Garlenda is entirely a car destination. The village itself is small enough to cover on foot in a few minutes, and the golf course, valley walks, and Castello della Meridiana are all reachable on foot from the village centre. But for anything beyond the immediate valley — the coast, Albenga, Imperia — you need a car. There is no public transport within the valley.
The beaches at Alassio and Laigueglia are about 15 minutes away by car, making a morning swim and an afternoon in the hills a perfectly reasonable combination.