Liguria With Kids Beyond Cinque Terre: Bogliasco, Badalucco, Triora and the Real Italian Riviera
Everyone who plans Liguria with kids starts with the Cinque Terre. It is beautiful, and it is also where the crowds are. We have spent a lot of time on the Italian Riviera and in the mountains behind it, and the Liguria we love most is the one most visitors drive straight past.
This guide covers the places we have actually been with our two girls: Bogliasco on the coast near Genoa, Badalucco and the Valle Argentina inland, Triora, the witch village, Imperia, and how it all connects to Ormea, the Piedmont mountain village where we run our family residency.
Roots & Future, our worldschooling family residency in Ormea, runs again May 8 to 17, 2027. Get the details by email, see the residency, or follow along on @bravefamilyroots.
Why skip (or shorten) the Cinque Terre with kids
The Cinque Terre villages are tiny, the trains and paths get packed, and with a stroller or a toddler on your hip that is hard work. You do not need to skip them entirely, but you do not need to build your whole trip around them either. Liguria has a long coastline and a mountainous hinterland full of villages where families can slow down, eat well and actually meet people.
Bogliasco: surfers, gelato and a local market
We spent time in Bogliasco in May, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Bogliasco is a small seaside town just east of Genoa, with colourful houses around a little bay. We did not do anything elaborate. We walked around the old streets and the seafront, watched people surf, ate gelato, and shopped at the local market. With kids, that kind of day is perfect.
Bogliasco is an easy hop from Genoa, so it works as a calm base for exploring the eastern Riviera without staying in the busiest towns.
Where to stay near Bogliasco
We love an agriturismo, a working farm stay, over a big hotel. Here are farm stays and agriturismi around Bogliasco, or browse all family stays in Bogliasco. (Affiliate links: if you book through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
Badalucco: the olive oil valley
Badalucco was epic. It is a medieval village in the Valle Argentina, inland from the coast at Arma di Taggia, with painted walls, stone bridges and olive groves climbing the valley. We stayed at Agriturismo L’Adagio, a family-run agriturismo in the restored family mill of Olio ROI, the fifth-generation olive oil makers of Badalucco.
What we loved:
- A pool where you can swim and look out over the town.
- A spa with a hammam, a sauna and treatments. It is adults only, so parents take turns.
- Comfortable suites with a mini kitchen, so families can do their own thing.
- Breakfast of locally baked goods dropped at your door every morning.
- Aperitivo on the terrace overlooking the town.
- Everything within walking distance, including a family-friendly pizzeria right next door.
- The people. It is family-run and the welcome is lovely.
Book it here: Agriturismo L’Adagio, Badalucco (affiliate link). The full story of our stay, the olive mill, the olive grove picnic and the gin is in Badalucco With Kids.
The gin made from olives
Olio ROI makes Taggiasco gin, described as the first Italian gin made from Taggiasca olives, created by Paolo from the family. It is delicious, and it was the star of our aperitivo in Ormea, where families wanted to take bottles home. If you visit Badalucco, the family’s modern mill has a shop with their oils, olives, gin and products from across the region.
Triora: Italy’s witch village
From Badalucco, Triora is a short drive further up the Valle Argentina. It is known for its witch trials between 1587 and 1589 and has a museum of ethnography and witchcraft. Kids find it fascinating, and it is listed among Italy’s most beautiful villages.
Imperia and the coast
With our Roots & Future families we spent a day in Imperia on the coast, with a seafood lunch by the sea and pizza at the end of the day. It is an easy day out from the mountains.
Over the mountains to Ormea
Ormea, in the Val Tanaro in Piedmont, is about an hour and a half from Badalucco on a mountain road (take your time). It is a 1,000-year-old village with river trails, chestnut forests and some of the warmest people we have met in Italy. It is where we bring families to live for ten days on our Roots & Future residency.
A simple Liguria and Piedmont with kids itinerary
- Days 1 to 2: Bogliasco. Seafront walks, surf watching, gelato and the market. Day trip to Genoa if you like cities.
- Days 3 to 5: Badalucco. Stay at an agriturismo, visit the olive mill, hike to the olive groves for a picnic, and day trip to Triora.
- Day 6: the coast. Imperia or Arma di Taggia for the sea.
- Days 7 onward: Ormea. Mountains, river trails, chestnut forests in autumn, and village life. Or join us for ten days on Roots & Future.
Liguria with kids: tips
- Go inland. The villages behind the coast are quieter and full of character.
- Choose shoulder season. May, September and October are calmer and comfortable.
- Drive slowly. Mountain roads are narrow and winding. Plan for stops.
- Stay in agriturismi. More space, local food and a real welcome.
- Buy local. Olive oil, olives and pesto make the best souvenirs.
Watch it for yourself: our October residency recap reel and the pasta class reel. Follow @bravefamilyroots for the full story, day by day.
The travel insurance we use as a family
We never travel or live abroad without it, and with two little ones it is the first thing I sort out after flights. We use SafetyWing. On their Nomad Insurance Essential plan, one child under 10 is included free with each paying adult (up to two per policy), which makes it one of the easiest family policies we have found. Always check the current terms for your trip.
Check SafetyWing prices for your family (affiliate link)
We never travel or live abroad without it. Here is the live price from SafetyWing:
Roots & Future runs again May 8 to 17, 2027
A ten-day worldschooling family residency in Ormea, a 1,000-year-old village in Piedmont. You live in the village, your kids learn alongside the children who live there, and the money you spend stays with the people who host you.
Get the full details by email · See the residency and book your spot
See every day of it on Instagram: @bravefamilyroots for the residency and @bravefamilytravel for our family travels.