Rustico in Airole

The cluster is in the Ligurian Alps close to the Roja valley and the French border. The river here is the Roia-Roya, with a narrow valley floor and steep wooded slopes around the villages. The Maritime Alps and the prealpine ridges above Ventimiglia are within the local landscape. The nearest coast is the Ventimiglia side of the Riviera di Ponente, but the immediate setting is inland valley rather than seafront. The nearest larger town is Ventimiglia, which has rail services, shops and the Roman archaeological area. Within this part of the upper Ventimiglia hinterland the area is known for olive terraces, Mediterranean scrub giving way to mountain woodland, and old stone villages linked to the Roya valley route between Liguria, Piedmont and France.