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Baia dei Saraceni, Varigotti

Ultimo aggiornamento il 3 novembre 2026

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Cosa rende speciale Baia dei Saraceni, Varigotti

La baia dei Saraceni è una piccola baia chiusa sotto Varigotti, ed è stata un porto attivo per più di mille anni prima che qualcuno la interrasse apposta. Dopo la caduta dell’impero romano il porto di qui offriva un approdo sicuro alle navi bizantine , mantenendo i collegamenti con le fortificazioni ancora attive lungo l’ Appennino ligure e le Alpi Marittime ; era difeso da un castrum su Punta Crena e più tardi servì ai Del Carretto come base di difesa e attacco marittimo. L’attrito è la camminata e la folla. La baia si raggiunge a piedi, è chiusa dalla roccia ed è piccola. Il campeggio libero è finito a metà degli anni Sessanta per il motivo ovvio, e il paese a cui appartiene occupa una fascia larga 200-300 metri che ad agosto si riempie del tutto. Il modo intelligente è venire fuori stagione e guardare in su. La vecchia chiesa di San Lorenzo sta a mezza costa sul promontorio e domina la baia: è stata costruita sopra un porto ed è sopravvissuta a esso. Più in alto ancora ci sono la torre del 1559 , i resti del convento , l’ uliveto secolare e le rovine del castrum ; tutti hanno una pagina propria qui.

Consigli e strategia di visita

Quando andare

Maggio, giugno, settembre e ottobre. Il mare è utilizzabile alle due estremità della stagione e la baia non è piena. Sono i mesi che rendono la camminata degna.

Agosto è il problema e la fonte lo dice. Il maggior flusso di villeggianti di Varigotti arriva d’estate, e il paese sta su una fascia larga 200-300 metri. Una piccola baia che si raggiunge a piedi in fondo a quella fascia non è il posto dove stare ad agosto.

Fuori stagione, abbinatela al promontorio. La torre del 1559, i resti del convento, l’uliveto, le rovine del castrum e la chiesa vecchia stanno tutti sulla collina sopra, e una salita calcarea esposta è lavoro da primavera o da autunno.

L’inverno è mite e la baia è vuota. Varigotti condivide il clima del comune di Finale Ligure: il crinale fra Monte Settepani e Pian dei Corsi, quasi sempre fra i 1.000 e i 1.400 m, blocca l’aria fredda della pianura padana. Qui non si cita nessuna temperatura: la fonte dà medie per una finestra fra dicembre e febbraio in una frase troncata e non nomina alcuna stazione.

Come arrivare ed entrare

Per la baia in sé non è pubblicato nulla: né una descrizione dell’accesso, né servizi, né divieti. Il Comune di Finale Ligure (via Pertica 29, centralino 019 689011) non pubblica informazioni sulle spiagge, piani di sosta o ZTL per nessuna parte del comune, e nulla di quanto letto per questa pagina descrive l’avvicinamento.

Quello che si sa è che ci si arriva a piedi e che il campeggio è finito. La baia sta dietro il promontorio di Punta Crena, che la separa dal paese. Il campeggio libero sulla spiaggia era possibile fino a metà degli anni Sessanta e oggi non lo è.

Il promontorio sopra è guidato. Il Museo Archeologico del Finale elenca il promontorio di Varigotti fra i quattro siti del suo programma MUDIF, con le date nel calendario eventi e prenotazioni solo telefoniche al 019 690020. È l’unico modo organizzato per vedere le rovine che dominano questa baia.

Arrivare a Varigotti. Nessuna stazione attiva: la linea si è spostata all’interno completamente in galleria nel 1977, la vecchia stazione è proprietà privata e il tracciato in paese è il parcheggio pubblico, per cui non è pubblicata alcuna tariffa. La stazione attiva è Finale Ligure Marina sulla Genova-Ventimiglia; l’uscita dell’A10 è Finale Ligure.

Verificato su Comune di Finale Ligure, ottobre 2026.

Informazioni rapide

Tipo: Spiaggia, Luogo storico, Natura
Costruito: Non costruita: insenatura naturale usata come porto almeno dall'epoca bizantina, interrata entro il 1341 e spiaggia da allora
Stile architettonico: Insenatura naturale chiusa dal promontorio di Punta Crena, con la vecchia chiesa di San Lorenzo sul pendio soprastante

Dove si trova

Indicazioni stradali Apri in Apple Maps

Visita responsabile

È una piccola baia chiusa senza servizi pubblicati. Nulla di quanto letto per questa pagina descrive cestini, acqua, servizi igienici o stabilimenti. Portate via quello che portate dentro, partendo dal presupposto che non lo farà nessun altro.

