Capo Sant'Ampelio & Grotta del Santo
The rocky headland of Capo Sant'Ampelio is Bordighera's spiritual and scenic anchor — a low promontory jutting into the Mediterranean where a tiny 5th-century oratory sits directly above a sea cave said to be the hermitage of the town's patron saint. The views west towards the French border and east along the Riviera dei Fiori are some of the most photogenic on the entire Ligurian coast.
The Oratory and the Cave
The whitewashed Oratorio di Sant'Ampelio dates to at least the 11th century and is built over the grotto where the Egyptian hermit Ampelio reportedly lived in the 5th century AD. The cave is accessible via a short iron staircase cut into the cliff and opens directly onto the sea — on calm days the water inside glows an impossible shade of turquoise.
A small votive chapel inside the grotto is still an active place of pilgrimage. Locals leave flowers and candles on the feast day of Sant'Ampelio (14 May), when a procession carries his relics from the Borgo down to the cape.
The View from the Point
Standing at the very tip of the cape on a clear day you can see the outline of Monaco's skyscrapers to the west and the long curve of beach running towards Sanremo to the east. At dawn the light is extraordinary — the cape faces almost due south and catches the first colour in the sky.
The flat rocks below the oratory are a favourite spot for locals to swim from in summer; the water here is clear and relatively sheltered from the prevailing wind.
Getting There
The cape is a 15-minute flat walk along the Lungomare Argentina from the centre of Bordighera, past the palm-lined seafront gardens. There is no entrance fee and no gate — it is accessible at any hour.
Combine the visit with a walk along the lower coastal path (Passeggiata a Mare) that continues east past the old fishing harbour of Porto Vecchio.
More of Bordighera
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Bordighera →
