A seaside resort set at the western end of the broad sweep of coast delimited by Capo Santa Croce and Capo Mele. Part of the countship of Albenga, it was inhabited by fishermen who in 1191 swore allegiance to Genoa, receiving numerous tax exemptions in exchange. Splitting from Andora at the beginning of the sixteenth century, it became an independent commune and in 1609 was acquired by Genoa. A round tower of 1564 is the oldest building in the village, which also has houses from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The parish church of San Matteo, built in 1754-83, is an example of the local baroque. Its façade is flanked by two campaniles decorated with glazed tiles. The rich interior contains a marble shrine and holy-water stoup from the sixteenth century and canvases by Genoese painters of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (B. Castello, G.A. de Ferrari, B. Strozzi). An altarpiece by D. Piola and a seventeenth-century wooden choir can be seen in the nearby oratory of Santa Maria Maddalena, constructed in 1616-34. Thanks to its particularly mild climate, it attracts visitors all year round. For those interested in sport it offers courses in swimming, water-skiing and windsurfing, along with a sailing club and nightclubs catering to every taste and age.