Toirano is a small medieval village in the Val Varatella, best known for its remarkable caves. The karst landscape around the valley contains over fifty caves, some opening dramatically in the sheer walls of side valleys and in the spectacular Salto del Lupo gorge. The archaeological finds from these caves — including evidence of prehistoric human habitation and cave bear remains — are displayed in the Museo Preistorico della Val Varatella.
The village itself is a well-preserved medieval settlement that still retains several large towers, remnants of its ancient walls, and a handsome three-arched bridge. Toirano was inhabited in Roman times and later fell under the bishops of Albenga before being contested between Genoa and the marchesi di Finale; Pope Urban VI assigned it to Genoa in 1395.
The parish church of San Martino dates from the seventeenth century. Above the caves, the shrine of Santa Lucia has a spring believed to restore sight, drawing pilgrims to this day. The church of San Pietro dei Monti, once part of a powerful Benedictine abbey, stands on a rocky hill with panoramic views over the entire town.
For a glimpse into the valley's agricultural past, the Museo Etnografico della Val Varatella occupies the former stables of the Palazzo dell'Aste. Founded in 1982, it holds around a thousand objects related to olive growing, oil production, crafts, and daily life from the seventeenth to the twentieth century.