Varigotti

Varigotti is a striking seaside village on the Gulf of Noli, part of Finale Ligure in Savona province on the western Riviera. It is known as the 'Saracen village' for the row of brightly coloured houses, in shades of ochre, terracotta and Pompeian red, that front directly onto the beach with their feet almost in the sand, an arrangement said to recall North African coastal architecture and the area's Saracen past. Beside the village stretches the Baia dei Saraceni, the Bay of the Saracens, a wide arc of free sandy and pebbly beach backed by a dramatic limestone headland, the Punta Crena, that closes the bay to the east. Visitors come to swim and sunbathe on the beach, photograph the painted houses from the water's edge, snorkel around the rocks, and hike the headland path to the romantic ruins of the medieval Chiesa di San Lorenzo Vecchio, perched above the sea. An unhurried visit takes two to three hours, longer for a full beach day. Varigotti lies on the coast road between Finale Ligure and Noli and is reached by car or bus, the nearest stations being Finale Ligure and Noli. It is busiest on summer weekends, when the free beach fills early; June, September and weekday mornings are calmer. The line of coloured houses seen from the beach, and the view from the San Lorenzo headland over the bay, are the standout photographs of this lovely stretch of western Liguria.