Qui il campeggio è finito, e per un motivo. Era ancora possibile fino a metà degli anni Sessanta. Una baia di questa misura, raggiungibile a piedi e chiusa dalla roccia, non può assorbire quell’uso: lo stesso motivo per cui agosto è il mese da evitare.

Il pendio sopra è un sito archeologico. Punta Crena porta le rovine del castrum, un muro perimetrale bizantino, resti di abitato quattrocenteschi, i resti di un convento e la torre del 1559, con la vecchia chiesa di San Lorenzo a mezza costa. Nulla di ciò risulta consolidato o recintato; il Museo Archeologico del Finale lo guida.

Le falesie a levante sono instabili, e secondo la fonte letalmente. Roccia verticale e franosa corre verso Capo Noli; una frana al Malpasso uccise due macchinisti nel 1949, e nel 1977 la ferrovia fu abbandonata per una galleria interna. State lontani dalla base delle falesie e dal vecchio tracciato.

Fonti e verifica Riguarda le affermazioni documentate di questa pagina.

Verificato su Wikipedia — The origins of Varigotti are dated by some to the second century A.D., and by others to the Byzantine era; in favour of the first hypothesis, fragments and tombs datable from the third to the seventh century were found in the church of San Lorenzo. After the fall of the Roman Empire the port of Varigotti, located in the present-day baia dei Saraceni, offered a safe landing for the Byzantine ships that maintained the links with the fortifications still active along the Ligurian Apennines and the Maritime Alps. The orography separated Varigotti and nearby Noli from the Po hinterland, protecting them from possible barbarian incursions. The port was defended with a Byzantine castrum placed on Punta Crena, while the civil buildings were placed near the port and on the eastern slope of the promontory, of which a perimeter wall still remains today., Varigotti, like the whole coast of the Italian peninsula, long suffered the Saracen threat. The hypothesis has been raised, devoid of real confirmation, that Varigotti was for a certain time one of the mainland bases of the Saracens of Frassineto. It is possible that, abandoned by the Lombards, Varicottis may have provided occasional shelter to the Saracens, until they settled permanently and mixed with the local population. In support of this hypothesis the settlement of Ca' de Mori is cited, a structure clinging to a promontory which possibly was an Arab fort, given its building techniques. The varigottesi were traditionally called "saraceni", a name that may be rooted in the Saracen presence in the place. The port of Varigotti was the point of departure for an expedition by Guido da Ventimiglia against the Saracens of Frassineto., In the centuries that followed, Finale Ligure clashed with the Republic of Genoa. After a defeat of Finale by Genoa, the port of Varigotti was silted up by the work of the Genoese in 1341, although this fact is controversial. In the following centuries the fate of Varigotti followed that of the Finale and its clashes with Genoa. In 1559, after an invasion by the Turks, the watchtower was built on the summit of Punta Crena. In 1582 Genoa, allied with Noli since 1202, built a turret between Punta Crena and Capo Noli to mark the boundary between the possessions; the turret, called "delle Streghe", remains today and still marks the boundary between the two comuni. In 1602 Finale passed under Spanish rule, and was ceded to Genoa in 1713., Among the civil monuments of Varigotti: the promontory of Punta Crena, characterised by a centuries-old olive grove overlooking the sea, preserves an ancient Saracen watchtower built in 1559, and beside it are the remains of a convent; the ruins of the Byzantine castrum, dating from the Byzantine era and destroyed by Rotari; and the mole, named after the film director Renato Castellani. Among the religious monuments: the parish church of San Lorenzo, of Baroque forms with a late Gothic bell tower; the church of San Lorenzo overlooking the baia dei Saraceni, of very ancient origins, which was the first parish church of Varigotti until 1586; and the oratorio di Sant'Antonio Abate in the rione of Varigotti. Varigotti is a renowned tourist destination; the greatest flow of holidaymakers is registered in the summer period., The origins of Varigotti are dated by some to the second century A.D., and by others to the Byzantine era; in favour of the first hypothesis, fragments and tombs datable from the third to the seventh century were found in the church of San Lorenzo. After the fall of the Roman Empire the port of Varigotti, located in the present-day baia dei Saraceni, offered a safe landing for the Byzantine ships that maintained the links with the fortifications still active along the Ligurian Apennines and the Maritime Alps. The orography separated Varigotti and nearby Noli from the Po hinterland, protecting them from possible barbarian incursions. The port was defended with a Byzantine