{"id":61760,"date":"2026-10-14T22:03:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T22:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/liguria\/toirano\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T22:05:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T22:05:43","slug":"toirano","status":"publish","type":"localita","link":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/en\/riviera-di-ponente\/toirano\/","title":{"rendered":"Toirano"},"content":{"rendered":"

Toirano is a village of about 2,700 people in the Val Varatella, in the province of Savona, 3\u20134 km from the beaches of Borghetto Santo Spirito<\/a> and Loano<\/a>. The centre sits at 38 metres above sea level, among olive-covered hills and the limestone walls that close the valley. It has held the Touring Club’s Orange Flag for years and is known for one thing above all: the Toirano Caves, one of the best-known prehistoric sites in Liguria.<\/p>\n

The caves are the reason to come, but not the only one. The village is a medieval core of lanes, small arches and slate doorways, with an ethnographic museum of eighteen sections in the D’Aste \u2013 Del Carretto palace. At Christmas it hosts the Nativity Trail, with more than 180 cribs on display in the alleys: it is covered in our guide to the Toirano Nativity Trail<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Toirano has no beach and no railway station: you get here by car or by bus from Loano. That is why it works well in two ways: as a cool, half-day cultural stop (the caves stay at 16 \u00b0C all year) during a beach holiday, or as a quiet base in the hinterland of the Riviera delle Palme, a few kilometres from Pietra Ligure<\/a> and Ceriale<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What to see in Toirano<\/h2>\n

The Caves: B\u00e0sura and Santa Lucia Inferiore<\/h3>\n
\"La<\/figure>\n

These are two caves joined by a tunnel dug in 1967 and visited in a single one-way tour. Inside you see formations and pools, and above all human and animal traces that exist almost nowhere else. The Corridor of the Footprints preserves hundreds of prints, including hands and knees, left about 14,400 years ago by five people: two adults and three children aged about 4, 6\u20137 and 11. They walked in single file along the wall by the light of pine torches. In the Hall of Mysteries you can still see charcoal marks and the handprints of the three children.<\/p>\n

Further on is the Cemetery of the Bears, about 400 m from the entrance: bones of cave bears (Ursus spelaeus<\/em>) gathered over tens of thousands of years from animals that died in hibernation. The municipality describes it as one of the largest deposits open to visitors in Europe. For the full description of the route read our page on the Toirano Caves<\/a>; opening hours, prices and booking are in the section below.<\/p>\n

Val Varatella Prehistoric Museum<\/h3>\n

It is in the hall next to the cave ticket office and opens when the caves are open. It displays finds from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Roman periods in the area, plus the display case with the skeleton of a lynx cub found in a cave near Albenga<\/a>. It is a short stop and a useful one before going in: you understand what you are about to see.<\/p>\n

The medieval village and the Torracco<\/h3>\n
\"Un<\/figure>\n

Toirano stands where the Varatella meets the Barescione stream and is among the oldest settlements of the Ligurian Riviera di Ponente. A Byzantine chronicler of the early 7th century mentions a “Castron Baractel\u00eca”, believed to be Toirano. From the late 14th century the village came under the Republic of Genoa. The oldest quarter is the Torracco: stone-and-lime tower houses leaning on each other.<\/p>\n

Wander through the lanes without a plan. You will notice the small arches crossing the alleys, built to reinforce buildings after the 1887 earthquake, the sills of 16th-century workshops, slate portals, votive niches and frescoed fa\u00e7ades. In the heart of the village there is a 15th-century fresco of the Dormitio Mariae. The centre is made for walking: leave the car at the edge and go on foot.<\/p>\n

Piazza San Martino and the church<\/h3>\n
\"Le<\/figure>\n

The church of San Martino, patron saint of the village (feast day 11 November), was already an archpriest’s church in the 13th century; the present building went up between the late 16th and early 17th century. The 14th-century Gothic bell tower is the only survivor of the village’s three towers: the other two, the town tower and the bishops’ palace tower, are gone. The churchyard is surrounded by arcades of the 14th\u201316th centuries, with slate benches and cobbled paving: a good place to sit after the caves.<\/p>\n

Porta and ponte delle Giaire<\/h3>\n

Of the village’s five gates, three remain. The best preserved is the Porta delle Giaire, facing the Ponte delle Giaire: a medieval three-arch bridge over the Varatella. It is the most photographed corner of Toirano, a couple of steps from the centre.<\/p>\n

