Day Trips From Ormea With Kids: Garessio, Pieve di Teco and Piedmont’s Val Tanaro

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If you read my Ormea guide, you already know we fell hard for Ormea, a village in Piedmont, Italy. But part of what makes Ormea such a good base is what is around it. You are sitting right where Piedmont meets Liguria, which means medieval villages, a valley full of vineyards, and the Mediterranean closer than you would think.

Here are the day trips from Ormea we actually did, with kids, and would tell any family to do too.

Garessio: a medieval town built for wandering

Garessio is fifteen minutes down the valley and it is genuinely one of the prettiest towns around here. It made Italy’s official list of Most Beautiful Villages back in 2008, and you feel it the second you start walking. The old center is completely walkable, all stone lanes and arches and quiet corners, the kind of place where you let the kids run ahead because there are no cars to worry about.

The thing that made it for my girls was the playground down by the river. We let them loose there for an hour while we sat in the sun, and honestly, those are the moments a family trip is made of. Time the visit for the weekly market if you can. All three of these towns hold weekly markets, and they are the best way to eat your way through local cheese, focaccia, and produce while the town goes about its real life around you.

Pieve di Teco, and the young chef who came home

Cross over the pass into Liguria and you reach Pieve di Teco, a town of long, cool arcades you could walk for an afternoon. It is beautiful on its own. But the reason I am sending you here is a restaurant called I Sapori del Corso, tucked under those arcades, and the young woman behind it.

Martina is 21. She trained at ALMA, one of the best culinary schools in all of Italy, the kind of place that opens doors to kitchens anywhere in the world. And she chose to come back home. She opened this restaurant and shop with her stepmom, baking focaccia and championing the products of Liguria and Piedmont, with a team that is almost entirely women, nearly all of them under 25.

She has had to push against a town that was not sure it wanted something new. That is what got me. Young people who stay, or come back, and build something of their own. When you eat at Martina’s table, you are not just having lunch. You are sitting inside something she chose to build at home.

Sit down. Order whatever they are baking. Tell her you came because of this.

Ormeasco wine country

This whole valley runs on a red wine called Ormeasco, and if you have even a passing love of wine, spend an afternoon with it. Over the Ligurian side in Pornassio, the Lorenzo Ramo family has been making Ormeasco di Pornassio since 1938, now led by Elena Ramo, third generation. Visiting a small family winery like this, where the person pouring your glass is the one who grew the grapes, is the kind of thing that ruins you for big commercial tastings. In the best way.

Want it organized for you?

Renting a car and doing this yourself is honestly the best way, and it is what we did. But if you would rather have a culturally immersive family trip planned for you, with the cultural depth this corner deserves, I love what Travec is building. Code BRAVEFAMILY takes 200 dollars off a family group trip.

If you are visiting in winter, the mountains here turn into proper alpine country, and there are family-friendly experiences a short drive away, like a snowcat ride up at Limone Piemonte.

Day Trips From Ormea: Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Ormea from the Ligurian coast?

Ormea is about 50km from the coast at Imperia, roughly a 50-minute drive through the Val Tanaro and then north along the Ligurian hills. The contrast is remarkable: mountain village in the morning, Mediterranean coast by lunch. The bus Line 202 runs between Ormea, Pieve di Teco, and down toward the coast, making it doable without a car, though a car gives you much more flexibility for beach hopping.

What is the closest medieval village to Ormea for a day trip?

Garessio is 20 minutes north and worth an hour of exploration for its thermal spa tradition and compact historic centre. Pieve di Teco is 30 minutes toward the coast and has one of the finest covered medieval arcades in all of Liguria, completely free to walk. Bagnasco, 30 minutes northeast, sits at a dramatic river confluence and is almost entirely unvisited by tourists. All three work well as short stops with children.

Is there a beach near Ormea suitable for families?

The coast at Imperia and Diano Marina (about 60-70km from Ormea) has calm, shallow Mediterranean water excellent for children. Imperia Oneglia has a good pebble beach and a lovely harbour front. Diano Marina has a wider sandy beach and is very family-oriented. The drive over the mountains is scenic and worth the trip for a day at the sea, especially during the summer heat when the mountain villages are pleasantly cool in the evenings.

How many days do you need?

Honestly, give the area a week. Ormea as your base, then one easy day trip at a time. Garessio for the old town and the river. Pieve di Teco for lunch and the arcades. An afternoon in the vineyards. And plenty of slow mornings in Ormea itself doing nothing in particular, which is the whole point.

Everything we pack for trips like this, trail shoes to the travel stroller that has survived every cobblestone in Italy, is in my Amazon shop. And we never travel without SafetyWing for insurance.

More from Ormea and Piedmont: Ormea with kids, where to stay in Ormea, Italy with kids off the beaten path, living in an Italian village with kids, and a Tuscany to Piedmont road trip.

Affiliate disclosure: this post contains affiliate links, including Booking.com, SafetyWing, Amazon, and Travec. If you book or buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Links to I Sapori del Corso and Lorenzo Ramo are shared simply because we love them. I only recommend people and places we truly believe in.

What family travel insurance actually costs

We never travel or live abroad without it. Here is the live price from SafetyWing:

Xoxo, Marae: your travel mom bestie

www.bravefreetravel.com

Dreaming of a slower life in a little Italian village?

You are not the only one, and it is more possible than it looks. We are quietly putting together something for families who want to actually live this, not just visit. If that is the pull you feel, come get on the list and we will keep you in the loop: stan.store/bravefamilytravel.

Looking for where to stay when you visit? Our friend Majla has three apartments right in the village:

• Casa Piccina, a cozy mountain village retreat (sleeps 4+1)
• The Speakeasy, a romantic alpine nest (sleeps 2+1)
• A family getaway with a scenic terrace (sleeps 6+2)

For everything we actually travel with for kids ages 2-8, browse our Worldschooling Supplies list on Amazon, curated from real trips to Spain, Italy, Japan, and Peru.

Planning a village stay or heading to Ormea? Browse our Italy Village Trip Essentials on Amazon, everything we packed for slow travel in Piedmont.