Sardinia? Puglia? Tuscany? No! With its 34 listed beaches, Liguria continues to lead the rankings of Italian regions with the highest number of Blue Flag beaches. Let’s explore the ones nearest to The Mall Sanremo.

RIVIERA DEI FIORI
Starting in the west, the award-winning beaches are at Bordighera, loved by Monet, Sanremo, not only the city of flowers and music, but also of beautiful sea; and Taggia, followed by Riva Ligure, Santo Stefano al Mare, with Baia Azzurra and Il Vascello, San Lorenzo al Mare, Imperia, with the beaches of Prima Punta and Baia delle Vele and the U’Nustromu beach club, and Diano Marina, in its small bay with one of Liguria’s longest beaches. In the Baia del Sole, between Alassio and the Capo Mele promontory, we come to Laigueglia, one of this year’s two new entries (along with Sori, in the province of Genoa), with its picturesque fishing village.

RIVIERA DELLE PALME
We come to the Riviera delle Palme and the sandy beaches of Ceriale. Continuing eastwards, there’s the long sweep of Borghetto Santo Spirito and Loano, and then Pietra Ligure, with the castle on its rocky spur that gives the town its name, and Finale Ligure, with the famous Baia dei Saraceni and the beaches of Malpasso, Finalmarina and Finalpia. The sea sparkles in the gorgeous calm bay of Noli, sheltered from the wind by the Capo Noli headland. After that is Spotorno, the wonderfully unspoilt Bergeggi Regional Nature Reserve, heaven for snorkelling and diving enthusiasts, and the Fornaci beach in Savona. There are more Blue Flags for Albissola Marina, the town of ceramics, with its colourful Artists’ Promenade, and Albisola Superiore, home to the underwater Nativity scene, the Presepe degli Abissi, with life-sized ceramic statues. And finally we reach Celle Ligure and Varazze: golden beaches backed by colourful villages in perfect Ligurian style.