castrum placed on Punta Crena, while the civil buildings were placed near the port and on the eastern slope of the promontory, of which a perimeter wall still remains today., The whole Finale coast became part first of the Aleramic march and then of the territories of Bonifacio Del Vasto. In 1127 the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Lerins settled in the church of San Lorenzo, a pre-existing monastic cenacle probably dating from the seventh century. In 1162 the march of Savona was constituted, enfeoffed to Enrico Del Carretto, of which Varigotti was a part often contested by the nascent comune of Noli. The monks of Lerins remained until 1177, when the church probably became the parish church of Varigotti -- there being in fact no news of the church until 1356. Varigotti took on importance and prosperity again thanks to the ancient port, which became an important base of maritime defence and attack for the Del Carretto. Meanwhile the population began to move from the port area to the area west of the promontory, where the settlement stands today; here a "compagna" was formed, a free association of the men of the villages with corporate power. At the same time a new church of San Lorenzo was constituted to the west, affiliated to the Pieve finalese, the old San Lorenzo above the port being by then far from the settlement. Given this westward shift, the inhabited nuclei of Pino, Giardino, Chien, Ca dei Mori, la Seva and la Monda were formed and the settlement developed along the coastal strip., The opening of the modern via Aurelia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the explosion of mass tourism have brought the present building expansion, fortunately almost entirely free of "ecomostri", despite the extreme narrowness of the available space, no more than 200-300 metres wide between the sea and the steep surrounding hills. Until the mid-1960s free camping was still possible on the beach of the baia dei Saraceni. Between Varigotti and Capo Noli the wild nature of the coast, with the vertical walls of crumbling rock hundreds of metres high of the overlooking hill, caused continual maintenance for the stretch of railway outside the tunnels: after yet another landslide, which had fatal consequences for two engine drivers in 1949 in the Malpasso area, the rockfall shelters still visible today were built at the mouths of the two tunnels. In 1977 the new inland railway line was activated, placing it entirely in tunnel. The old station is now private property, and the route that passed through the village has been transformed into a public car park., Among the civil monuments of Varigotti: the promontory of Punta Crena, characterised by a centuries-old olive grove overlooking the sea, preserves an ancient Saracen watchtower built in 1559, and beside it are the remains of a convent; the ruins of the Byzantine castrum, dating from the Byzantine era and destroyed by Rotari; and the mole, named after the film director Renato Castellani. Among the religious monuments: the parish church of San Lorenzo, of Baroque forms with a late Gothic bell tower; the church of San Lorenzo overlooking the baia dei Saraceni, of very ancient origins, which was the first parish church of Varigotti until 1586; and the oratorio di Sant'Antonio Abate in the rione of Varigotti. Varigotti is a renowned tourist destination; the greatest flow of holidaymakers is registered in the summer period., Varigotti is a frazione of the Italian comune of Finale Ligure in the province of Savona. It counts about 500 inhabitants; until 1869 it was an autonomous comune. It lies in the Riviera delle Palme, or Riviera di Ponente. Its patron is san Lorenzo. The figure of 577 inhabitants refers to the built-up area of Varigotti as defined by Istat, from the 2011 census of population and housing., Among the civil monuments of Varigotti: the promontory of Punta Crena, characterised by a centuries-old olive grove overlooking the sea, preserves an ancient Saracen watchtower built in 1559, and beside it are the remains of a convent; the ruins of the Byzantine castrum, dating from the Byzantine era and destroyed by Rotari; and the mole, named after the film director Renato Castellani. Among the religious monuments: the parish church of San Lorenzo, of Baroque forms with a late Gothic bell tower; the church of San Lorenzo overlooking the baia dei Saraceni, of very ancient origins, which was the first parish church of Varigotti until 1586; and the oratorio di Sant'Antonio Abate in the rione of Varigotti. Varigotti is a renowned tourist destination; the greatest flow of holidaymakers is registered in the summer period., The climate of Finale Ligure is of mesomediterranean type, with a sub-humid ombrotype. The mountain ridge that develops between Monte Settepani and Pian dei Corsi, keeping itself almost always at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,400 m, constitutes