Alassio

Alassio is set in the middle of the Baia del Sole, along the Ligurian Riviera west of Genoa. As far back as the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it was already an important seafaring city and its fleet was the largest of the entire western Riviera. Sailors from Alassio sailed the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, while coral divers went as far as the coasts of Africa. During the nineteenth century, Alassio also became an important tourist destination when the British discovered its beaches and cool hillsides, where they built their villas. In the twentieth century, during the Fifties and Sixties Alassio again basked in the limelight when its Caffé Roma and famous wall attracted the international jet-set. The centre of the area's fishing tradition has always been Borgo Coscia, in front of the port and the shipyards. From there, you can sail to the island of Gallinara, which was inhabited by monks until the mid-nineteenth century and is now part of a marine reserve. Back in town, you can take a stroll down the budello, the local name for the main street that parallels the beach, to peer into the windows of antique shops and jewellery shops, and then stop at one of town's many cafés to taste the sweets known as baci di Alassio. There are also many buildings and churches worth visiting. One of the monuments most closely linked to the town's seafaring tradition is the church of Santa Maria Immacolata (Immaculate Mary) built during the sixteenth century so Our Lady would protect the town from raiding pirates. And on Mount Tinasso, with a splendid view of the bay, you can visit the sanctuary of Madonna della Guardia, filled with votive offerings made by fishermen. There are plenty of restaurants where you can try swordfish prepared Ligurian style, with anchovies, olives, tomatoes, pine nuts and basil. And if you want to combine your sea excursion with a typical Alassio event, come at the end of June for the Sea Festival.