Bordighera is as chic and elegant as the English tourists who colonized it in the late 1800s. Walk along the Via Romana and admire the pine forest, bougainvillea-covered walls, grand Art Nouveau hotels, and luxurious villas. The old town welcomes you with its carrugi and a high concentration of excellent restaurants. The waterfront offers a panorama from the French Riviera to San Remo and numerous restaurants and nightclubs. Treat yourself to a romantic sunset at Capo Sant'Ampelio (at the beginning of the waterfront coming from San Remo) and, after a lively summer evening, don't miss a Bordigotta institution: a slice of "pastecca" (watermelon) on the harbor.
The origin of the village seems to date back to the Bronze Age, thanks to the findings of burial mounds in the Pian del Re locality. Officially, the village was founded around the 10th century by counts from Ventimiglia, later passing into the Dorias, lords of Dolceacqua. It is situated in the valley of the Merdanzo, a tributary of the Nervia River. The town was awarded the "Orange Flag" by the Italian Touring Club in 2006 and is considered one of the most beautiful Ligurian villages in Italy. The Lizard Castle, the parish church of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, the church of St. Mary of the Angels, the church of St. Anthony the Abbot and the oratory of St. Bartholomew are all worth visiting. Photographic, sculptural and painting exhibitions are organized every year in the Lizard Castle. It is part of the Intemelia Mountain Community.
