Monte Beigua Summit Panorama
At 1,287 metres, the summit plateau of Monte Beigua — the crown of the Beigua UNESCO Global Geopark — delivers one of the most staggering views in northern Italy: the snow-capped Maritime Alps to the north, the entire arc of the Ligurian Riviera below, and on the clearest days the island of Corsica floating on the southern horizon.
Getting to the top
The mountain sits just 20 km north of Savona and is reachable by car via the SS334 road to Sassello, with a final stretch to the Passo del Faiallo or directly to the Rifugio Pratorotondo at 1,170 m. From the rifugio, a well-marked trail reaches the true summit in under 40 minutes.
Alternatively, the GEOtrekking trail network within the geopark offers waymarked routes from the village of Alpicella that take 2–3 hours and pass through ancient beech forests and dramatic glacially-smoothed rock outcrops.
What makes Beigua extraordinary
The mountain is the centrepiece of the Beigua Geopark, recognised by UNESCO for its extraordinary geology: the summit area exposes some of the oldest ophiolite rocks in the Western Alps — slices of ancient ocean floor thrust up to mountain height. The green and reddish boulders scattered across the plateau are literally pieces of primordial seabed.
In autumn the plateau turns a deep amber as the blueberry and heather scrub changes colour, and migrating raptors — honey buzzards, ospreys and short-toed eagles — stream overhead in their thousands, making it a premier birdwatching site in September and October.
More of Savona
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Savona →
