Wonderful resort town, renowned for its hotels and elegant stores, Santa Margherita Ligure is located between the Portofino headland and the Gulf of Tigullio, a few kilometers from Genoa 1: join our guided tours to discover its enchanting charm. Surrounded by hills covered with Mediterranean vegetation on which there are villas and gardens, Santa consists of two cores, Corte and Pescino. One is immersed in a vacation atmosphere, out of time. The first wealthy vacationers arrived here between the second half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century; visitors such as Hemingway or Nietzsche left traces of their passage in their writings.
The parish church of Santa Margherita, also known as the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rose, boasts a rich Baroque interior.
Villa Durazzo, sumptuous residence dating from the 16th century, set in an English-style park, features a triumph of marble and majolica, crystal and stucco.
From Villa Durazzo one can descend to the sea by a flight of steps that ends at the’Oratory of St. Erasmus, protector of sailors. Not far away, overlooking the sea, stands the Castle dating back to the 16th century, built against barbarian raids.
“Santa,” as it is called by locals, is a city of ancient origins, already known to the Romans.
Not far away, worth a visit is the’Abbey of San Gerolamo della Cervara, built in the 14th century; it boasts a magnificent Italian garden overlooking the sea. A beach not to be missed around Santa Margherita Ligure is the Bay of Paraggi, a picturesque cove along the highway to Portofino bathed by emerald waters.
Boats depart from the waterfront to Portofino (15′ of navigation) and San Fruttuoso di Camogli (30′ sailing).
