Hotel & Apartments Sasso
Diano Marina - Via Biancheri 17
Only 200 metres from sandy beaches of Diano Marina, Hotel & Apartments Sasso offers air-conditioned rooms and apartments with a balcony.
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Diano Marina has been synonymous with seaside holidays since the late nineteenth century. It was during those years that the first wealthy tourists arrived and the town filled with splendid villas and gardens just a stone’s throw from the beach. The 1980s brought a tourism boom, and the olive oil trade ceased to be the city’s primary economic activity.
Nestled along the Golfo Dianese, an attractive stretch of coastline on the Riviera Ligure di Ponente bordered by Capo Berta and Capo Cervo, Diano Marina enjoys the mild climate typical of Liguria and boasts a long sandy beach perfect for safe swimming and numerous water sports. It’s a seaside resort that appeals equally to families and young people, offering services, facilities and entertainment.
Already a pioneer in seaside tourism, Diano Marina keeps pace with the times in the outdoor holidays sector too: well before other resorts, it equipped itself with facilities and services for outdoor sports enthusiasts. For example, the Diano bike park is among the first in Italy and attracts enduro, freeride and other discipline enthusiasts from across Europe. Diano Marina is also the venue for numerous sporting events, including the WindFestival, the expo for sea and wind action sports.
If you have some spare time between a dip or sporting endeavour, you’ll find museums, fountains and monuments in Diano’s centre. In the evening you can enjoy yourself in one of the many bars and beachfront venues. Diano Marina is truly a town that never gets boring!
The Diano Marina Beach1 is a golden sandy beach stretching over 3 km from the tourist marina to the cliffs of Capo Berta. The sandy seabed slopes gently, making the beach suitable for families with small children and inexperienced swimmers.
Diano Marina’s beaches are also popular with young people for the abundance of bars and nightlife venues and the opportunity to enjoy numerous outdoor sports such as beach volleyball and surfing.
Beach club prices are not economical, but fortunately there are plenty of options: along Diano Marina’s shoreline you’ll find not only beach clubs and paid sunbathing terraces, but also private beaches reserved for hotel guests, free beaches and equipped free beaches.
From Diano Marina it’s also easy to reach other famous seaside resorts on the Riviera di Ponente, for example San Lorenzo al Mare, Santo Stefano al Mare, Arma di Taggia, Alassio. Sanremo is just 30 km away, while you only need an hour’s drive to reach the Côte d’Azur and its upmarket beaches.
Diano Marina is a lively town with plenty to see.
Housed within the elegant Palazzo del Parco, the MARM Civic Museum of Diano Marina comprises the Lucus Bormani archaeological museum, the Andrea Rossi Risorgimento museum and the De Cavero mineralogical museum.
The first retraces Diano Marina’s long history from the 18th century BC to today across ten rooms with artefacts and multimedia installations. One section is dedicated to travel, both by land and by sea, and to the trade that made Diano a lively place since ancient times. The museum’s highlight is the wreck of a dolia ship that sank in the waters off the city in the 1st century AD.
The mineralogical museum displays over 250 specimens of pyrite, purple rock salt, amethysts, quartz and other minerals from Liguria, other Italian regions and distant countries such as Uruguay and South Africa. The museum’s original nucleus is the De Cavero family’s private collection, enriched over the years by numerous donations.
Inaugurated 150 years after Italian unification, the Risorgimento museum exhibits artefacts belonging to two illustrious citizens: Andrea Rossi, who piloted one of the two steamships of Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand, and Risorgimento fighter Nicolò Ardoino. You can see medals, letters, weapons, flags, documents and other period objects.
Among the elegant buildings of Diano Marina’s historic centre stands the nineteenth-century Palazzo del Parco, a three-storey neoclassical villa that preserves valuable frescoes within.
Built at the behest of a wealthy local family, it is now a cultural centre housing the MARM, the civic library and a room for exhibitions and conferences. The villa also includes a charming nineteenth-century botanical garden, open to the public.
One of Diano Marina’s finest viewpoints is Fort Sant’Elmo, a defensive structure perched atop the slopes of Capo Berta in a dramatic position overlooking the sea.
The origins of the villa are uncertain but it was probably built between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to ward off pirate attacks, like many other defensive towers scattered along the Ligurian coast.
Today it’s a place of peace, frequented by tourists and locals wanting to admire splendid views of the sea from the panoramic terrace. The fort’s spacious garden is surrounded by pines, palms, agave and other native and exotic plants and crossed by gravel paths descending to the coast.
The Church of Sant’Antonio Abate houses a small but well-maintained museum of sacred art. The museum’s highlight is the wooden sedan chair used by Pope Pius VII in the early nineteenth century to return to Rome after two years of captivity in France.
Far from being a neighbourhood court, Diano Marina’s basketball and volleyball courts have a truly enviable location. They are in fact situated within the spacious garden of Villa Scarsella, an architectural jewel in Diano Marina’s centre.
This elegant palazzo was built in the sixteenth century and for centuries served as a convent, then converted into a seaside colony, noble villa and finally a primary school.
In summer the gardens are used for outdoor events.
Despite Diano Marina having been hit by an earthquake that destroyed much of the city’s historic buildings, there are still many testimonies to its past splendour that we can admire today.
Besides the already-mentioned Palazzo del Parco and Villa Scarsella, other elegant buildings scattered throughout the city are Palazzo Ardoino, Palazzo Maglione, Palazzo Muzio and Villa Paradiso.