an important climatic barrier, preventing the direct influence on the coastal climate of the cold air masses which, in winter, station over the Po plain and on the northern slope of the Ligurian Prealps; moreover the northern winds, in their descent towards the coast, warm up by effect of adiabatic compression. It follows that the littoral localities forming part of the Comune of Finale Ligure have a microclimate characterised by mild winters., The opening of the modern via Aurelia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the explosion of mass tourism have brought the present building expansion, fortunately almost entirely free of "ecomostri", despite the extreme narrowness of the available space, no more than 200-300 metres wide between the sea and the steep surrounding hills. Until the mid-1960s free camping was still possible on the beach of the baia dei Saraceni. Between Varigotti and Capo Noli the wild nature of the coast, with the vertical walls of crumbling rock hundreds of metres high of the overlooking hill, caused continual maintenance for the stretch of railway outside the tunnels: after yet another landslide, which had fatal consequences for two engine drivers in 1949 in the Malpasso area, the rockfall shelters still visible today were built at the mouths of the two tunnels. In 1977 the new inland railway line was activated, placing it entirely in tunnel. The old station is now private property, and the route that passed through the village has been transformed into a public car park., The opening of the modern via Aurelia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the explosion of mass tourism have brought the present building expansion, fortunately almost entirely free of "ecomostri", despite the extreme narrowness of the available space, no more than 200-300 metres wide between the sea and the steep surrounding hills. Until the mid-1960s free camping was still possible on the beach of the baia dei Saraceni. Between Varigotti and Capo Noli the wild nature of the coast, with the vertical walls of crumbling rock hundreds of metres high of the overlooking hill, caused continual maintenance for the stretch of railway outside the tunnels: after yet another landslide, which had fatal consequences for two engine drivers in 1949 in the Malpasso area, the rockfall shelters still visible today were built at the mouths of the two tunnels. In 1977 the new inland railway line was activated, placing it entirely in tunnel. The old station is now private property, and the route that passed through the village has been transformed into a public car park., The origins of Varigotti are dated by some to the second century A.D., and by others to the Byzantine era; in favour of the first hypothesis, fragments and tombs datable from the third to the seventh century were found in the church of San Lorenzo. After the fall of the Roman Empire the port of Varigotti, located in the present-day baia dei Saraceni, offered a safe landing for the Byzantine ships that maintained the links with the fortifications still active along the Ligurian Apennines and the Maritime Alps. The orography separated Varigotti and nearby Noli from the Po hinterland, protecting them from possible barbarian incursions. The port was defended with a Byzantine castrum placed on Punta Crena, while the civil buildings were placed near the port and on the eastern slope of the promontory, of which a perimeter wall still remains today., Among the civil monuments of Varigotti: the promontory of Punta Crena, characterised by a centuries-old olive grove overlooking the sea, preserves an ancient Saracen watchtower built in 1559, and beside it are the remains of a convent; the ruins of the Byzantine castrum, dating from the Byzantine era and destroyed by Rotari; and the mole, named after the film director Renato Castellani. Among the religious monuments: the parish church of San Lorenzo, of Baroque forms with a late Gothic bell tower; the church of San Lorenzo overlooking the baia dei Saraceni, of very ancient origins, which was the first parish church of Varigotti until 1586; and the oratorio di Sant'Antonio Abate in the rione of Varigotti. Varigotti is a renowned tourist destination; the greatest flow of holidaymakers is registered in the summer period. (ottobre 2026).
Verificato su Comune di Finale Ligure — The Comune di Finale Ligure has its seat at Via Pertica 29, 17024 Finale Ligure, with the switchboard 019 689011 and the certified address comunefinaleligure@legalmail.it. It publishes no direct telephone number and no opening hours for any individual office; no tourist office or IAT; no ZTL, parking scheme or transport timetable; and no opening hour or admission price for Castel Gavone, Castel San Giovanni, the Arene Candide cave, the basilica of San Giovanni Battista or any other building in the comune. (ottobre 2026).
