Table of Contents:
When to travel to Santa Margherita Ligure
How to get to Santa Margherita Ligure
How to get to Santa Margherita Ligure from Genoa
How to get to Santa Margherita Ligure from Milan
Where to stay in Santa Margherita Ligure
What to see in Santa Margherita Ligure
Beaches of Santa Margherita Ligure
When to travel to Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita Ligure is another Ligurian resort town, along with Portofino and Rapallo, located in the Tigullio Gulf. Tourists are attracted to Santa Margherita by its unique resort vibes, numerous historical sights, and developed infrastructure, including hotels of different categories, cafes, restaurants, promenades and public beaches.
After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to organize a holiday in Santa Margherita Ligure. I figured out how to get to the town, where to stay & what to see there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to Santa Margherita Ligure.
In my opinion, the best time to visit Santa Margherita Ligure is the period from June until October when the sea is warm enough to swim in it. The summer time is good for beach holiday here. However, the resort can be visited all year round. Tourists travel to Santa Margherita Ligure to observe famous historical and architectural attractions, try local cuisine, enjoy natural landscapes and explore colorful Ligurian shore.
How to get to Santa Margherita Ligure
Where do you fly into to get to Santa Margherita Ligure? To get to the resort, you first need to fly to one of the major cities in the region. It could be Genoa or Milan. You can check the current flight timetable via specialized online services such as Aviasales and other similar ones. I often use this online service as it helps me a lot to compare different flight options and to choose the optimal one. Then from Milan or Genoa you can get directly to Santa Margherita Ligure by train (the railway network is extremely developed in Italy), by taxi or by rented car.
How to get to Santa Margherita Ligure from Genoa
As I found out one of the most popular ways to get to Santa Margherita Ligure from Genoa is by train. Also, due to the short distance, such type of travel as a taxi is often used. Besides, tourists can hire a car in Genoa to travel to Santa Margherita Ligure and other colorful resorts on the Ligurian shore.
By train: Trains from Genoa to Santa Margherita Ligure run with enviable frequency. From Brignole station in Genoa, regional trains start running from 5 am. The travel time is half an hour. Trains run twice an hour during the day. Using the train along this route is considered to be one of the most convenient and fastest ways to get to the resort. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance at the Raileurope booking service. I can truly recommend using Raileurope as it has a very convenient search. I use it pretty much often when planning my own trips.
By taxi: You can also get to Santa Margherita Ligure from Genoa by taxi. This option is especially relevant if it is necessary to travel at night, when trains do not run, or if there is a large amount of luggage with you. The travel time by taxi takes about 50 minutes. You can order a taxi at the airport after arrival, or in advance via the different online services such as Kiwitaxi and others. As I discovered, Kiwitaxi has a lot of positive reviews so I can recommend this online transfer service. For sure, there are a lot of other taxi services available at the airport.
By a rented car: Getting to Santa Margherita Ligure is quite convenient by rented car. It will allow you to see not only the resort, but also other natural attractions near around. You can rent a car in Genoa at rental offices in the city, as well as at the airport. You can book the desired class of car in advance via various car rental services, for instance, Discover Cars, Economybookings and some others. Based on my experience, both online services are good and convenient to use and compare the results. The cities are connected with highway No. A12/E80 via Rapallo. The travel time takes no more than 50 minutes (see on the map).
How to get to Santa Margherita Ligure from Milan
According to my map research, the distance from Milan to Santa Margherita Ligure is about 170 km. They are connected with highway No. A7. You can get to the resort from Milan either by train, by taxi or by rented car.
By train: From Milan Central Station, trains to Santa Margherita Ligure start at 6 am. There are two options for getting to the resort by train. The first is to take a direct high-speed train of type IC; in this case, the travel time is a little over 2 hours. These trains run several times a day. Regional trains operate more often, but you need to make a change in Genoa. In this case, the trip may take a little more than 3 hours. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance at the Raileurope booking service. I use this service when planning my trips in Europe in advance. It helps me to sort various available railway options by the duration of the trip, departure and arrival points, number of changes, price, etc.
By taxi: Taxi from Milan to Santa Margherita Ligure is quite expensive due to the large distance between the cities, but this option is considered to be faster than trains (the travel time is about 2 hours) and are available 24/7, while trains do not run at night. You can order a taxi at the airport, or in advance via specialized transfer services such as Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and others. I read the reviews of the services and most of them are positive so I can totally recommend them.
By a rented car: It is quite convenient to get to the resorts of Liguria, incl. Santa Margherita Ligure, using a rented car. In Milan, there are rental points in every area of the city, as well as at the airports be it Malpensa, Linate or Bergamo ones. The travel time along highway No. A7 is no more than 2.5 hours. The route goes via Genoa (see on the map). You can book the desired class of car in advance via various international online services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings, etc. I would recommend using both online services at once to compare the results and choose the best suitable one.
