Italian Riviera, Italy - A Place in the Sun

2026 / Italian Riviera, Italy, Ben Hillman on 17 February 2026

Italian Riviera, Italy, Ben Hillman

Veronica and Tim are looking for a holiday home in the city of San Remo or one of its surrounding towns on the stunning Italian Riviera. They want a busy location with lots of bars and restaurants within reach and have a budget of £200,000. Will their dream property be amongst the five great options property expert Ben Hillman has to show them?

About the area

The Italian Riviera extends along Italy’s north west coast from close to the French border down to Tuscany. We’ll be focusing on its western end around the city of San Remo. While the closest international airport is actually Nice over in France you can also fly to Genoa which is roughly an hour and a half drive away. It’s a rather glamours destination with a similar feels to the famous French riviera but perhaps with a few less casinos and luxury yachts. The coastline is a little more rugged with striking cliffs but also home to some picture perfect bays and sandy beaches. San Remo itself is the perfect place to enjoy the laid back riviera lifestyle with some beautiful architecture, wonderful restaurants and of course a palm lined promenade.

Property 1

1 Bedroom Apartment in Sanremo

This apartment has a good size terrace with some magnificent city and sea views. Inside the kitchen and dining space has some character touches, there’s a separate living room that could house a sofa bed for guests, while the main bedroom is a fair sized double and there’s a shower room.

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Valued at £211,207  at the time of filming.

Property 2

2 Bedroom Apartment in Sanremo

This apartment has great sea views from the narrow but long balcony that wraps around the front and side of this apartment. Inside the living and dining room could be a great space, there’s a separate kitchen with room for a table and chairs and both bedrooms are a fair size, with access to the balcony. There are also two shower rooms.

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Valued at £202,586 at the time of filming.

Property 3

3 Bedroom Apartment in Poggio 

This apartment has a great front terrace that could be a lovely space. Inside there’s a living room that could be a fourth bedroom, a modern kitchen open to a dining room, three bedrooms currently split across the two floors that vary in size, there’s a family bathroom plus two more toilets.

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Valued at £214,655 at the time of filming.

Property 4

2 Bedroom Apartment in Santo Stefano al Mare  

There’s a lovely terrace that wraps around this apartment. Inside there’s a great living and dining room, that feels cosy and warm, and is open to the kitchen. The main bedroom has a dressing room and ensuite shower room, while the second is also a good size double. Finally there's another shower room.

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Valued at £215,517 at the time of filming.

Property 5

2 Bedroom Apartment in Sanremo

This apartment has a double width balcony which is a great space, with views to the sea. Inside it’s had a modern renovation but with some nice character features shining through with a living room, dining room open to the kitchen, two double bedrooms and a bathroom.

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Valued at £215,517 at the time of filming.

Hot Property

Luxury Villa in Italy

With an air of exclusive health and fitness retreat, this luxury pad has loads of great facilities and the perfect combination of character features and a modern finish.

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Valued at £4,310,345 at the time of filming.