Hotel Garden Lido
Loano - Lungomare Nazario Sauro 9
Offering air-conditioned rooms and a swimming pool, Hotel Garden Lido boasts an enviable seafront position.
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A seafront lined with palm trees, beaches bathed in sparkling blue waters, hills and mountains right behind the town centre, narrow caruggi flanked by historic buildings and pastel-coloured houses: Loano is a concentrated essence of Liguria.
Of ancient origins, this renowned resort on the Western Riviera became a fief of the Genoese Doria family as early as the thirteenth century: they are responsible for the splendid monuments that bear witness to the long history of the city. Loano’s town centre is one of the best-preserved in Liguria and is perfect for leisurely strolls in search of characteristic corners.
After admiring the shapes and colours of Loano’s artistic heritage, dedicate some time to the other aspect that has shaped the city’s identity: its inseparable bond with the sea. Loano’s maritime traditions are remembered in two simple yet romantically nostalgic attractions and two events deeply felt by local people: the Festa di San Isidoro and the Festa del Mare on 2 July dedicated to Our Lady of the Visitation.
Known mainly as a seaside resort for its immaculately maintained bathing establishments and a modern marina capable of accommodating more than 900 vessels from 6 to 77 metres in length, Loano is also an ideal destination for those who love outdoor holidays.
The inland trails are perfect for numerous sporting activities: enthusiasts of trail running, mountain biking and hiking will find plenty to keep them busy.
History and art seem to hide around every corner of Loano: arm yourself with our list of things to see in Loano and go and discover them!
Walking through the heart of the city you will come across elegant seventeenth-century palaces: among these stands out Palazzo Doria, the elegant building that was the residence of Giovanni Andrea Doria.
Built in 1578 to a design by the Genoese architect Galeazzo Alessi, it comprises a palace-fortress with a pentagonal defensive wall, a tower with an irregular base that echoes the pentagonal shape of the walls, a loggia and gardens. From the loggia you can admire Ponte San Sebastiano, built in the late seventeenth century on the remains of an older bridge.
Today the palace houses the town hall and the gardens are used for open-air performances.
The other building that tells the long story of Loano is the ancient castle, situated in a panoramic position on a hilltop not far from seventeenth-century Loano. It was built with a defensive function before the twelfth century and became a feudal residence with the arrival of the Doria family in the city.
Today it appears as an elegant Renaissance-period mansion: its present appearance is due to renovations made during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
At the foot of the castle lies a small medieval settlement, called Borgo Castello, consisting of a central square from which narrow cobbled alleyways branch off. From here also starts the staircase that connects the village to the castle.
Six fountains created by important contemporary artists to revitalise the city’s image: this is the project commissioned by the local authorities to make a stay in Loano even more pleasant.
Scattered throughout the city centre, placed at points of strong symbolic importance, the six fountains together constitute an open-air contemporary art museum; the idea of beautifying the city with fountains, however, fits into a tradition typical of Italian culture.
The materials and forms of the six fountains are very different from one another:
To Loano’s list of fountains should be added a gem from the past, the splendid Fontana Giovanna: a sixteenth-century stone fountain relocated in the gardens of Palazzo Doria.
Another architectural marvel of Loano is Porta Passorino: built in medieval times, it is one of four gates that once opened along the ancient city walls.
At the end of the eighteenth century the gate was fitted with an elegant turret embellished with elaborate decorations and a clock (which is why it is also called the Gate of the Clock). Unmistakable in its blend of white and pink, it deserves to be seen and photographed.
The Fishermen’s Cottage is a white and pale pink building built in the late nineteenth century in the centre of what is now Loano’s seafront promenade.
It originally served as an office for the customs and health control officials who worked on the beach; later it was the seat of a Finance Police delegation, then an association and finally a small museum displaying mementoes of maritime life from local families.
To learn more about the city’s maritime traditions you can visit the Permanent Exhibition of Loanese Maritime Heritage, a collection of historical documents, drawings, photographs, fishing and diving equipment, scale models and memorabilia that tell centuries of maritime life on the Western Riviera, with particular emphasis on the Loano area. Visits are by appointment.
Just 5 km from Loano’s town centre lies the charming village of Toirano, an easy-to-reach destination that represents a fascinating alternative to the beaches and city centre.
The village’s most famous attraction is its caves, which have been open to visitors since 1953. The Toirano Caves complex includes the Grotta della Basura, the Lower Grotta di Santa Lucia and a small paleontological museum.
The caves are spectacular from a landscape point of view but also have great archaeological importance: they represent one of Europe’s largest deposits of cave bear bones and still hold traces of a group of Homo sapiens who inhabited them over 10,000 years ago.
Toirano’s other attraction is the Ethnographic Museum of Val Varatella. Housed within the historic Palazzo D’Aste-Del Carretto, it displays a collection of objects, almost all donated by local families, that tell the traditions of the village over the centuries. The furnishings you can admire on the noble floor are period pieces.
The Loano town beach7 is a light sandy beach mixed with gravel that stretches for over two kilometres alongside the historic centre. The presence of rock barriers creates small coves where the water is calmer, perfect for safe swimming.
Along the shoreline are sections of free beach with amenities and bathing establishments equipped with all services, including play areas for children, sports equipment rental and bars. For water cleanliness and quality of services, Loano’s beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag designation on numerous occasions.
From Loano you can also easily reach the most important seaside resorts on the Western Riviera, for example Finalmarina, and enchanting beaches such as the Baia dei Saraceni at Varigotti.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Loano is a typical Ligurian “sea and mountains” town where in a short time you can easily move from the coast to the inland hills and enjoy splendid trekking with panoramic views over the blue Mediterranean.
A lovely walk you can take without straying too far from the centre is the one leading to the Sanctuary of Saints Cosmas and Damian. From here you can enjoy fine views over the harbour and the terraced hills behind the seafront, then return to the coast along the path leading to Bric dei Cinque Alberi.
Two trails depart from the Verzi district leading to other fine viewpoints. One is the Church of San Martino, situated on a hill at 180 metres above sea level; the other is the CAI Refuge at Pian delle Bosse, from which you can continue to reach Monte Carmo, the highest peak in Savona province.
The second trail is part of the Sentiero delle Terre Alte (High Lands Trail) which starts at Toirano and leads to Colle di Melogna.
The choice of hotels, apartments and bed & breakfasts in Loano is good and includes options in all price ranges. Most accommodation is concentrated on the seafront or in the immediate vicinity. However, these are also the most sought-after, so if you want a sea-view room try to book well in advance.
Inland bed & breakfasts are ideal for those who want to be surrounded by greenery whilst remaining close to all services and tourist attractions.
If you fancy a special experience you can sleep on a sailing boat moored at Loano’s marina, conveniently close to the historic centre and beaches.
We offer a selection of hotels at Loano 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 Loano, 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 Loano. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Loano are in high demand.
You can easily reach Loano by car taking the A10 motorway Genova-Ventimiglia; the recommended exit is Pietra Ligure if coming from the east, Borghetto Santo Spirito if coming from the west.
Loano railway station is located in the town centre, right next to the beaches; situated on the Genova-Ventimiglia line, it is served by numerous regional trains.
The nearest airport is Genoa, connected to numerous Italian cities by low-cost flights.
What's the weather at Loano? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Loano for the next few days.
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