A fishing village of painted houses and Blue Flag sandy beaches between Varazze and Albisola: lanes, Perin del Vaga, Pineta Bottini and Pope Sixtus IV.
Welcome to Celle Ligure
Celle Ligure is a fishing village on the Riviera di Ponente, in the province of Savona, between Albisola and Varazze. Its painted houses stand shoulder to shoulder right above the beach, the narrow lanes (carruggi) run parallel to the sea, and pine- and olive-covered hills rise behind. It is a quiet, family-friendly seaside town with fine sandy beaches and water awarded the Blue Flag again in 2026.
The first document to mention Celle dates from 1014. The name probably comes from the Latin “cellae”, the small stores where fishermen kept their boats and gear. Under Genoa, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Celle grew rich on sea trade across the Mediterranean. In the hamlet of Pecorile, in 1414, Francesco Della Rovere was born: the future Pope Sixtus IV, the man behind the Sistine Chapel.
Today Celle has about 4,900 inhabitants and belongs to the “Borghi più belli d’Italia”, the club of Italy’s most beautiful villages. The town has two sides: the old centre to the west and Celle Piani to the east, built for beach holidays, joined by a pedestrian seafront. With its own railway station and motorway exit, it is easy to reach from Genoa and makes a relaxed base for exploring the western Riviera without a car.
Celle Ligure is in Liguria (Riviera di Ponente, Riviera delle Palme, province of Savona).
What to see
Celle has no major museums: the village itself is the sight. Half a day on foot is enough to see the lanes, the churches and the viewpoints above town.
The old seafaring village has survived almost intact. Its spine is Via Aicardi and Via Ghiglino, parallel to the shore: tall painted houses, arches, covered passages and small shops. Every few metres a side alley opens onto the beach, with boats pulled up in front of the facades. Come early in the morning or in the evening, when it is at its quietest.
The parish church stands above the Via Aurelia at the top of a flight of steps. It was built between 1630 and 1645 on the plan of a 12th-century church, whose spired bell tower survives. Look down at the churchyard: it is a black-and-white mosaic of pebbles collected on the beach by local schoolchildren around 1900.
Inside, the highlight is a polyptych by Perin del Vaga, a pupil of Raphael, painted in 1535 for the fishermen of Celle: Saint Michael between Saint Peter and Saint John the Baptist. There is also a 16th-century crucifix with a tree-shaped cross.
Next to the parish church, the oratory keeps the large processional crucifixes and a processional chest from 1481 with a statue of the saint, described as the oldest known. On the first Sunday of October it is carried on shoulders through the streets for the patron saint’s feast.
This 17th-century Augustinian church closes the main street of the old village towards the sea: its bell tower is the view at the end of Via Aicardi. The striped, colourful facade is one of Celle’s signature images. Inside is an Annunciation attributed to the Genoese painter Domenico Fiasella.
Celle Piani holds a surprise for fans of 20th-century art. The Church of the Assunta, built between 1954 and 1959, has a high relief by Lucio Fontana on its facade; the interior decoration is by Emanuele Luzzati. It is worth a short detour from the seafront.
The seafront promenade is about one kilometre long and links the old centre with Celle Piani, lined with palms, benches and ceramic artworks, some of them on mathematical themes. In the Crocetta garden stands the “artists’ well”, covered in ceramics. This is the evening walk, when the painted facades catch the sunset.
On the Crocetta headland an old path runs high above the sea. Before the coast road existed, it linked Celle with its hamlets. It is short, passes villas and gardens and gives the best view over the whole town: this is where to take your photo of Celle from above. It ends with a descent towards the old centre.
At the western end of town, the Pineta Bottini public park has a viewpoint on a cliff above the sea, shade, fountains, a playground and installations from the Celle Land Art project. Walk up the old stairway or take the free inclined panoramic lift from Via Cassisi, a 1920s funicular renovated in 2016. In summer it is the coolest spot in town.
In the hill hamlet of Pecorile stands the birthplace of Francesco Della Rovere, born in 1414 and pope from 1471 to 1484 as Sixtus IV: he commissioned the Sistine Chapel and founded the Vatican Library. The house can be seen from the outside; next to it is the hamlet’s chapel, completed in 1850. A short, quiet detour among the olive groves.
Palazzo Ferri, on Via Boagno, is an 18th-century palace that now houses the town hall. Traces of the old defences against raids from the sea survive: three fortified houses west of the village (Roglio, Cassisi and Bottini) and two crenellated towers known as “del Cornaro”, overlooking the valley. Cycling fans may know Celle as the home of Olmo bicycles, founded here in 1939 by Giuseppe “Gepìn” Olmo.
