The sun-seeking British of the 19th century left their mark all along the Riviera but perhaps nowhere more so than in the Italian town of Bordighera - famous for its perfect climate, seafront promenade, and palm trees. It was also a favourite resort of Claude Monet who stayed ten weeks here and painted thirty-five landscapes in Bordighera and the neighbouring hills. Just a few miles along the coast we find two more popular British haunts- Monte Carlo and Nice.
What’s included
Holiday Highlights
7 nights half board in Bordighera
Touring Holiday
Excursion to Taggia and San Remo
Excursion to Monte Carlo
Excursion to Dolceacqua
Walking tour of Bordighera
Flights included from your local airport
Transfers included
Day by day
Itinerary
Flight to Nice and transfer to your hotel (45-minutes) in Bordighera for seven nights half board accommodation. Bordighera is a pleasant, typically Ligurian seaside town with a superb pedestrianized promenade. Walking through the town you become aware of its British connection with signs to the Museo Biblioteca Bicknell or to the Giardini Lowe. These are echoes of a past when British visitors outnumbered the locals by 3 to 2 and had their own Anglican church, tennis club, theatre, weekly newspaper, banks and shops. As well as for its idyllic scenery and climate, Bordighera is noted for the palm trees along the Lungomare (Promenade) from which the Vatican selects its palms for Palm Sunday.
A late morning walking tour points out the highlights of the town. The included excursion today is to Taggia, another example of a Ligurian old town, and San Remo, the 'Pearl of the Riviera of Flowers', with its old centre, impressive villas and pleasant market area.
A free day to enjoy the delights of Bordighera. Your hotel is handily situated for the station, with services to Ventimiglia, and to San Remo and beyond; there are also local bus services. On Thursdays there is a market on the seafront near the hotel.
No holiday to the Riviera would be complete without a visit to the Principality of Monaco. This little country is divided into four areas, only one of which is truly 'Monte Carlo', with its plush hotels and fin-de-siecle Casino (try and break the bank if you wish, but we don't recommend it!). Along the harbour-side, where the Grand Prix cars race each May, are yachts of incredible opulence; and on the rock above is the Palace where Grace Kelly lived with Prince Rainier and where they still 'change the guard' daily. There is also the Jardin Exotique (entrance not included) where the 2400 hours of yearly sunshine allow exotic plants and cacti to flourish, and also a fine Oceanographic Museum.
A further free day to enjoy Bordighera's seafront promenade and palm-lined Lungomare, from which the Vatican selects its palms for Palm Sunday.
This excursion takes you into the Nervia Valley. You drive through Camporosso, a pretty village, and stop in medieval Dolceacqua, dominated by the Dorias' Castle. The bridge, over the Nervia river, was painted by Monet in 1884. You will visit the 'Visionarium' – it will surprise you, we promise! You continue up the valley to Pigna, a pretty mountain village. Also available will be an optional excursion to the Villa Rothschild, with its superb gardens, and Nice, with its famous 'Promenade des Anglais'. You travel along the spectacular lower corniche passing Beaulieu to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild located on Cap-Ferrat. The Italianate, pink-coloured property is luxuriously furnished, has splendid sea views and is encircled by no less than nine splendid gardens, each following a different theme. After your visit, you continue to Nice for lunch and free time, returning to the hotel via the even more spectacular middle corniche in the late afternoon.
A final free day to enjoy Bordighera at leisure, famous for its perfect climate, seafront promenade, and palm trees.
Free time until you depart for the airport. Dependent on traffic conditions and flight timings, there may be time for some last-minute shopping in Nice en route.
Where you stay
Accommodation
Hotel Parigi & Spa
Set on Bordighera’s beachfront near the French Riviera, Hotel Parigi offers a private beach with sun beds and umbrellas. On the pedestrian promenade and close to Liguria’s longest cycle path, the family-run hotel has quiet, air-conditioned rooms with balconies, flat-screen TVs, and bathrooms with showers, baths, or spa tubs.
The restaurant serves traditional Mediterranean cuisine with a wine cellar, while the 5th-floor wellness centre features a sauna, steam room, solarium, and hot tub/jacuzzi with a complimentary one-hour pass. Free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour front desk are provided.
The hotel is a 5-minute walk from Bordighera’s centre and 20 minutes from Sanremo.
Hotel features
Air Conditioned
Free Wifi
Safety Deposit Box
Wellness Centre with Sauna
Coffee House
Bar
Restaurant
Private Beach Area
Solarium and Hot Tub/Jacuzzi (Complimentary 1 hour visit)
Steam Room
Gallery
A look at the trip
Availability
Dates & Prices
DepartReturnPriceOfferSoloBooking
Depart01 Oct 2027 Return08 Oct 2027 PriceFrom £1749
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