By feature
No paid sunbeds, no price lists. These beaches are free access, some with minimal services, others with none. The downside is written below each card.
alassio · Savona
Quasi tre chilometri di sabbia fine e fondale che digrada piano, nel cuore della Baia del Sole. Una delle spiagge più comode della Riviera di Ponente, con un nodo: in alta stagione lo spazio libero si restringe e i costi salgono.
Downside: Riparata dalla tramontana
pietra ligure · Savona
La libera attrezzata comunale del levante con un'ampia area per i cani: docce, noleggio e accesso al mare regolato per i quattro zampe. Accanto, tratti liberi per tutti. Come funziona e come arrivare.
Downside: Molto richiesta: meglio informarsi prima
savona citta · Savona
La spiaggia più centrale di Savona, tra il Letimbro e la Fortezza del Priamar. Sabbia dorata, fondale basso, stabilimenti e spiaggia libera, a dieci minuti a piedi dalla stazione. Cosa aspettarti e quando andarci.
Downside: Sabbia dorata in pieno centro
How we select
Free beaches exist in Liguria, but you have to look for them. The central stretches of seaside villages are almost entirely taken up by lidos; free spots are found at the ends of beaches, in coves reached on foot or in areas that are harder to reach by car. The general rule: the harder to reach, the more likely to be free. Always bring an umbrella, water and water shoes where the bottom is pebbly. On weekends in July and August the best free beaches fill up by 9:30 am. Come back in September: same beaches, half the crowd.
Other useful filters
Not always. Some Ligurian municipalities have installed public showers on free beaches (Pietra Ligure, Spotorno, Varazze), but this is the minority. Check the individual beach profiles: we always note it in the facts.
Yes, the best ones fill up by 9:30 am at weekends. To find a spot in July and August, arrive early or choose less well-known ones, which you will find in the individual zone profiles.
At Spotorno and Vado Ligure on the Ponente, where the beaches are wide and free stretches make up a large part of the shoreline. In Genoa city, the beaches at Quinto and Sturla have wide free stretches with services nearby.
