The best party beaches in Liguria

Let us be honest from the first line, because it will save you a wasted trip. Liguria is not a party coast. There are no beach raves and no all night sands here, and anyone arriving expecting Ibiza or Sardinia will be disappointed. What this stretch of Italian Riviera does beautifully is the gentler kind of evening, the long seafront passeggiata, the spritz at sunset, the late dinner that runs on past midnight. The liveliest it gets is the busy town beach at Alassio, the young energy of Finale Ligure, and the glamorous, expensive beach clubs near Portofino.

We have ranked the beaches below for how much life they actually carry, from the buzziest town seafront to the village that pretends to be lively and is not. We have written it with families in mind, because the very absence of a heavy party scene is what makes Liguria such an easy coast for children, with organised beach clubs, gentle bays and safe towns to wander after dark. So we point you to the genuine buzz where it exists, and we are straight about the famous villages that wind down to a whisper by ten.

If you take one line from this page, take this one. For the closest thing to a buzz, base in Alassio or Finale Ligure, and treat the rest of Liguria as the calm, delicious, scenic coast it truly is.

The kindest thing we can tell you is to reset the expectation. Liguria does not do the beach party, and chasing one here will only leave you frustrated, driving from town to town in search of a scene that is not there. What it does, and does better than almost anywhere, is the civilised Italian evening, where the whole town strolls the seafront before dinner, the bars fill with aperitivo, and the night is long, social and unhurried rather than loud. If that is your idea of a good time, Liguria is a joy. If you need a dancefloor on the sand, look elsewhere.

For families this is a feature, not a flaw. The absence of a party scene means calm, gentle bays, well run beach clubs that rent sunbeds and parasols by the row, and safe, walkable towns where children can have a gelato while the adults have a drink. The catch to know is the surface, because much of the Ligurian coast is pebble rather than sand, so the soft sand towns like Alassio and Sestri Levante are worth seeking out with little ones, and water shoes help everywhere else. Conditions and the sea are typical and never guaranteed, and you should always watch the water with children rather than rely on a lifeguard.

If you want the quietest corners of an already quiet coast, the eastern Riviera obliges. Camogli and Bonassola keep a slow, local pace, and the Cinque Terre villages, for all their daytime crowds, fall silent at night. Use Alassio or Finale Ligure for the closest thing to a buzz, then let the smaller towns give you the calm, the food and the views that are the real reason to come.

Ligurian beach culture runs on the stabilimento, the organised beach club that rents loungers and parasols by the day, so on a busy summer weekend the best stretches at Alassio, Paraggi and Sestri Levante fill quickly and booking ahead saves a wait. The Paraggi clubs are the smart, pricey end, while Alassio and Sestri keep things friendlier for families. We do not invent prices or amenities, so where a venue is unconfirmed we say so. Use our directory to see who is open and what they ask, then send one enquiry and let them come back to you.