Ventimiglia may not be the first place you think of when you’re planning a trip to Italy. In fact I often think that most of this area of Italy is overlooked. However, Ventimiglia is a beautiful little gem that I truly do think is worth a visit. Ventimiglia is divided into an Old Town and New town which are separated by a small river. Both are lovely to explore and easy to get around on foot.
Where is Ventimiglia and how do you get there
From the South of France: Ventimiglia is essentially the last stop before heading into the South of France. By train it is about 20 minutes from Menton, a VERY charming town in France. So if you’re doing a tour of the South of France and spending time in Nice, Monaco, etc. you could easily add Ventimiglia to your list.
From parts of Italy: Ventimiglia is about 3 hours from Genoa by train and 4 hours from Milan. We visited here when doing an Itinerary that had us in the Cinque Terre, then in parts of Liguria like Camogli, and then onward into the South of France. This is a great summer itinerary as you’re on the coast the entire time!
Where to stay in Ventimiglia: B&B La Terazza di Vico Olivi
We absolutely adored our B&B in Ventimiglia. The location was absolutely perfect and in the super charming old town area of Ventimiglia. I absolutely LOVED wandering all the alleys here and getting lost in the beautiful colors. People take such nice care of their properties and there are beautiful flowers and plants everywhere you look. We were within walking distance of anything and everything we’d want to do in the area and to the train station.
This place had SO MUCH CHARM! It was so beautifully decorated down to every last little detail. We had a balcony with seemingly endless views over the sea and the surrounding mountains. The B&B had an absolutely stunning rooftop covered in beautiful plants and greenery, where you could hang out and have drinks and also where breakfast was served in the morning. The shower was amazing and very modern (a rarity in Europe). The bed was very comfortable and we honestly wished we’d stayed another night.
The best part was how kind and friendly the hosts were. We happened upon them having some drinks on the terrace at the end of the night and got to chatting with them. We had the most lovey conversation about traveling the world, where they have been, how they started the guesthouse and more. We absolutely loved the experience and if we return to Ventimiglia, I know we’ll stay here again.
You can click here to book this lovely B&B —–> La Terazza di Vico Olivi B&B
Visiting Ventimiglia on a Friday for the market
If you happen to visit/or plan to visit, on a Friday, part of your plan for the day should spent visiting the VERY large street market. This market is famous throughout this area of Italy and the South of France for being one of the biggest and best in the area. You could stroll for hours on end and get all the things you need. It is a very big local draw and there are many things that people come here to shop for like clothing, shoes, watches, accessories, cheese, etc. As a tourist you may not find as many things you want to purchase, unless you’re coming with a big bag to take home, but it is very neat to wander and see. We were lucky to be there on a Friday and get a chance to stroll through and enjoy the scene!
Ventimiglia has a long lovely beach with both private & public options
You are spoiled for choice in Ventimiglia along the very long beach that runs on the edge of the town. You can sit at a “beach club”, rent a chair, have lunch, and spend the day. We always love doing this on at least one day of our Italian vacations. You can also just walk up to the beach with towel and throw it down anywhere you’d like. The beaches are pebbly so it would be helpful to have water shoes, and a chair honestly doesn’t hurt here.
Aperitivo in Ventimiglia
We definitely found that aperitivo was the time when this town came to LIFE! In case you haven’t heard of it before, aperitivo is essentially the Italian version of happy hour, and as with most things in life, Italians do it better. It is a very social scene and one of my favorite parts of traveling in Italy. Essentially all bars and restaurants will offer snacks to go along with whatever drink you order. This could include simple things like chips, peanuts, and olives, or at some places it could include focaccia, mini sandwiches, panini, etc. This is your time to grab a delightful aperol spritz as well!
We love to try one or two different spots during this time to enjoy how different places do it! The new town area of Ventimiglia was buzzing during this time and it was fun to be in the streets as people were out everywhere socializing and relaxing.
