Apricale​

By Dion Protani
Latest update: 6 January 2023
The medieval hill town of Apricale is situated with the Imperia Province of in the northern Italian region of Liguria.

​It has a charming main square called Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and lots of fascinating stone alleyways to explore. A favourite sight just off the Piazza is the Castello della Lucertola, while throughout the town are paintings on buildings which characterise its history.
Related links
The Borghi Più Belli d'Italia association include Apricale on their list of Italy's most beautiful villages under the heading Il Bacio della Pietra con Il Sole, "The Kiss of the Stone with the Sun". Another association that promotes small Italian towns and villages, the Bandiera Arancione (Orange Flag), have included Apricale on their own list of places to visit since 2016. 

The town is best reached by car and as you approach from a distance you get stunning views of its seemingly precarious location, perched overlooking the valley below.

Apricale is one of a series of fascinating small towns and villages located around ten kilometres inland of the Riviera di Ponente, Liguria's western coastline. Within a short drive of Apricale are the likes of Perinaldo, Dolceacqua, Isolabona and Pigna slightly further north, all with a similar type of historic charm. The coastal resorts around Sanremo understandably enjoy the main focus of tourism in the summer but for those who like to explore a little bit off the beaten path, Apricale and its neighbouring villages are well worth the effort. 
Comune di Apricale
Province: Imperia

Region: Liguria

Population: 628​ (source: ISTAT 1 January 2023)

Size: 20 km²

Elevation: 291 metres

​Highlights: Castello della Lucertola, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II

​Close by: Isolabona, Dolceacqua, Perinaldo, Ventimiglia, Pigna

​​​​​​​​​​​​Recommended accommodation: Apricus Locanda
One of I Borghi più belli d'Italia (Italy's Most Beautiful Villages)

Listing headline: Il Bacio della Pietra con il Sole

​ (The Kiss of the Stone with the Sun)
Awarded the Bandiera Arancione (Orange Flag)

Since: 2016

1 of 15 in Liguria listed by Touring Club Italiano

SITE SEARCH

If you want to find a page quickly and you're not sure where to look you can use the Site Search box below and it'll point you in the right direction. 

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO ITALY

Italy Review is an independent guide to Italy, showcasing the very best that the country has to offer. Throughout the three thousand pages of the website you'll find comprehensive tourist information, opinion and original photos.

​Alongside the major tourist destinations that you've already heard of, there are thousands of others that may come as a surprise with the intention of the website to provide inspiration for your future trips to the country. 

The photos and descriptions on the website are all my own work and are the fruit of my extensive travels around the country. I've visited every place that's listed on the website which means I'm able to give useful advice for first-time visitors. 

​You can keep in touch with the latest developments in Italy, particularly important at the moment at the time of the pandemic, via my Italy Review Blog for which you'll find links below to the Facebook and Twitter pages. 

If you'd just like to start your exploration of Italy with some ideas of places to go then I'd recommend starting at the highlighted must see Italy page.  Or using the grid to your right you can click a photo to enter  the main menus.                 
Booking.com

THE ITALY REVIEW NETWORK SISTER SITES:

​All photos and images on the site that are marked with the © copyright symbol or with the Italy Review series logos are the property of Italy Review and must not be used elsewhere without prior permission. All written content on the website is also the property of Italy Review and its use is strictly limited to this website alone.