Sea
The beaches are the main reason to come: fine sand, a gently sloping seabed and Blue Flag water in 2026. In front of the old centre is the village beach, mostly with beach clubs, reached from Lungomare Colombo. To the east stretches Celle Piani, the widest beach, with beach clubs and a free section at the far end, before the breakwater.
Towards Albisola, below a cliff, the Spiaggia della Torre is the wildest: sand, clear water and a path down from the Aurelia. Free and paid beaches, access and tips are all in our guide to the beaches of Celle Ligure.
Where to stay
Celle Piani is the easiest area for a beach holiday with children: wide beaches, beach clubs, hotels, residences and apartments a few steps from the sand. The old centre suits those who want the village on their doorstep, with holiday homes and B&Bs among the lanes; summer evenings are lively. Up in the hills, towards the hamlets, there are quieter houses and farm stays, but you need a car.
For July and August, book well ahead: Celle is small and in high season it fills up with Italian families. May, June and September offer more choice and better prices.
Getting there
Celle has its own exit on the A10 Genoa–Ventimiglia motorway: leave at Celle Ligure and you are in town within minutes. If the exit is closed for roadworks, use Varazze or Albisola and follow the Via Aurelia. Genoa is just over 30 km away.
Celle Ligure station is on the Genoa–Ventimiglia line, served by regional trains from Genoa and Savona. It is a few steps from the centre and the sea: in summer the train is the easiest way to arrive, with no parking worries. Timetables on Trenitalia.
TPL Linea regional buses run frequently from Savona to Celle; the ride takes about 25 minutes. Timetables and tickets on TPL Linea.
The nearest airport is Genoa Cristoforo Colombo, about 30 km away on the western side of the city: continue by car, or by train from a Genoa station. Turin and Milan airports are about two hours’ drive away; Nice airport is roughly two hours away along the A10.
Along the seafront and in the centre, parking is in pay-and-display blue bays, which can also be paid by app. In summer the spaces near the beaches go early: arrive in the morning or park further out and walk. The old centre can only be explored on foot.
By car
A10 Genoa–Ventimiglia, Celle Ligure exit (or Varazze / Albisola)
By train
Celle Ligure station on the Genoa–Ventimiglia line, a few steps from the centre and the sea
By plane
Genoa Cristoforo Colombo (about 30 km)
The guide
Weather
June to September for the sea; spring and autumn for the village and trails
Forecast: MET Norway (Yr), CC BY 4.0 licence. Updated hourly.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea | Off season | Off season | Off season | Off season | Possible | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Possible | Off season | Off season |
| Sightseeing and hiking | Possible | Possible | Good | Good | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Possible | Good |
| Crowds | Quiet | Quiet | Few people | Few people | Few people | Busy | Very busy | Very busy | Few people | Few people | Quiet | Few people |
| Don't miss | Apparition of Saint Michael | Borgo diVino | Oily fish festival | Feast of Saint Michael | Nativity scenes | |||||||
IdealGoodPossibleOff season
Crowds:QuietFew peopleBusyVery busy
Gallery
FAQ
The fishermen’s village along Via Aicardi, San Michele church with the Perin del Vaga polyptych, the Consolazione church, the seafront to Celle Piani, the Passeggiata Romana and Pineta Bottini for the view.
Yes. In 2026 Celle Ligure is among the Blue Flag towns, for its Ponente and Levante beaches.
Yes, fine sand with a gently sloping seabed, ideal for children. There are beach clubs and some free stretches.
Yes. A short section on the old railway with a tunnel starts at Celle Piani; the full walk is the 6.5 km Sentiero Liguria stage. The Lungomare Europa starts in Varazze.
Francesco Della Rovere, Pope Sixtus IV from 1471 to 1484, was born in 1414 in Pecorile, a hamlet of Celle. His birthplace still stands there.
On foot via an old stairway, or with the free inclined panoramic lift on Via Cassisi.
Yes: sandy beaches with shallow water, a pedestrian seafront, a playground in Pineta Bottini and a station in town.
Yes, by train on the Genoa–Ventimiglia line, with the station close to the centre, or by TPL Linea bus from Savona in about 25 minutes.
June to September for the sea; May and September are the quietest months. Spring and autumn are ideal for walks and trails.
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