Val Varatella Ethnographic Museum<\/h3>\n

In the D’Aste \u2013 Del Carretto palace, Piazza Libert\u00e0, since 1997. It has eighteen sections on three floors: farming and crafts, home life, monastic orders, photographs and the permanent exhibition of the Ligurian folk nativity scene. The most interesting part is the reconstruction of the oil presses: the “gumbettu” (animal-driven press) and the “gumbu” (water-wheel press). Many objects were donated by local people. The Piano Nobile, with the palace’s reception rooms, needs a separate ticket.<\/p>\n

According to the municipality the museum is open every day except Tuesday, 10\u201313 and 15\u201318; admission is \u20ac5 (Piano Nobile \u20ac2). Your cave ticket includes entry to the Ethnographic Museum. The municipality’s page does not say how long these hours apply: phone +39 0182 989968 before you go.<\/p>\n

ToirArte, sculpture around the village<\/h3>\n

Since 2022 the village has an itinerary of sculptures and ceramics donated to the municipality by local artists. The works are scattered through the alleys and you find them as you stroll. A map is available on the municipality’s website.<\/p>\n

Certosa and the hamlets<\/h3>\n
\"Il<\/figure>\n

A little outside the centre, among the olive trees, is the locality of Certosa. Carthusian monks began a convent here in 1495; it was suppressed in 1798 and today only the 16th-century bell tower and the ruin of the church remain. The other hamlets, Barescione and Dari, are clusters of a few houses along the stream, linked by the Giro delle Borgate. Carpe, the highest hamlet, celebrates San Bernardo on 21 August.<\/p>\n

Santa Lucia Superiore and the Colombo Cave: what you cannot visit<\/h3>\n

The rock sanctuary of Santa Lucia Superiore, with its marble stairway, the 1819 painting by Agostino Oxilia and a Genoese altar piece, is not part of the tour and opens only on special occasions. The Colombo Cave, in the same complex, cannot be visited: it is closed by a gate. If another site lists it as a stop, that is wrong.<\/p>\n

Toirano Caves: opening hours, tickets and booking<\/h2>\n

This is the practical part only. First of all: booking is compulsory and all visits are guided. Without a reservation entry is not guaranteed. Book on the official website or by phone (+39 0182 98062 or +39 0182 989938); the municipality does not take bookings by email. For booking and up-to-date news use only the municipality’s official site: Toirano Caves<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Opening hours<\/h3>\n

From 1 October to 30 November the caves are open Wednesday to Sunday, 9.00\u201312.30 and 14.00\u201316.30, and closed on Monday and Tuesday. This is the only period for which the municipality publishes hours. For December and for January to September there is no confirmed official timetable: check the website or phone. Do not trust “9.30\u201317” hours found on old travel pages.<\/p>\n

Tickets<\/h3>\n
\"Toirano<\/figure>\n

According to the official site the full ticket costs \u20ac16. Young people aged 5 to 18 pay \u20ac8. Families with more than one child aged 5 to 14 pay \u20ac6 per child. Children up to 5 enter free, as do Toirano residents and Disability Card holders. The ticket includes free entry to the Ethnographic Museum and gives discounts in the other caves of the AGTI circuit and at the Finale Archaeological Museum, in Finalborgo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What the visit is like<\/h3>\n

It lasts about 70 minutes. The route is about 1 km with about 400 steps, up and down. Inside it is about 16 \u00b0C summer and winter and humidity is very high: bring a light sweater. You need closed shoes with rubber soles (trainers or hiking shoes); flip-flops, slippers, crocs, open sandals, heels and leather soles are not allowed, and the guide can refuse entry. Photos are allowed, but without flash; do not touch the formations and do not leave the group. Pets are admitted only if small and in a carrier or in your arms.<\/p>\n

The uphill walk nobody mentions<\/h3>\n

From the car park to the entrance there is an uphill path of about 300 m, with an average gradient of 18% and short stretches close to 23%. After the exit you walk about 400 m down to the car park. Factor it into your time and energy, especially with small children and older people. The route is not suitable for people with severe mobility disabilities.<\/p>\n

With children<\/h3>\n

It is one of the best visits in Liguria for children aged 5 and over, because three of the five people who left the footprints were children. No minimum age is listed; consider the steps, the dark and the time (70 minutes on your feet).<\/p>\n

Bad weather and closures<\/h3>\n

With an orange or red weather alert the caves close. With strong wind or persistent rain they may close even without a regional alert. Notices are on the News section of the official site and on social media: check on the morning itself.<\/p>\n

What to do in Toirano<\/h2>\n

The caves and the village easily fill a day. An order that works: book the caves for the morning, have lunch in the village, then spend the afternoon on the village and the museum. If you come on a Monday or Tuesday between October and November the caves are closed: you are left with the village and, on Monday, the museum (it is closed on Tuesday too).<\/p>\n