other attractions. The hotel occupies a historical building. The hotel has a bar and a restaurant. You can stay in rooms of various categories, including family rooms. Some rooms have terraces. Breakfast is included in the price. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. A parking lot is available nearby. There is also a sauna on site. The front desk is open 24 hours a day.
What to see in Finale Ligure
The historical center of the town has a lot of attractions, ranging from fortress walls and gates built in the 15th-17th centuries to numerous buildings inside the “old town”. The most significant historical monument in Finale Ligure is the medieval Castelfranco Castle from the 14th century, within the walls of which there is now a museum. Along with the castle, two 17th-century basilicas called the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the Cathedral of Sant’Biagio are impressive. Both basilicas have features of Baroque and Classicism.
In Finale Ligure, like in no other town in Liguria, the largest number of monuments from the Renaissance period have been preserved. Palazzo Ricci, Palazzo Cavassola, Palazzo Arnaldi, Palazzo Gavani and Palazzo San Giovanni all have unique architectural features and are open to the public. Many properties offer beautiful views of the shore.
In the surroundings of Finale Ligure there are the Capradzoppa sandstone mountains and the caves, which are considered to be popular tourist sites, attracting travelers from all neighboring towns. Rock climbing is common in the local mountains, and the caves contain interesting archaeological artifacts.
Beaches of Finale Ligure
Finale Ligure is considered to be a popular beach resort along with neighboring Sanremo and Imperia and has many sandy beaches, which territory is divided between hotels. In this regard, tourists often choose hotels that already have access to the beaches. However, if you stay in a hotel or apartment that is located in some distance from the shoreline, then getting to the beach will not be that difficult.
The best beach areas in Finale Ligure for swimming and sunbathing are Finale Marina and Varigotti. There are sandy beaches with a gentle entrance to the water and a calm sea. Local beaches are suitable for families with children. Many of them are equipped with marine entertainment, cafes, and showers.
As you see, Finale Ligure is a well-developed resort with a lot of places to stay and a lot of places to see as well as a lot of beaches to relax. Finale Ligure offers sandy beaches equipped with everything tourists need, but the entrance is, as a rule, paid. The most of the local beaches are private and belong to the hotels.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out a travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerged medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase an insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Oleg Brovko
The author is Julia Mam
Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more…
