The beaches of Imperia, zone by zone

The first thing I tell guests who arrive and ask me about the sea is that this isn't the white sand of the brochures. The sea in Imperia is beautiful, clean, that kind of blue that in summer makes you want to jump in even for ten minutes, but the bottom is mostly gravel and pebbles, with rocks poking up all over and a few stretches of finer sand toward the west. I say it straight away because it's only fair to know: if you're expecting the Caribbean you'll be disappointed, but if you like clear water and a sea that stays lovely even when the north wind blows, you're in the right place.

Imperia, as you already know if you're staying at Stella sul Mare, was born from the union of two towns, and the sea has two characters too. On one side there's Oneglia, the working harbour side, where the coast is almost all pebbles and rocks. On the other there's Porto Maurizio, with the finer sand toward Borgo Marina and Borgo Prino. But let's do this properly now, zone by zone, because it's the only way to really tell you where it's worth laying down your towel.

First, something that always confuses people who aren't from here: the difference between a free beach and a lido. A free beach is just that, free. You arrive with your towel, spread it on the pebbles, take your swim, and nobody asks you for anything. No sunbed, no umbrella, hardly ever a lifeguard, but zero cost and that slightly wild feeling I rather like. A lido, or bagni as we call them, is paid: you pay for the day or a season pass and you get a sunbed, umbrella, hot shower, changing room, the bar and often a lifeguard. In Imperia the two alternate all along the coast, so almost everywhere you get to choose.

Borgo Peri and Oneglia — pebbles, rocks and the quietest free beaches

The Oneglia side, from the Borgo Peri esplanade to the Galeazza rock, is the realm of gravel and rock: no sand, stones and the odd boulder. They're free beaches, rough, dotted with small historic lidos like Piccolo Lido or Sogni d'Estate, and precisely because they aren't postcard-pretty they stay emptier: if you want a quiet free beach, this is where I'd send you. On the other side of the esplanade, toward Calata Cuneo and the fish market, there are also a couple of historic bagni with better-kept sand, children's play areas and even swimming pools, if instead you want every comfort. The whole arc is Blue Flag.

The pebble beach of the Galeazza, in Oneglia: the rock offshore and the steps down to the sea

Borgo Marina — the sand and the families

Cross the stream and in Porto Maurizio everything changes: Borgo Marina is the area of fine sand, the handiest in Imperia. Here the lidos dominate — La Rabina, with a lifeguard, shallow water and a playground next door, is the one I recommend to anyone travelling with children; then the Spiaggia d'Oro, the Buraxen and others — with a few free stretches if you arrive early. It's also the most practical area to reach: it's the bus stop for the beaches (I cover it in getting around), and it's from here that the Lovers' Walk sets off.

The sandy beach of Borgo Marina, with Porto Maurizio and its cathedral in the background

Borgo Foce — the lido and the aperitivo at the kiosk

Carry on and you reach Borgo Foce, and this is where the Lovers' Walk ends up, having started at the Marina. The beach is pebbly, and it's Foce Beach: an equipped, handy lido with all the services, and on top of that — this is the gem — a kiosk-bar for an aperitivo by the sea, which in the evening is another thing entirely. It's the right spot if you want an easy day and then to round it off with a drink at the water's edge, without moving an inch.

The pebble beach and the Foce Beach lido in its cove

Borgo Prino — fine sand, free beaches and the cycle path

Further west there's Borgo Prino, where you'll find the area's few ribbons of finer sand along with the pebbles. Here the free beaches alternate with the lidos (Papeete, Il Pennello), and there's a stretch of equipped free beach and even a dog beach, for anyone travelling with a four-legged friend. This is the area the cycle path by the sea runs through, so you can get here easily by bike too.

The Borgo Prino seafront seen from the water, with its colourful houses and the old town of Porto Maurizio behind

The rocks, for those who love diving in

And then there are the rocks, my favourite part. If you love diving in and swimming in the blue more than sprawling in the sun, the good spots are the rocks between the Rabina amphitheatre and the Galeazza, and further west the Prino area. They reach out toward the open sea, and when the north wind blows the water turns into a mirror where you can see the bottom. An honest warning: there you need a bit of confidence with stones and rocks, these aren't flip-flop spots, but the reward of a dive into clean water is worth the walk.

The rocks reaching out toward the open sea, with a wave breaking at Porto Maurizio

And if you fancy a change of scene

You're not obliged to stop in Imperia. If you want the classic touristy beach, with sand and equipped lidos in a row, Diano Marina is a quarter of an hour away and made exactly for that; and if you fancy pushing a bit further east, Alassio, with its fine sand and seafront promenade, is worth the trip too. If instead you want something more special, head down to Cervo: rocks and coves below the medieval old town, stunning water, lovely for a canoe or kayak. There you've got two opposite ways to enjoy the sea: Le Ciapellette, a free cove of pebbles and rocks, no services, a little paradise for anyone who loves snorkelling (bring water shoes — it gets deep fast); or il Porteghetto, an elegant beach club with a restaurant on the sea — listed among the best in Italy — if instead you want a sunbed and every comfort. You can reach Diano, Cervo and around easily by train or the summer bus, without the parking nightmare.

Le Ciapellette at Cervo: the free cove of pebbles and rocks, with crystal-clear water and the coastline behind

And anyway, even staying local, the cycle path by the sea starts from the house: pedalling you reach San Lorenzo al Mare, Santo Stefano, Riva Ligure, all towns with their own seafront, their free beaches and their lidos right beside the path, and all Blue Flag like Imperia (which in 2026 confirmed it for the eighth year running on Borgo Peri, Borgo Marina and the marina).

Let me close with the practical notes, the ones that make the difference. Parking in summer is the real enemy: the seafront fills up early, so either arrive early in the morning or expect to drive around a bit and walk (and here it helps to know how to get around without the car). In August, in the middle of the day, the easiest beaches are genuinely packed: if you want peace go in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun is gentler and the crowd thins out. And the gravel: rock shoes or rubber sandals will save your feet, both on the pebbly free beaches and on the rocks. That said, just walk five minutes past the usual access points and you'll find your own piece of sea.