Finale Ligure is one of the western Riviera's most appealing small towns — a place where sandy beaches meet dramatic limestone cliffs and medieval hilltop villages sit just minutes from the shore. The town is actually three settlements in one: Finalmarina on the seafront with its long palm-lined promenade, the walled medieval borough of Finalborgo (regularly listed among Italy's most beautiful villages), and the quieter Finalpia to the east.
The rocky hinterland above town has made Finale Ligure one of Europe's top mountain biking destinations. Hundreds of kilometres of singletrack wind through Mediterranean scrub and limestone karst, drawing riders from across the continent — the town hosts a round of the Enduro World Series. The same cliffs offer world-class rock climbing, with routes on every exposure and at every grade.
The limestone is riddled with caves that sheltered some of Liguria's earliest inhabitants. The Arene Candide cave, high above the coast, yielded one of the most important Paleolithic burials ever found in Europe, and finds from the area fill the Civic Museum of Finale in the former Santa Caterina monastery at Finalborgo. Between rides and ruins, Finalborgo's narrow streets are a fine place to sit with a plate of trofie al pesto and a glass of Pigato.