Hotel Villa Danci
Borghetto Santo Spirito - 1 Via Piave
Hotel Villa Danci - Camere e Appartamenti is a 2-star property situated in Borghetto Santo Spirito, facing the beach.
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For long-time residents and holidaymakers who return every year, it’s simply Borghetto. For first-time visitors, it’s Borghetto Santo Spirito. We’re talking about a small town on the Western Riviera nestled between the coast of the Riviera delle Palme and the slopes of Monte Piccaro, near the mouth of the Varadella stream.
The name recalls a hospice founded by monks in the 12th century, but the origins of the village are far older, dating back to Roman times. The town was officially founded by Albenga in 1288 and became independent in the 18th century.
Today the railway tracks separate the coastal area of the village from the historic centre, creating a sort of two distinct “Borghettis”: the one for holidays, afternoon naps in the sun, seaside strolls and outdoor drinks, and the one of daily life, homes and shops.
A green promontory separates Borghetto Santo Spirito from Ceriale, another seaside resort that over the years has won over a loyal following of regular visitors, happy to return every summer.
Why do so many people choose this part of Liguria for their holidays? Clean sea, beaches safe for children too, seabeds to explore for diving enthusiasts, beachfront bars, opportunities for sailing, windsurfing and other sports, plenty of choice of flats and holiday homes… it’s no wonder people want to come back!
The beaches of Borghetto Santo Spirito are mostly fine sandy shores or mixed sand and pebble beaches; the seabeds slope gently, allowing safe play and swimming; you can also find small rocky areas.
Along Borghetto’s shoreline, beach clubs follow one another, offering all services for both families with small children and young people looking for entertainment. You’ll find numerous bars and restaurants where you can grab a snack during your day of relaxation or have a drink at sunset.
If you don’t fancy the regular rows of parasols, head to the free beach areas. There are several of them: the largest and most popular is Mongol Beach1, located on the eastern seafront opposite Piazza Rosa dei Venti.
You can find other beautiful beaches in the nearby towns of Ceriale, Loano and Alassio and Albenga; the picturesque Baia dei Saraceni is just 17 km away.
Borghetto Santo Spirito is essentially a seaside resort, lacking major historical and cultural attractions. It cannot boast the romantic atmosphere of other Ligurian villages that have preserved their medieval character intact. So what to do when you’ve had enough of lying in the sun?
Here are interesting things scattered between Borghetto’s centre and the surrounding area.
As in every seaside resort on the coast, the top attraction in Borghetto is the seafront: the social hub, the go-to meeting place, it’s the classic pedestrian street parallel to the beach where locals and tourists flock to stroll, chat and watch the world go by.
The Borghetto seafront is divided into two zones; the western part is called Lungomare Giacomo Matteotti (towards Ceriale), the eastern part (towards Loano) Lungomare Walter Tobagi. Running parallel to both is the railway, which divides the coastal area from Borghetto’s centre.
The most famous building in Borghetto Santo Spirito is Castello Borelli: an impressive structure built perched on the sea and framed by the lush vegetation of Monte Piccaro. Its appearance is austere yet evocative; don’t be misled by the medieval-style façade, however, as the building only dates from the mid-19th century.
It was built as a neo-Gothic castle-residence by engineer Bartolomeo Borelli: an innovative project for its time, as it was one of the first examples of a grand residence designed with energy and residential self-sufficiency.
Currently the castle is privately owned and not open to visitors; renovation work is underway that will see the creation of a resort with luxury flats and a public area with a central square.
What you can, and should, do is admire it in its entirety from the beach or from one of the trails that pass above the village.
A must-do excursion during a stay in Borghetto Santo Spirito is to the Toirano Caves, one of Liguria’s natural wonders.
Toirano is a charming village just 5 km from Borghetto that has become a popular tourist destination for a complex of caverns and underground tunnels where traces and bones of humans and bears dating back more than 10,000 years have been found.
The Grotta della Basura and the Grotta di Santa Lucia Inferiore, two of the four caves that make up this complex, have been equipped, connected by a tunnel and opened to visitors.
The tour also includes the Bear Cemetery, an area of the cave so named because a huge quantity of skeletal remains of cave bears, prehistoric animals that inhabited these underground caverns between 50,000 and 24,000 years ago, have been found here.
The top attraction for families on holiday in Borghetto Santo Spirito is the Le Caravelle Water Park, a themed park perfect for a fun day with the kids.
There are attractions for all ages: slides of every kind, wave pool, baby area, hydromassage tub, inflatable river rides and an adults-only wellness area (from age 16 onwards) with sensory showers, leg paths, saunas, cervical waterfalls and much more.
