Mercato Settimanale di Bordighera
Every Friday morning the streets around Via Libertà and Piazza Garibaldi fill with one of the most authentic weekly markets on the western Ligurian Riviera — a proper working market where locals shop for everything from Ligurian olive oil and bunches of fresh basil to hand-embroidered tablecloths and flat-cap-style fishermen's hats. It is the fastest way to feel like a resident rather than a touri
What to Buy
The food stalls are the main event: look for locally pressed taggiasca olive oil (the small, wrinkled Ligurian olive produces an unusually delicate, almost buttery oil), dried porcini from the Ligurian hinterland, fresh focaccia still warm from a portable oven, and bundles of the tiny, intensely perfumed basil that Ligurian nonnas insist is the only correct variety for pesto.
Honey from inland beekeepers, jars of tapenade made with taggiasca olives, and bottles of local Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC wine are all excellent, packable souvenirs. Prices are noticeably lower than in the tourist shops on the seafront.
Beyond the Food
The non-food section stretches along Via Libertà and carries a pleasing jumble of household linens, cheap sunhats, ceramic tableware in the blue-and-white Ligurian style, and second-hand books in Italian and French (a nod to the cross-border clientele from nearby Menton and Monaco).
Arrive before 9 am for the best selection and the liveliest atmosphere; by 12.30 pm the stalls are packing up and the streets return to their usual quiet.
Market Etiquette
Bring a reusable bag — stallholders appreciate it and plastic bags are increasingly frowned upon. Bargaining is not really the local custom for food, but on clothing and household goods a polite 'fa uno sconto?' (can you do a discount?) is perfectly acceptable.
The market runs year-round, rain or shine, though the summer edition is larger with additional stalls selling beach goods and local crafts.
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