Agricampeggio La Botalla

At the top of a wooded hill overlooking the town of Ceva (15 minutes’ drive) are the ruins of a 16th-century fort destroyed by Napoleon’s army in 1801. After admiring the views of the surrounding valley from the battlements, head to the lavender fields of Sale San Giovanni (a further 10 minutes’ drive due east). The Sanctuary of the Nativity of Mary (20 minutes) in Vicoforte is a monumental complex built over a couple of centuries (hence its eclectic architecture, from baroque to neoclassic). Its elliptical cupola, frescoed with scenes from the life of the Virgin and the prophets, is the world’s largest. In Albissola Marina (an hour), the Jorn House Museum is the former residence of a 20th-century Danish artist who embellished it with ceramic mosaics, sculptures and gargoyles. There are spectacular views of the Ligurian Sea from the lush gardens.