If you have more time: Ventimiglia is neighbors with many beautiful Italian & French towns
Our day in Ventimiglia was quite overcast, so we actually didn’t spend a ton of time at the beach. This opened us up to do a little more exploring so we hopped on the train to nearby Sanremo. The train ride was about 10 minutes and the ticket cost about 3 or 4 euro. Note: when you arrive in Sanremo the train station is INCREDIBLY long. You have to walk through tunnels for a solid 10-15 minutes before making it out of the station. You need to be aware of this when looking at return train times.
Sanremo was really lovely to walk around, it is a bit more modern and a bigger shopping area than Ventimiglia. It had a number of popular retail and designer stores. It did have a cute little old town area as well. We spent some time wandering the streets, eating gelato, and got an aperitivo here too before heading back.
We had previously been in France, so we didn’t need to go backwards, but if you also wanted a nice little French day trip you could visit Menton. Menton is one of the loveliest towns in the South of France. I implore you to spend more than a few hours, however, the main sites can be seen in a short time. It has a lovely beach side promenade you can stroll along, beautiful back alleys FULL of color, and so many options for excellent food and drinks.
Where to eat in Ventimiglia
Since we only spent one full day in Ventimiglia I regret that we didn’t have a chance to sample more of the food in this area. However, we found one of my favorite places we’ve ever eaten in Italy and you surely can’t miss it.
It was called Pasta e Basta and it was fantastic. We walked there earlier in the day to ask for a reservation and got lucky that they could fit us in. There was a line for tables by the time we were sitting and eating.
One thing I adored about this place was that you could order off their extensive and amazing menu, or you could also “create your own” pasta by choosing what type of pasta you wanted, what sauce, etc. I had the MOST amazing homemade pasta with seafood and I was so thrilled with it I almost made myself ill eating it all. The portions were HUGE. I have to admit though, I was eyeing up the pesto pasta on some other places and it looked UNREAL!
This spot was also located down on the pretty little port area of town and we got to walk around a bit after dinner, which was quite nice. It is always neat to see boats in port and imagine living a boat life!
I honestly believe you couldn’t really go wrong eating in this area, it is very local and has a lot of what seemed like local owned and run places. The markets have such fresh food that you know anything you eat is going to be great. I would love to come back and try some more places, although I know I may just find myself at Pasta e Basta again.
Ventimiglia has such a vibrant local scene
Another thing that I must mention about visiting this area is that it really is such a relaxed and local feel. In some ways, tourists may not appreciate this, as there aren’t a ton of souvenir shops or touristy activities. But we found it to be incredibly charming. Just walking around on the one day we were there we saw multiple markets, we saw a female drum line practicing their music in a square, we saw a chorus concert in a beautiful garden down by the port that everyone was dressed up for, and so many people socializing and visiting one another all over the old and new town areas. It felt so lively and beautiful and I highly recommend it if this is the kind of thing you know you’re into.
Ventimiglia has a lovely promenade
Another wonderful thing about this town is the promenade. You can stroll around it during the day and visit shops and restaurants. I LOVED being able to run here in the morning. There were lots of people out for morning strolls, runs, yoga, stand up paddle-board in the ocean etc. It was a beautiful way to start the day and I love a town where people are so active in the morning! On a clear day you can see all the way to some of the neighboring towns in France and Italy and it is truly so beautiful and peaceful.
Get lost strolling both the old and new town
Both the old and new town of Ventimiglia have so much charm and are worth spending time walking through. The alleyways are incredibly charming and are a winding maze of beauty! In the new town you can find more shops, markets, restaurants, etc. In the old town you find lovely alleys, plants & religious symbols, and old buildings that hold so many secrets. I loved wandering around in the morning when it was so quiet and peaceful.
I hope this post has inspired you to add Ventimiglia to your itinerary someday. As always if you have any questions or want support in planning you can find me at @planforme.dani on instagram and planformedani@gmail.com
This post may contain affiliate links, if you book through my links I will earn a small commission at NO cost to you. This helps me to keep this blog completely ad free!