Ospedaletti
Quiet seaside resort between Bordighera and Sanremo, with a pine-lined promenade
Ospedaletti is 18 km from Airole on the coast between Bordighera and Sanremo, around 3,500 inhabitants. The name goes back to a medieval hospice run by the Knights Templar, which served pilgrims on their way to Rome.
In the late 19th century British and Russian winter visitors discovered the sheltered gulf and its mild microclimate. In 1884 Villa La Sultana became Italy's first legal gambling house — in 1905 the licence passed to Sanremo; the villa still stands but without gaming. Today Ospedaletti is quieter than its neighbours — fewer hotels, no nightlife, many retirees — and that is exactly its charm.
The Pista Ciclabile on the former railway connects Ospedaletti with Sanremo (6 km) and on towards Imperia — a pleasant cycling and walking path right by the sea.
Highlights
- Pine-lined promenade — wide, well-kept, peaceful
- Villa La Sultana — Italy's first legal gambling house (1884)
- Pista Ciclabile — 6 km to Sanremo on the old railway
- Wednesday market — smaller and more relaxed than in Sanremo
- Beach — sand and pebble mix, less crowded than Bordighera
- Sheltered gulf with a mild microclimate
Directions
By car 18 km, about 25 minutes: via Ventimiglia on the Via Aurelia (SS1). No station of its own any more (the old track is the cycle path). Bordighera or Sanremo station, then bus or taxi.
Parking along the promenade and at the village entrance.
Practical Information
Limited choice: a few bars on the promenade, two or three trattorias in the village centre. Ligurian Ponente cuisine as elsewhere in the region — specialities described under Ventimiglia. For more variety head to Sanremo or Bordighera.
Best Time to Visit
Mild all year. In winter quiet and pleasant for walks; in summer the beaches fill up but it never gets as hectic as Sanremo. Wednesday is market day.
Location
18014 Ospedaletti (IM), Italien
Events
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