The park is located in Ceriale, just 4 km from Borghetto’s seafront.
If you love historic churches, take a look at the San Matteo parish church, the oldest in the village: it was built in the 13th century and enlarged several times over the centuries.
It’s located in a narrow street in the historic centre, nestled among pastel-coloured houses: you’ll recognise it at a glance by its striped façade in light and dark stone, a characteristic feature of Ligurian churches.
The new parish church is the Sanctuary of Sant’Antonio, with a single nave, where on 13 June a mass in honour of the saint is celebrated and from which a procession dedicated to him departs.
Another hidden gem among the streets of Borghetto’s centre is the historic public wash house. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, it is still today fed by a natural spring that flows from the foot of Monte Piccaro.
It’s located in a square in the centre that takes its name from this wash house fed by a natural spring (Piazza Fontana).
Another fine civic building in Borghetto Santo Spirito is the elegant Palazzo Elena Pietracaprina, an Art Nouveau-style building erected in the first half of the 20th century; it currently houses some municipal offices.
The main front, with its loggias, overlooks the central Piazza della Libertà.
Borghetto is in a strategic location, almost exactly halfway between Genoa and the French border: from here you can visit all the most beautiful places on the Western Riviera in a day trip.
Some ideas? Sanremo, the City of Flowers, is an hour away; much closer is Finalborgo, considered one of Liguria’s most beautiful villages, reachable in less than twenty minutes from Borghetto.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
The slopes and crest of Monte Piccaro, the hill that dominates Borghetto Santo Spirito, are crossed by trails perfect for relaxing walks in the green; from there you can also continue on longer, more challenging trekking excursions.
A walk up the mountain suitable for everyone is the one from the village centre to the Madonna della Guardia, a votive chapel at 253 metres altitude. The trail starts near Castello Borelli; the climb is gradual and therefore not demanding, and the route is well marked.
In about 40-50 minutes you’ll reach the chapel and from there you can enjoy a splendid panoramic view of the Ligurian Sea that embraces the entire area between Capo Noli and the Albenga plain; you’ll also be able to see Gallinara island.
More experienced hikers can continue towards the crest of Monte Piccaro (10 minutes’ walk) and Monte Croce (541 metres altitude, another hour’s walk); if you have the energy to go further you can reach Monte Acuto and the Monte Croce Sanctuary at Balestrino.
Walking in the hills behind the village you may come across the ruins of gumbi (ancient oil mills) or the abandoned Patarello church. Experienced hikers can start from trails in the Borghetto area to connect to the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri via Toirano.
If slopes and trails aren’t your thing but you’d like to stretch your legs, you can walk on the seafront walkway that connects the coast of Borghetto Santo Spirito to the nearby town of Ceriale via Capo di Santo Spirito. It’s about 3 km of completely flat terrain, all by the sea.
Despite its small size, Borghetto Santo Spirito is able to accommodate a high number of visitors: a long tourism tradition has led many local residents to convert their homes into bed and breakfasts, flats and holiday homes. There are also hotels, mostly mid-range family-run establishments; if you’re looking for a luxury 4 or 5-star hotel, it’s better to go elsewhere.
Accommodation on Borghetto Santo Spirito’s seafront is limited because the coastal area is very narrow. To secure one, book as early as possible, but don’t worry if you don’t manage to: just head across the railway to find a good selection of facilities, including rooms with sea views. From here the beach is comfortably reachable on foot in a minute or so.
If you can’t find accommodation that suits you in Borghetto Santo Spirito, look in the nearby towns of Ceriale and Loano.
We offer a selection of hotels at Borghetto Santo Spirito 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 Borghetto Santo Spirito, 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 Borghetto Santo Spirito. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Borghetto Santo Spirito are in high demand.
Borghetto Santo Spirito, like all the main coastal resorts on the Ligurian Western Riviera, can be easily reached by car or public transport.
To arrive by car, take the A10 Genoa-Ventimiglia motorway, exit at the Borghetto Santo Spirito tollbooth and follow signs to the town: the motorway exit is just 2 km from the centre. You can also reach Borghetto Santo Spirito via the SS1 Aurelia state road.
Arriving by train is equally straightforward as Borghetto Santo Spirito railway station is located on the seafront, in the immediate vicinity of the historic centre; it’s situated on the Genoa-Ventimiglia railway line, served by frequent regional trains. Borghetto is also connected to the most important towns in western Liguria by local buses.
The nearest airport is Genoa’s, served by flights from low-cost airlines departing from numerous Italian cities.
What's the weather at Borghetto Santo Spirito? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Borghetto Santo Spirito for the next few days.
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