Tigullio sightseeing: 5 (free) places you can’t miss!
✅ Before starting the reading, below, we put some really interesting things about the Tigullio Gulf. Take a look!
- Tigullio’s treasures you cannot miss: The Christ of the Abyss
- San Michele di Pagana: what to see?
- Rapallo Castle, the symbol of the city, by the sea
- Tigullio: 10 (and more) reason for a Winter visit
- Tigullio: 5 curious things you need to know!
- Moneglia: 5 things you must (absolutely) see
- Love in Portofino: the very original song
- Portofino song: the TOP 5
Going sightseeing through the Tigullio area: here is our unbeatable guide to visit it the best!
Tigullio is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful areas in Liguria and one of the most popular and rated Italian destinations.
It is famous for being exclusive and not very cheap…we must admit this is not that wrong!
We already talked about the ten reasons to visit Tigullio in the Winter season.
Now we are revealing to you what to see in Tigullio for free.
You cannot really say that you visited it properly if you missed one of these 5 places.
Ready? Set, go! 👇
1️⃣ Rocche di Sant’Anna in Sestri Levante
Our first proposition is a trip to the Rocche di Sant’Anna (Saint Anne’ Cliffs) where some ruins of the old Catholic church can be seen.
The ruins can be found along the old path connecting Cavi di Lavagna to Sestri Levante (click here to see the path).
This place owes its beauty to the surrounding scenario: The view on Sestri Levante and the two bays is suggestive, as well as the one on Lavagna and on the entire Tigullio Gulf stretching towards the West.
You will be able to spot one of the best “benches with a view” worldwide. This is one of the most clicked and photographed places in Liguria…and not by chance!
Just believe us: words cannot describe the beauty and allure of this place. It is not a surprise if we consider it the first thing to be seen in the Tigullio area!
Take a look at: 3 beautiful places to see in Sestri Levante
2️⃣ Villa Durazzo and its Garden in Santa Margherita Ligure
In a dominant position in the city of Santa Margherita Ligure, is Villa Durazzo. This majestic square-planned building was built in 1678 as a summer residence for the Durazzo family and then left to the Centurione Princes in 1821.
The “Appartamenti del Piano Nobile” (“Apartments on the Main Floor”) are open to the public and can be visited all the year. Rooms are furnished with period furniture and host precious paintings of the Genoese Pictorial School of the XVII and XVIII centuries.
The complex owes its beauty to the about three-hectares centuries-old Park. The small “Citrus Garden” (“Agrumeto”) situated on the terrace above the sea is the oldest core dating back to the time in which the Durazzo family lived in the Villa.
They wanted to create a green backdrop stretching from the sea to the Villa with orange, lemon, and grapefruit trees.
Outside of the Villa, we can find what can be described as the typical Italian Garden (“Giardino all’Italiana”) developed in the XIX century: the outline is characterized by the geometrical shapes of the box-tree hedges.
Take a look: 5 things you must see in Santa Margherita Ligure
3️⃣ Portofino’s Lighthouse
Let’s start by saying that Portofino is with no doubt the first thing to go see in the Tigullio area, especially if you have never been there.
Portofino has no need to be introduced: it is beloved by celebrities and tourists and its “Piazzetta” (square) is known worldwide. We warmly recommend you take a trip to Portofino’s Lighthouse, located on the highest peak of the narrow promontory framing the village.
The structure itself has no real architectonic value, nor is it particularly awesome. Anyway, it is very appreciated and known by lighthouse and navigation lights fans. The Lighthouse is not open to the public because it is inhabited by the guardian.
Take a look at: 5 things to see absolutely in Portofino!
Instead, the view of the sea and the entire Tigullio Gulf from this point is breathtaking.
On the small square in front of the Lighthouse, is a little pub just in case you like drinking a coffee or enjoy an aperitivo with a view on one of the most suggestive panoramas in Liguria.
4️⃣ Montallegro in Rapallo
Situated in the homonymous district of Montallegro on the hills above Rapallo is the Sanctuary “Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montallegro” (click here to read our article on the Sanctuary) at about 1968 feet above sea level.
This place is very dear to the locals to the point where the Virgin Mary of Montallegro is considered the patron saint of Rapallo.
From the Sanctuary you can enjoy the astonishing view of Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, the Mountain of Portofino, and beyond. If you are lucky enough in terms of weather, you will be able to even spot one end of Corsica Island!
Even though your visit is not because of faith reasons, it is absolutely worthy.
You can reach the Sanctuary by car or by bus, or if you are willing to walk, we suggest you take the old mule track. It is a pleasant walk for everyone with a length of about 2,5 miles. The altitude range increases until 2024 ft, but don’t get scared by that: the hill is very gradual.
This path was very congested in the past: farmers and the woodsmen used it to carry wood and hay from the villas to the village thanks to mules or wooden sleds.
Take a look at: 5 things to see absolutely in Rapallo!
Another fascinating and picturesque way is using the cable railway, the only example of a functioning one in Liguria. Nevertheless, it is not free, and a return ticket costs around 10 euros. You will reach the place directly from the center of Rapallo.
We recommend you bring your cameras with you, the view from the cabin is just incredible!
Take a look at: Rapallo Castle, the symbol of the city
5️⃣ The “Caruggi” of Chiavari
Chiavari has always been considered the “capital” of Tigullio. It is the out-and-out commercial, residential, and financial core of the territory. Furthermore, it is a splendid city which often is not considered by tourists in favor of the more glamorous Portofino and surroundings.
Take a look at: 5 places to see in Chiavari!
Chiavari’s medieval old town and the nineteenth-century colonnades offer glimpses of incomparable beauty: this city can be defined as “the real people-friendly Riviera city”. Pedestrian areas and cycling paths are several and on disposal in full safety.
Valuable typical Genoan style palaces can be admired in Chiavari which has developed its own touristic orientation thanks to the magnificent old town.
The so-called “Caruggio dritto” whose official name is Via Martiri della Liberazione, is full of shops, workshops, restaurants, and trattorias (some of those specialize in making farinata…).
It alone is a good enough reason to spend the afternoon walking around, even in case of rain.
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