Discover Loano: Coast, History and Hiking Trails

Loano combines a coastline of sandy beaches and lush Mediterranean vegetation with historic heritage and opportunities for hiking, dining and sailing. When planning your trip, you can consider whether you would like to focus primarily on architectural history, the landscape or activities. The following places and topics give you some specific ideas.

Historic Loano: Old Town, Church and Palazzo Doria

The medieval old town, surrounded by walls, lies at the foot of Loano Castle. It was built in the 16th and 17th centuries on the remains of an earlier fortification, at the behest of the Doria family. The complex thus combines an early modern period of construction with an older history of fortification. The Duomo di Loano stands in the historic centre. The Doria family built the decagonal church between 1633 and 1638; it preserves 17th-century paintings, including works by Orazio De Ferrari, Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo and Domenico Fiasella.

Palazzo Doria was built in 1578 as the residence of Giovanni Andrea Doria and Zenobia Del Carretto. The palace contains a 3rd-century mosaic floor from archaeological excavations in the surrounding area. The building and mosaic thus bring together different periods. Another site of religious history is the Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista. It houses an urn containing some of the ashes of John the Baptist and other martyrs. The ancient Roman Pontasso Bridge is also part of Loano’s historic landscape: its large stone arches are still clearly visible.

Coast, Marina and Landscape

Loano’s coastline includes sandy beaches and lush Mediterranean vegetation. The Marina di Loano offers a maritime perspective: this marina in Liguria is in the heart of the Riviera di Ponente, near Monaco and Portofino. It can accommodate yachts up to 85 metres long. Service information may change; check the latest marina information in advance if it is important to your plans.

Away from the coast, the Santuario dei Santi Cosma e Damiano stands on Poggio di San Damiano. It is surrounded by a panoramic area with olive trees. The original church was built around 1070. The Museo del Mare e della Marineria complements the maritime perspective with a permanent exhibition. Its objects include scale ship models, historical equipment, documents and photographs.

Routes and Activities for Planning Your Trip

A hiking trail starts on Corso Roma, passes through the ancient settlement of Mazzocchi and continues to Borgo Castello. This sequence of places gives the route description a historical connection. A 14.5-kilometre trail offers nature experiences among the scents of thyme and rosemary typical of the Mediterranean maquis. When choosing a hiking theme, you can therefore distinguish between a route with named historical stops and a trail with a specifically described nature experience.

A self-guided culinary route is also available in Loano: the Fugassa Tour takes you through bakeries where you can discover 13 different types of focaccia. The Festa delle Basüe is a historical reenactment traditionally held in Loano in mid-August. Exact dates may vary from year to year; check the dates for your travel period if the festival is important to your plans. The Circolo Nautico Loano offers sailing courses for children and adults in 2026; seasonal availability may change.

Getting There by Train

The railway station is in the town centre and is on the Genoa–Ventimiglia railway line. If you are planning to travel by train, check the timetable for your chosen travel date.

Discover more destinations: Castelbianco, Noli, Teglia, Quiliano, Vara Inferiore, Marina di Andora, Campochiesa, Menosio.

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