Finale Ligure

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Finale Ligure is a town on the Ligurian Sea in Italy. Considered part of the Italian Riviera, Finale Ligure had approximately 11,849 inhabitants as of 1st January, 2005, and is located in the Province of Savona within the region of Liguria, near the city of Savona.

Known for its white sand beaches and its views, Finale Ligure is located directly adjacent to the Rock of Caprazoppa, a steep limestone mountain on the southwest, and much of the town extends up hill slopes. The town has a lively commercial district alongside and behind its boardwalk which buzzes with activity from residents of all ages during the later evening. The boardwalk is beautifully lined with palm trees and many restaurants from the adjacent street have located large, open-air dining rooms along it.

The town of Finale Ligure is nominally divided into three "boroughs". Finale Ligure Marina (Finalmarina) is the main seaside part of the town, most frequented by tourists, while Finale Pia (Finalpia) is the traditional center of the town, where a Benedictine abbey still stands. Finalborgo, the third borough and located further inland, consists of an old walled medieval town.

Finale Ligure has furthermore some frazioni: Varigotti, an appreciated and characteristic seaside holiday destination, which was an important port in Roman and Byzantine times; Perti, also an ancient center with Roman and Medieval ruines, up into the "entroterra" (interior); Le Manie ("e Magne" in local vernacular), a gorgeous plateau partly cultivated, partly left to pine forest and Mediterranean Bush; Gorra, a panoramic hamlet along the steep road to the Alpine forests of Melogno pass; San Bernardino, a recent set of buildings and residences on the top of the hill overlooking Finale Marina.

The territory surrounding Finale is known as "Il Finale", and not "Il Finalese" as some mistakenly would say; it is very characteristic and beautiful, being made up of limestone plateaus and canyons which host a significant biodiversity and important remains of Roman and Medieval times.

The town is connected to the outside world by various roads, the A10 highway Genova-Ventimiglia, and a double-track rail line, and offers to the tourist the pleasures of a land where one can enjoy a usually clear and calm sea, on one side, plus healthy hill and mountain hikes in a Mediterranean or even already Alpine environment at close distance.