Guidebook for Alassio Mediterranean Sea Cottage

There are several ways to walk easily to the beaches in Alassio, and you can walk to all of the beaches from any point to which you arrive. But here are some more direct ways to get to where you might want to be:

The Mulattiera (Mule Road) begins right under the church, just 50 meters from the cottage. This is the road that was built in medieval times. People would use mules to go up and down. It’s a pretty walk and it’s for pedestrians only. When you arrive in Alassio you can walk along the Lungomare and pick out which beach you’d like to use. We like Bagni Adelesia, which is almost at the end of the private beaches towards the Port. There are several FREE beaches throughout as well along the LungoMare.

Walk to Sante Croce chapel, which is a ten minute walk from the cottage. After you arrive at the Chapel, follow the road until you see the vacation bungalows and signs for the restaurant “La Vedetta.” There are a series of steps that take you down to the restaurant, you pass that, come to the main road, the Aurelia, and then cross the Aurelia to a path with a sign that says “Zero Beach.” You walk down that path and when you arrive at the Sea, you can walk to your right and access the public beach.

Alternatively, you can take a pathway that brings you more in the middle of all the beaches of Alassio. Also walking to the Chapel Santa Croce, instead you cross in front of it and walk down the narrow road. Following that, you arrive at more of a midway point in Alassio to arrive at all the beaches, including the Port and the FREE Beach.

It is just a five minute drive to Alassio and the beaches. An easy drive but as you can imagine, parking can be a bit tricky right along the beaches during very high season weekends, however it is not impossible. We find the easiest parking to be in the Port or along the Lungomare, east of the main part of the City there is also parking. We surprisingly find parking in the city public parking fairly often along the children's park and the merry-go-round. Since there seems to always be parking in the Port, you would be very close to the FREE beach if you parked in the Port.

The Shuttle Bus stops right in front of the house, the bus stop is between the front of the cottage driveway and the church. It stops at 20 minutes after every hour (but can be up to 15 mins late) This takes you right into the heart of the City and from there it's just minutes walk to the beaches. The shuttle bus is very handy for those who don't want to walk back up the hill. It comes at 7 mins after every hour at the bus stop in front of the children's merry go round. You wait for it near the recycling bins right outside the gate into the park, since it has to make the turn right away.

The Mule Road is made up of a combination of bricks, stone and some parts just earth so you need shoes fit for that type of terrain, if you think you might use the Mule Road occasionally. Sports sandals in the summer are perfect, since they are versatile also for the beach.

You will need to bring your own beach towels, beach umbrellas, and water toys.

If you wish to hike in the mountains, hiking shoes/boots are always handy.

There is an hourly bus service that stops just meters from the cottage. It takes you to all the stops along the Aurelia, and also stops in front of the train station. It travels all the way to the end of Alassio towards Laigueglia. You buy the tickets at any tabacchi (tabacco shop). Also at the Officina Cafe, which is right across from the tourist kiosk near the commune on the intersection of Via. G. Mazzini (Aurelia) and Via Gibb.

We sometimes use a car service to get to or from the Nice airport. That contact info is listed elsewhere and in the handbook you will find in the cottage.

There are plenty of taxis around in Alassio . You can hail one easily by any hotel, which are lined all along the beaches. Alternatively you can walk to the train station and always find one ready for you. It’s about a 12 Euro ride from train station to the cottage (in August 2022).

The train station of Alassio is right across from the Commune. You can take trains to all the cities of Italy for the most part. You can also take the train to and from Nice Airport.

It is an easy walk to the main part of Alassio and you can also walk to Albenga. If you use a combination of walking and the shuttle bus (if you have weary little ones after a long day at the beach), you can really park your car and never use it until after your stay.