Where to stay in Santa Margherita Ligure
In Santa Margherita Ligure you can find hotels of different star categories, depending on your budget. At the same time, accommodation options can be located both in the old colorful city center and closer to the embankment and beaches, so depending on the purpose of your trip (sightseeing or beach holiday) you can choose a suitable hotel. After some research I did a list of popular accommodation options in Santa Margherita Ligure and it includes the following hotels:
Best Western Regina Elena 4* has its own private beach. The beach has a restaurant, a bar, a children’s playground with a children’s pool and even a diving center. The advantages of the hotel also include an outdoor swimming pool and hydromassage on the roof, as well as a private garden. The rooms overlook either the Gulf of Tigullio or the Portofino Natural Park;
Regina Elena Dependance 4* is located close to the sea and a short walk to the beach. The city center is located 500 m from the hotel. The hotel has its own terrace overlooking the sea and a restaurant serving local cuisine. Regina Elena Dependance is a small hotel designed for only 20 people. As online booking services provide tourists reviews, I found out that the hotel guests can use the swimming pool of the neighboring Best Western Regina Elena Hotel. Paid private parking is available nearby;
Hotel Metropole 4* is located close to the town promenade and a short walk from the beach. The hotel has its own swimming pool. Paid public parking is available nearby. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge. The hotel has one, two, three-bed standard rooms, as well as junior suites and suites;
Hotel Tigullio Et De Milan 3* is located in the town center and a short walk from the beach. The hotel has an outdoor terrace and a bar. There are numerous cafés, restaurants and shops nearby the hotel. Private parking services are provided. The parking area is paid, no reservation is required. Wi-Fi is available free of charge throughout the hotel;
La Corallina 3* is located 500 m from the nearest beach. You can stay in rooms of various categories, including family rooms. Each room is equipped with a coffee pot or kettle. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Private parking is provided nearby upon reservation and at an additional cost.
What to see in Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita Ligure is one of the most romantic and elegant resorts of the Riviera Levante. Its cobbled streets, picturesque promenade, epic castle ruins, sophisticated villas – all combine to make Santa Margherita Ligure a desirable holiday destination. Santa Margherita is located in the “heart” of the Riviera Levante and washed by the Gulf of Tigullio. As I found out, the resort can also boast its public beaches, unlike the other resorts on the Ligurian shore.
Santa Margherita Ligure has preserved quite a few architectural landmarks. Along the embankment you can find several well-preserved churches and even the ruins of a castle. These, in particular, include the Church of Saint Erasmus and the Church of San Giacomo. Both have Baroque features, but the first is more modest one; the second is more elegant. Here, on the embankment, you can also see Antico Castello, the ruins of a castle that once protected the town from attacks by pirates. The construction of this small castle dates back to the mid-16th century.
Interesting buildings also include the church of St. Francis and the basilica St. Margaret of Antioch. The second church, by the way, is surrounded with the elegant Caprera square and a row of colorful houses. In my point of view, it makes sense to go inside the Church of St. Margaret, since its interior is striking in its splendor, even the columns are decorated with gilding and patterns.
Villa Durazzo stands apart from all the other attractions of Santa Margherita. This palace is located on the hill within the town and is surrounded with lush landscaped gardens, which are a special pleasure to wander around. Sculptures, fountains, palm trees and other picturesque plants – all this makes the garden a significant attraction.
The villa dates back to the 17th century. Decorated with frescoes, sculptures, majolica and Murano glass chandeliers, the building is pretty much impressive. Both the gardens and the interior of Villa Durazzo are open to the public. Inside the building there is a museum with an important collection of paintings, among which works by Genoese artists predominate. There is some useful information for visiting that I discovered:
- The villa is open from 9.30 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm in summer;
- The villa is open from 9.30 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm in winter;
- The entrance fee to the villa is 5,5 euros; the entrance to the garden is free.
Beaches of Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita Ligure is almost the only resort on the Riviera Levante that has public beaches accessible to all tourists, and not just to the guests of a particular hotel. The beaches of Santa Margherita are pebbly, of medium latitude (in some places wider, in others narrower). The entrance to the water is gentle; there are also small bridges along the shore. The swimming season lasts from June until October in Santa Margherita Ligure. July and August are considered to be the warmest months of the year.
As I see it, Santa Margherita Ligure offers a lot of activities to spend your holiday time here. It can be swimming and sunbathing; diving or snorkeling; sightseeing and boat excursions; trying local gastronomy and hiking around. Santa Margherita Ligure is a mix of great architecture and magnificent natural landscapes to explore.
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: Chris Yunker
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Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more…