Loanese e Pietrese.
Inland from Pietra Ligure, Borghetto Santo Spirito,
and Loano, lies an area of great natural and geological
interest. Returning up the Varatella Valley, just
beyond the village of Toirano, there is the great
calcareous massif with over fifty natural caves
that form the Toirano Caves geological area. They
can be visited along a kilometer-long path, and
shelter spectacular concretions that are thousands
of years old: among aragonite crystals and gigantic
stalactites and stalagmites there are also the marks
of prehistoric man and the skeleton of a cave bear.
Above ground, throughout the Loana area there are
clusters of villages and towering castles, and among
them rises that of Borghetto Santo Spirito ordered
built by Pyrrus II of Carretto. The highest peaks
offer vast panoramas across the Savonese area, while
along the coast lie well-equipped seaside towns
with ample beaches and lively tourist centers.
