Authentic Liguria still exists: why choose the hinterland

When the sea is not enough: discovering the Liguria that resists time

Everyone knows the Ligurian Riviera with its crowded beaches, equipped lidos and seafront promenades. But how many have truly discovered the other Liguria? The one that begins just a few kilometers beyond the coast, where time has a different rhythm and people still call each other by name.

Here, in the hinterland of Western Liguria, an authentic Liguria still exists, far from summer crowds and tourist traps. And it’s right here, in Borgomaro, that we chose to create our scattered hotel.

The sea is close, but the heart is elsewhere

Don’t misunderstand us: we love the sea. The beaches of Imperia are only 15 km away and in less than 20 minutes you can dive into the crystal-clear waters of the Riviera. But the true soul of Liguria is not found only along the coast.

It’s in the silent alleyways where the only car that passes is the postman’s. It’s in the small squares where children play football under the watchful eyes of grandmothers. It’s in the oil mills where oil still flows like in the old days. It’s in the trattorias where they tell you the menu by voice, because “today we made Piera’s ravioli.”

Five good reasons to choose the hinterland

1. More human prices, truer hospitality

While on the coast a coffee at the bar can cost as much as a lunch, here in the hinterland prices are still honest. But above all, hospitality is genuine: you’re not a number, you’re a guest. At the village bar they’ll ask how you are, in dialect, and call you “tu” by the second coffee.

2. Perfect temperatures (even in August)

While on the coast summer heat can be oppressive, in Borgomaro – at 150 meters above sea level and surrounded by greenery – temperatures are always milder. The air smells of aromatic herbs and in the evening you need a light blanket. Our garden and pool become an oasis of coolness where heat transforms into pleasant warmth.

3. Real silence (and starry sky included)

Try to remember the last time you slept in absolute silence, interrupted only by the song of frogs and the murmur of the stream. Try to remember the last time you really saw the stars, without light pollution. In Borgomaro this happens every night. The sound of the church bells still marks the hours, as it did for our grandparents.

4. Experiences you can’t buy (but can live)

In the hinterland you can still:

• Visit small family-run oil mills and taste freshly pressed oil

• Participate in the grape or olive harvest

• Get lost on trails where you’ll meet more goats than people

• Have breakfast with products that come from the village bakery, not from an industrial chain

• Chat with inhabitants who have stories to tell, not selfies to sell

5. The luxury of slowness

Here there are no tight schedules, timetables to respect, endless queues. There’s only the slow rhythm of village life. You can wake up without an alarm, read that book that’s been waiting for months, really chat with those traveling with you. The true luxury today is having time. And we give you exactly that.

Sea and mountains: the best of both worlds

The beauty of Borgomaro is that you can have everything: in the morning a walk in the chestnut woods, in the afternoon a dip in the sea. A lunch in a trattoria among the olive trees, an aperitif on the beach at sunset. The authenticity of the hinterland with the convenience of the coast within reach.

The scattered hotel: living the village from within

Choosing Relais del Maro you don’t simply stay in a hotel: you become, for a few days, part of the village. Our rooms are distributed in three historic houses along the streets of the village. Your corridor? The alleyways of Borgomaro. Your neighbors? The village inhabitants, who will greet you with a smile.

This is the true meaning of “scattered hotel”: a hospitality model that respects the identity of places, enhances the existing instead of building new structures, and creates a real bond between visitor and territory.

The Liguria you don’t expect

Authentic Liguria still exists, still resists. It’s that of villages where time flows differently, where traditions are not folklore for tourists but daily life, where welcome is the caring one of a grandmother waiting for you with coffee ready.

This Liguria is us. This Liguria is Borgomaro.

And you, when are you coming to discover it?

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