Verificato su Museo Archeologico del Finale (MAF) / Museo Diffuso del Finale (MUDIF) — The MUDIF -- Museo Diffuso del Finale -- is a project that networks the diffused historical and landscape patrimony of the Finale territory, and lists the cultural sites it guides. Of the Caverna delle Arene Candide it says that it is one of the most important caves in Europe for the famous finds made inside it, and that through a route guided by archaeologists one makes a journey back in time, from today to about thirty thousand years ago, retracing the research conducted over more than 150 years of archaeological studies and excavations; "Accessibile esclusivamente con visita guidata. Prenotazione obbligatoria al numero 019 690 020". Of Castel Gavone it says that, placed on a height behind Finalborgo, it constitutes the symbol monument of the Finale; that the castle, arisen in the twelfth century, was the residential dwelling of the Del Carretto marquises; and that the visit, under the guidance of an archaeologist, allows one to discover the various phases of development of the monument between the Middle Ages and the Modern age, including the splendid Torre dei Diamanti, one of the most important examples of Renaissance fortified architecture in Italy; "Accessibile esclusivamente con visita guidata. Prenotazione obbligatoria al numero 019 690 020". The other two sites it lists are the promontory of Varigotti and the Teatro Aycardi at Finalborgo, built between 1804 and 1806 in the spaces of the pre-existing collegio founded by Giovanni Andrea Aycardi in 1759 and the oldest nineteenth-century theatre with stalls and boxes conserved in Liguria, entry to which is by free offering during calendared openings., The Museo Archeologico del Finale publishes how to reach it. By car, from the A10 Genoa-Ventimiglia motorway, take the "Finale Ligure" exit and follow the signs for "Finalborgo" and "Centro Storico"; Finalborgo is a historic borgo and access by car is therefore limited, with paid and disc-timed car parks in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the walls, and a car park at the Municipio a few steps from the museum, free and with spaces for disabled drivers. By train, the station is Finale Ligure Marina on the Genoa-Ventimiglia line, about 1.6 km from the museum. By bus, Finalborgo can be reached from the station or from the seafront of Finale Ligure Marina using the TPL Linea bus 40/ (Savona - Finalborgo) and 40; the journey is short and the stop, "Finalborgo Centro", is 200 metres from the museum. The museum advises consulting the updated public transport timetables on the official Trenitalia and TPL Linea sites before departure., The MUDIF -- Museo Diffuso del Finale -- is a project that networks the diffused historical and landscape patrimony of the Finale territory, and lists the cultural sites it guides. Of the Caverna delle Arene Candide it says that it is one of the most important caves in Europe for the famous finds made inside it, and that through a route guided by archaeologists one makes a journey back in time, from today to about thirty thousand years ago, retracing the research conducted over more than 150 years of archaeological studies and excavations; "Accessibile esclusivamente con visita guidata. Prenotazione obbligatoria al numero 019 690 020". Of Castel Gavone it says that, placed on a height behind Finalborgo, it constitutes the symbol monument of the Finale; that the castle, arisen in the twelfth century, was the residential dwelling of the Del Carretto marquises; and that the visit, under the guidance of an archaeologist, allows one to discover the various phases of development of the monument between the Middle Ages and the Modern age, including the splendid Torre dei Diamanti, one of the most important examples of Renaissance fortified architecture in Italy; "Accessibile esclusivamente con visita guidata. Prenotazione obbligatoria al numero 019 690 020". The other two sites it lists are the promontory of Varigotti and the Teatro Aycardi at Finalborgo, built between 1804 and 1806 in the spaces of the pre-existing collegio founded by Giovanni Andrea Aycardi in 1759 and the oldest nineteenth-century theatre with stalls and boxes conserved in Liguria, entry to which is by free offering during calendared openings. (ottobre 2026).

Baia dei Saraceni, Varigotti

Cosa rende speciale Baia dei Saraceni, Varigotti

La difficoltà per chi visita

Consigli e strategia di visita

Quando andare

Come viverlo al meglio

Quanto costa

Come arrivare ed entrare

Accessibilità del luogo

Informazioni rapide

Dove si trova

Visita responsabile

Baia dei Saraceni, Varigotti

Cosa rende speciale Baia dei Saraceni, Varigotti

La difficoltà per chi visita

Consigli e strategia di visita

Quando andare

Come viverlo al meglio

Quanto costa

Come arrivare ed entrare

Accessibilità del luogo

Informazioni rapide

Dove si trova

Visita responsabile

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