For all those loving the intense blue of the sea and the sky, the blinding sun, the romantic sunsets on the Mediterranean, the Province of Imperia is the right place. 

There are rocks but also sandy or pebbled beaches. Along the coast you can find all types of beach resorts, from the most exclusive to those fitting the needs of children and families. There are also some place that have remained ‘wild’, like some small beaches between Diano Marina and Imperia or between Balzi Rossi and Villa Hanbury, right on the border with France. 

There are a lot of sports you can do: swimming, water skiing, scuba diving, sailing, fishing and playing beach volley. In other words, the Imperia area offers a wide range of possibilities; among the most plentiful in Liguria.  

For those wanting to enjoy the sea by boat, there are many well equipped marinas: Diano Marina, Imperia, San Bartolomeo al Mare, San Lorenzo, Santo Stefano al Mare (Marina degli Aregai), Riva Ligure, Arma di Taggia, Sanremo (Portosole), Bordighera. 

The sea also means great events. The ‘Period Sails’ event in Borgo Marina (Porto Martizio) demonstrates, for example, that tradition and innovation in the Province of Imperia go hand in hand. Here historical memory joins with the sense of adventure and discovery. A monument in Borgo Marina recalls the inhabitants of the Province of Imperia that have tried to navigate around Cape Horn entrusting their attempts to the winds. The tradition of navigating the sea goes back in time here in Imperia and this is probably one of the reasons it has become famous among period sailboat collectors, who meet here in September to show their ancient boats. 

Many of these boats are more than 20 meters (65 feet) long and belong to enthusiasts from all over the world who have restored them to their splendor. They have been defined ‘floating museums’, also because inside there are genuine antique furnishings and settings. The sailboats are not always docked at the marina and sometimes compete in regattas, and it is a spectacular watching them in action.  

Another must do attraction during the Summer is the thrilling opportunity to observe, quite close-up and in freedom, the dolphins, whales or sperm whales in open sea in the gulf of the Province of Imperia, which is part of the so-called ‘Cetacean Sanctuary’, a  protected marine reservation instituted in 1993 through an agreement between Italy, France and the Principality of Monaco.  There are very deep (up to 2500 meters – about 8202 feet) canyons on the seabed of the western Liguria sea: these generate ascending currents that bring a great quantity of nutritive biological elements to the surface attracting aquatic mammals. You can depart from the ports of Sanremo, Imperia-Porto Maurizio or Santo Stefano al Mare to go and observe the whales. 

And don’t forget your binoculars! Good Luck!