From opulence to remembrance: generous in honouring illustrious citizens and those who have suffered, the city of Diano Marina is rich in commemorative monuments. The town centre is also embellished with fountains and sculptures.
Walking through the town you’ll see the Monument to the Fallen of the World Wars, the Monument to the Fallen of Humanitarian Missions, the Monument to Andrea Rossi “Pilot of the Thousand”, the Monument to the Fallen at Sea and a commemorative plaque dedicated to poet and entrepreneur Angiolo Silvio Novaro from Diano.
There is also a Marker dedicated to Cycling Champions (a sport much beloved in the area), a Monument to Christopher Columbus and a bas-relief dedicated to the goddess Diana.
A colourful world map created using mosaic technique can be seen opposite the Oratory of Santa Annunziata, while the Fountain of Dolphins elegantly opens to the walk along the Pier of Turtles.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Don’t fancy staying still all day lounging in the sun? Don’t worry, there are plenty of outdoor activities you can enjoy in Diano Marina and the surrounding area. There’s something for everyone, from families wanting a gentle leg-stretch to fit sportspeople craving adrenaline-pumping adventures.
The seafront promenade, Molo Cavour and Molo delle Tartarughe are perfect for relaxed strolls.
An easy walk suitable for all, on foot or by bike, is the seafront path Diano Marina-Imperia. It’s an easy cycle-pedestrian route parallel to the sea created from a road conceived in Napoleonic times and never opened to vehicle traffic (except for a very brief period in the 1970s). The road is also known as “L’Incompiuta”.
If you prefer mountain excursions to town walks, you can enjoy the many trekking trails in the area. Two to keep in mind are the Pizzo d’Evigno Ring (Monte Torre), a medium-level excursion, or the section of the Sentiero Liguria that connects Imperia to Cervo.
In the latter case you can choose whether to start your walk from Imperia or directly from Diano Marina: the trail intersects the Incompiuta seafront walk and skirts Capo Berta before continuing to Cervo.
About 13 km west of Diano Marina is San Lorenzo al Mare, the starting point of the Ponente Cycle Path, a mixed pedestrian and cycling route suitable for all.
The full route extends to Ospedaletti and is 24 km long, but you can choose the section to travel depending on your level. Along the entire cycle path you’ll find bike rentals and refreshment points, making it easy to organise a day trip based on your wishes and fitness.
If you’re after more thrills, don’t worry: you’ll find what you’re looking for. The Golfo Dianese Bike Park is among the first in Italy and offers a wide variety of experiences: freeride trails on mixed rock and earth surfaces, cross country routes, enduro, all mountain and e-bike paths suitable for all levels.
Compared to other bike parks in northern Italy, it develops at low altitudes and enjoys a favourable climate even in winter. You can take part in guided excursions or use a bike shuttle service.
From Diano Marina you can also set off on long-distance routes lasting one or more days, for example towards Monesi, Limone Piemonte, Colle San Bartolomeo or Monte Faudo.
Diano Marina owes its tourist fortune to the sea and that remains true today. But the sea isn’t just for sunbathing: there are many water sports you can enjoy in the area.
Diving, sailing, windsurfing, surfing, sport fishing, canoeing: the options suit everyone, from beginners to experts.
A long-established holiday destination, Diano Marina boasts a well-established hotel supply that includes options suited to different types of holidays and budgets.
You’ll find hotels, flats, holiday homes and bed & breakfasts with modern or recently renovated designs as well as hotels with a somewhat retro feel, simple in services but functional. There are also campsites, equipped with bungalows and mobile homes, perfect for a green holiday with the whole family.
Diano Marina holiday accommodation is concentrated on the seafront or a short distance from the beach; if you prefer more tranquillity, consider a bed & breakfast or agriturismo in the countryside.
On average, hotel prices in Diano Marina are quite high, so we recommend those travelling on a tight budget to book as early as possible to secure the most economical rates.
We offer a selection of hotels at Diano Marina to suit all categories of travellers. The most booked by tourists are the sea-facing hotels, often right on the beach. If you want to play it safe, choose one of the following: they are among the most booked hotels in Diano Marina, sorted by number of reviews.
If you prefer space, privacy and the ability to prepare your own meals to a hotel holiday, book a holiday home at Diano Marina. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Diano Marina are in high demand.
Diano Marina is conveniently accessible by car via the A10 Genova-Ventimiglia motorway. The recommended exit is San Bartolomeo al Mare: once off the motorway, take the SS1 Aurelia state road and after about two kilometres you’ll have arrived.
Getting there by train is also quite straightforward. Be aware, however, that Diano Marina’s new railway station is no longer in the centre but in the area between the municipal hamlets of Diano San Pietro and Diano Castello. Don’t look for “Diano Marina” in train schedules, as the official station name is “Diano”.
The station is served by all regional trains on the Genova-Ventimiglia line and some Intercity and Trenitalia trains and is connected to the city centre by a shuttle bus service.
The nearest airport is Nice, in French territory, about 90 km away; the most convenient Italian airport is Genova. Both airports are served by low-cost flights from numerous Italian cities.
What's the weather at Diano Marina? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Diano Marina for the next few days.
Diano Marina is a town in the province of Imperia, situated just 5 km from the provincial capital and roughly 120 km from Genoa.
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