Visiting Bordighera, Italy: Top Sights on Foot

Bordighera is a coastal town in Liguria, Italy, known for its villas, historic churches, gardens and connection with international visitors. The town combines religious and architectural landmarks with the atmosphere of the Ligurian Riviera, making it rewarding to explore on foot. Neywo has a free audio guide for Bordighera with 16 narrated places.

What to See in Bordighera

The best things to do in Bordighera include visiting historic villas and museums, discovering churches in the town center and walking towards the cape of Sant’Ampelio. These are some of the main places to include in your itinerary.

Waldensian Evangelical Church

The Waldensian Evangelical Church is a quiet place of worship on Via Vittorio Veneto. Its presence reflects the varied religious history of Bordighera and adds another layer to the town’s architectural character.

Casa Coraggio

At the meeting point of Via Vittorio Veneto and Via Regina Vittoria, Casa Coraggio is an imposing stone building dating from around 1880. Its solid construction reflects the architectural style of the nineteenth century and the growth of Bordighera as a fashionable destination during that period.

The former Anglican Church

Bordighera’s former Anglican Church was built for the Church of England community that came to the Riviera in the late nineteenth century. The city later purchased and restored the building, giving it a new role as a cultural center for exhibitions, concerts, lectures and performances. The church, its gardens and the neighboring Villa Rosa are protected heritage properties.

Church of the Immaculate Conception

On Via Vittorio Emanuele, the Church of the Immaculate Conception is also known locally as the Chiesa di Terrasanta, or Church of the Holy Land. The name honors the first missionary priests who celebrated Mass there after returning from Palestine. The church is officiated by the Franciscan Friars Minor and serves as the parish seat for the vicariate of Bordighera and Valle Nervia.

International Institute of Ligurian Studies

The International Institute of Ligurian Studies occupies a nineteenth-century building that was once the Hotel Scandinavia. The research center focuses on the history of Liguria and the ancient Ligurian peoples who settled along the Mediterranean coast. Its former hotel façade recalls Bordighera’s early development as a destination for visitors seeking its mild winter climate.

Clarence Bicknell Museum

Just off Via Romana, the Clarence Bicknell Museum was created in 1888 by the English botanist, archaeologist and artist Clarence Bicknell. He built it to house collections gathered in the Ligurian hills, including prehistoric stone tools, pressed plants and his botanical drawings. The museum shares a block with the building now occupied by the International Institute of Ligurian Studies, and both are connected to surrounding gardens by a lane named after Bicknell.

Villa Regina Margherita

Villa Regina Margherita was the private retreat of Queen Margherita of Savoy. She returned to Bordighera because of her affection for the Ligurian coast, its mild climate and its scenery, using the villa as a home away from the court in Rome. Located on Via Romana, the residence remains one of the town’s most distinctive links with Italy’s royal history.

Villa Mariani

Villa Mariani is a private residence on Via Fontana Vecchia. It stands on the Ligurian Riviera in the province of Imperia, a short distance from the French border. The villa forms part of Bordighera’s collection of residences associated with the town’s cultural and international heritage.

Church of St. Mary Magdalen

The Church of St. Mary Magdalen stands on Piazza del Popolo in the heart of Bordighera. It is a Catholic parish church for Bordighera and the Nervia Valley and is protected by Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage for its architectural and historical value.

Oratory of Saint Bartholomew

The Oratory of Saint Bartholomew is a modest religious building on Piazza del Popolo, between the old Porta Soprana gate and the Church of St. Mary Magdalen. Its simple façade contrasts with the larger parish church just a few steps away.

San Nicolò di Bari

San Nicolò di Bari is the main Catholic parish church in Bordighera’s city center. Dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari, it is one of the town’s central religious landmarks.

Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo

The Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo stands in the heart of Bordighera. Its location makes it another useful stop when exploring the town’s concentration of churches and historic buildings.

Santuario di Sant’Antonio

The Santuario di Sant’Antonio is a church dedicated to Saint Anthony. It adds to the collection of religious landmarks found throughout Bordighera.

Pallanca Exotic Gardens

The Pallanca Exotic Gardens on Via Madonna della Ruota are home to one of Europe’s most important collections of cacti and succulent plants. The variety of Mediterranean-climate succulents is the main attraction, making the gardens a distinctive stop for anyone interested in plants and landscape design.

Sant’Ampelio

The little church of Sant’Ampelio sits at the tip of the cape named after it, where the promenade ends and the sea opens out along the coast. It is a picturesque landmark on the Lungomare Argentina, with a position that has long connected the church to the coastline and to those travelling by sea. The cape is also a place to pause for views along the Ligurian coast.

Explore Bordighera with a Free Audio Guide

For a Bordighera self-guided walking tour, Neywo offers one walk and one bus route. The walking tour, Bordighera, the English Riviera: Churches, Villas and a Queen, covers 3.22 km in 112 minutes and has 12 narrated stops. It visits the Waldensian Evangelical Church, Casa Coraggio, the former Anglican Church, the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the International Institute of Ligurian Studies, the Clarence Bicknell Museum, Villa Regina Margherita, Villa Mariani, the Church of St. Mary Magdalen, San Bartolomeo, Villa Garnier and Sant’Ampelio.

The bus route, Riviera Coast Ride: Bordighera’s Gardens, Villas and Cape, covers 2.9 km in 12 minutes and has four stops: the Pallanca Exotic Gardens, Villa Garnier, Sant’Ampelio and the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages. Download Neywo and explore Bordighera with a free audio guide, choosing a walking route or a bus route according to the way you want to experience the town.

Bordighera is part of Liguria, in Italy. If you are travelling through the region, you can also continue towards Sanremo, or explore other Ligurian destinations such as Genoa and Cinque Terre.