After spending the morning shopping at The Mall Sanremo, why not go on a trip to discover some beautiful lesser known villages? Badalucco and Montalto Ligure are two hidden gems that are perfect for this occasion!

You can start with a stroll through the colourful caruggi of Badalucco. A picturesque open-air museum only 20 minutes away from Sanremo, with numerous murals and ceramic objects scattered around medieval houses overlooking the river with the sixteenth-century Bridge of Santa Lucia.

You could also visit the imposing Church of Santa Maria Assunta and San Giorgio and the annexed Oratory of San Francesco enriched with stuccoes and frescoes, or the 15th-century Church of San Nicolò located at the top of the hill offering a beautiful view of the town.

Then you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee in Piazza Duomo, purchase locally produced extra-virgin olive oil and Badalucco beans (a Slow Food product) and finally head towards Montalto Ligure.

Walking past the Bridge of Madonna degli Angeli marking the boundary of Badalucco, you will shortly reach a small village with cobbled streets and stone houses which are testimony to its past as a fortified castle.

Hidden among its alleys is the 15th-century Church of San Giovanni Battista with the oratory of San Vincenzo Ferrer. In the square, there are beautiful stone arches, and from there you can access part of the underground road branching off like a stone cave.

As a last stop before returning to Sanremo, visit the romantic Loggia degli sposi, a small area with paved flooring, two benches, a lamppost and an amazing view.