Sanremo market: Tuesday and Saturday, covered market and tips

The Tuesday and Saturday market

Twice a week Piazza Eroi Sanremesi, the large square between the town centre and the hill of La Pigna, fills with stalls that spill into the side streets. It is the everyday market for people from Sanremo and the valleys, not a show for tourists. Expect mostly:

• clothes for adults and children;
• shoes, bags and belts;
• bed linen and household goods;
• vintage and second-hand clothes;
• a few stalls of fruit, vegetables, cheese and cured meats.

Saturday is busier, with plenty of visitors from the French Riviera; Tuesday is quieter and more local. Either way, come early: there is more choice, it is cooler in summer and the traffic around the square moves better. In bad weather there can be far fewer stalls.

The Mercato Annonario (covered market)

A short walk from the square, at Via Martiri della Libertà 5, stands the Mercato Annonario: a large 1950s hall with an arched concrete roof where locals buy their food. It is usually open in the morning from Monday to Saturday, including days without the street market, so if you are in Sanremo on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, this is the market to see.

You will find local fruit and vegetables, bread and focaccia, cheese, pesto, extra virgin olive oil and, at the bakeries, local specialities such as torta verde (vegetable pie) and sardenaira, Sanremo’s thick focaccia topped with tomato, anchovies, Taggiasca olives and garlic. The hall also hosts the odd concert and has a small book-swap corner.

Afterwards, climb into the lanes of La Pigna, the medieval old town, which starts right above the market square.

What to buy and how to spend wisely

Food is the best buy: Taggiasca olive oil, olives, pesto, pasta, cheese, cured meats and coffee. At the covered market, quality is that of a good neighbourhood shop; compare two or three stalls before you buy. On the clothing stalls, prices are those of a local market: no miracles, but fair prices on knitwear, linen and accessories.

• Bring cash for small purchases: not every stall takes cards.
• Asking for a discount when you buy several items is normal; haggling over every piece is not.
• Skip “designer” bags and watches at rock-bottom prices: in Italy, buyers of counterfeit goods can be fined from €100 to €7,000, and the goods are confiscated.

Antique and flea markets

If you like antiques and vintage objects, Sanremo has two regular events run by a private association:

• the Mercato Antiquario in Piazza Colombo and under the Palafiori arcade, usually on the second Sunday of the month (not in January and February);
• the Piccolo Brocante in Piazza San Siro, in front of the cathedral, usually on the first and second Saturday of the month.

Dates can shift, especially in February during the Sanremo Festival, so check the calendar before you travel. At Christmas the programme of markets and events changes every year: look for it on the town council’s website in December.

Getting there: train and parking

By train

The easiest option, especially on Saturdays. There are over 40 direct trains a day from Ventimiglia (12–23 minutes). From Nice Ville you usually change at Ventimiglia: 1 h 15 to 1 h 45 in total. Allow extra time on arrival: Sanremo station is underground, and the walk from the platforms to the exit on Corso Cavallotti is a 700-metre tunnel with moving walkways, about ten minutes. From there you cross the town centre on foot to the market. In autumn 2026 there are engineering works on the Genoa–Ventimiglia line, so check Trenitalia’s notices before you go.

By car

On Tuesdays and Saturdays the car park in the market area (Torre Saracena) is taken over by stalls until early afternoon. Head for a multi-storey car park such as Palafiori, near the Ariston theatre, or Volta, and walk. Blue-zone parking is charged Monday to Saturday, 8:00–20:00 (€2.10 an hour for non-residents). Full details are in our guide to parking in Sanremo.

Sanremo or Ventimiglia?

The Ventimiglia market on Fridays is much bigger: hundreds of stalls along the seafront and the river Roya, with clothes, leather goods and shoes, and many French-speaking traders. Sanremo is smaller and calmer, but it runs twice a week, has a lively covered market and a whole town to explore around it.

• For clothes and accessories: Ventimiglia, on Friday.
• For food shopping and a day out: Sanremo on Saturday morning, then a walk through town and along the sea.
• To do both: the two towns are less than 25 minutes apart by train; on Thursdays there is also the Bordighera market.

After the market, explore the rest of Sanremo, head down to the beaches or check the weather forecast before you set off. Staying the night? See where to stay in Sanremo.