The Finale valley on the Ligurian coast is one of the best-kept secrets of the Italian Riviera. Composed of several distinct centres — Finale Marina on the seafront, the medieval walled town of Finalborgo, and Finale Pia further inland — the area has a layered history stretching back to prehistoric times, and some of the best rock climbing in southern Europe.
Finalborgo, the old inland capital, is a beautifully preserved medieval town surrounded by walls and overlooked by the Castel Gavone, the former stronghold of the powerful Del Carretto family. Its Dominican monastery of Santa Caterina has been restored and now houses a museum covering the region's archaeology and history. The Val Ponci behind the coast preserves Roman bridges along the Via Julia Augusta, still remarkably intact.
The area is famous among climbers across Europe for its extraordinary limestone walls, offering hundreds of routes at all grades. Beyond the rock, the landscape is Mediterranean at its best — olive groves, hidden churches with Gothic campaniles, and quiet villages like Calice and Rialto with vineyards producing Pigato and Rossese wines. The seafood here is excellent, and the local honey, produced at the Nostra Signora di Pia church, is worth seeking out.