Stand on one of the terraces on a clear October morning and you can see all the way to the coast — the Ligurian Sea sitting flat and silver beyond the green hills, the kind of view that makes you put your coffee down and just look. This is what life feels like at this substantial five-bedroom villa on the outskirts of Imperia, a property that has been quietly holding its own on almost an acre of mature garden while the rest of the Italian Riviera got discovered and repriced out of reach.
Imperia doesn't shout. It isn't Portofino. But that's exactly the point. This is a working Ligurian city — two towns, Porto Maurizio and Oneglia, fused along a bay — where the Wednesday market on Via De Sonnaz fills up with locals buying trofie pasta and fresh farinata, where the bars along the Calata Cuneo serve aperitivo without charging tourist prices, and where you can still find a parking spot in August. The old port at Porto Maurizio has a real fishing fleet, not a decorative one, and the smell of salt and engine oil at dawn is entirely genuine. For a vacation home or second residence in Liguria, it's the kind of place that gets under your skin rather than simply impressing you.
The villa sits in a residential pocket just minutes from the town centre, surrounded by garden greenery that insulates it from the outside world without cutting it off. The 342-square-metre property was originally designed as a single-family home — you can still feel that intention in the generous proportions and the internal staircase that connects all three levels — but at some point it was divided into three independent units. Ground floor holds a full apartment: spacious living area, separate kitchen, large sitting room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. The first floor mirrors that logic with a living room, two further bedrooms, and another bathroom. The upper level is a large studio with its own terrace and a private entrance. That arrangement suits a buyer who wants rental income from two units while occupying the third, or a multi-generational family who values proximity without sacrificing independence. But knock down the internal partitions, reinstate the staircase as the main circulation spine, and you have a single sprawling family home with five bedrooms spread across three floors — the kind of layout that handles a summer full of visiting friends without anyone feeling crowded.
The architectural character throughout is distinctive rather than generic. There's a solidity to the structure, a specificity of detail in the façade, that marks it out from the more anonymous developments that filled Liguria in the eighties and nineties. It's in good condition — not a project, not a ruin — but with scope for a buyer to update kitchens and bathrooms to their own taste without the drama of structural work.
Outside, the garden is the real luxury. Nearly an acre of mature planting provides privacy that money genuinely can't rush — you can't fast-track a thirty-year-old olive tree or an established hedge line. There's ample flat ground to add a swimming pool without any heroic earthworks, and multiple terraces give you options depending on the time of day and the season: morning sun on one side, shade by afternoon on another. Parking for several cars is a practical bonus that anyone who has tried to navigate the narrow caruggi of the Ligurian coast in July will appreciate immediately.
Living here through the seasons rewards patience. In spring, the hills behind Imperia are a riot of wildflowers and the hiking trails up toward the Maritime Alps start to dry out after winter. The Alta Via dei Monti Liguri runs the entire spine of the region, and day sections above Imperia are accessible within forty minutes by car — proper mountain walking, not tourist strolling. Come summer, the beaches at Diano Marina and San Lorenzo al Mare are fifteen minutes east, far less hectic than anything near Sanremo. The boat rental outfits at the marina can put you offshore in under an hour. In autumn, the olive harvest begins — Imperia is the olive oil capital of Liguria, and the DOP Riviera Ligure oils pressed here are some of the most delicate in Italy. The Olioliva festival in November fills Porto Maurizio with producers and tastings. Winter is mild by northern European standards: frost is rare on the coast, almond trees start flowering in February, and the light on the hills is extraordinary on clear days.
The Côte d'Azur is closer than most people expect. Nice is roughly an hour and twenty minutes west on the A10 autostrada, which means Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is a realistic access point for international buyers. Genoa's Cristoforo Colombo Airport is about ninety minutes east, offering additional flight options. The rail line through Imperia connects to both cities, and the local Trenitalia services are straightforward for day trips to Monaco or Menton.
For buyers considering this as a rental investment, the calculation is interesting. Imperia remains undervalued relative to its neighbours — property prices here sit significantly below Sanremo and Bordighera while offering comparable coastline access and better infrastructure. A well-presented five-bedroom villa capable of sleeping ten or more, within a short drive of beaches and a short flight from northern Europe, has clear short-term rental appeal. The multi-unit configuration adds flexibility: long lets on two apartments while the owner occupies the third, or seasonal rentals across all three during peak summer months.
Key features at a glance:
- Five bedrooms across three floors, currently configured as three independent residential units
- 342 square metres of internal space with strong architectural character
- Almost one acre of mature private garden with full sea and hill views
- Multiple terraces oriented for morning and afternoon sun
- Large parking area for several vehicles
- Internal staircase enabling straightforward reconversion to single-family residence
- Upper-floor studio with private terrace and independent entrance
- Space and ground conditions suitable for a swimming pool installation
- Located minutes from Imperia town centre with full services
- 15 minutes from beaches at Diano Marina and San Lorenzo al Mare
- 90 minutes from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and Genoa Airport
- Good overall condition — habitable now, with scope for cosmetic updating
- Strong investment potential in an undervalued stretch of the Italian Riviera
- Flexible use: single family home, multi-generational living, or rental income property
- Close to Alta Via dei Monti Liguri hiking trails and Maritime Alps day hikes
If you've been searching for a second home in Liguria that gives you genuine space, real views, and a foothold in a part of the Italian Riviera that still feels lived-in and local, this villa deserves a serious look. Reach out through Homestra to arrange a viewing — properties at this size and price point in Imperia don't wait around.
