Balestrino

The cluster is in the lower Ligurian Alps above the Val Varatella, with wooded limestone ridges and narrow valleys around it. The Varatella stream runs through the valley below. The old village of Balestrino on the slope is a known abandoned medieval settlement. Toirano, within a few kilometres, has the Grotte di Toirano cave system and a preserved historic centre. The Riviera coast around Borghetto Santo Spirito and Loano is about 8–10 km away for daily services and the sea, but the coast itself is outside the immediate 15 km landscape only at its edge. Albenga is the nearest larger town, with a substantial historic centre and full services. This part of western Liguria is known for olive groves on terraces, woodland, and caves in the limestone hills.