We appreciated our stay in Santo Stefano al mare, where we stayed in Anna and Marco's two-room apartment for 9 nights. The apartment was well-suited for our little family (parents + one daughter, 5 yrs + one son, 2 yrs). It is situated very close to the sea and there is a beautiful little sand beach in the neighboring town "Riva Ligure" within walking distance, where we enjoyed bathing, swimming, playing, sunbathing and eating ice-cream. There are also plenty of little restaurants and bars in walking distance and a friendly grocery and bakeries (about 5 min walk from the apartment). However central, the area is very quiet. Only sometimes noise from neighboring apartments could be heard but did not disturb us. The cycling path along the Mediterranean Sea can also be reached in 5-10 minutes and there is a place where bikes can be rented close by in Santo Stefano. The apartment is simple, but very clean and provided everything we needed. The double bed in the separate bedroom was very comfortable, the second double bed is in the kitchen/living-room and was not as comfortable as the other one, but also ok. Unfortunately, bed linen is not included, but could easily be rented additionally. It was great to enjoy breakfast or other meals in the spacious terraced garden, where the children also enjoyed playing and where we could hang our clothes to dry. Anna and Marco provided a warm welcome and helped make our stay as comfortable as possible, e. g. they provided an extra cot and we could use the washing machine free of charge. We also had a parking space next to the house free of charge. It was also very easy to get in touch with Anna and Marco by email or telephone, they provided detailed information about the flat before our arrival. Santo Stefano as well as Riva Ligure are beautiful little Italian towns. People were very friendly despite the very few Italian words we speak. During our stay at the end of Sept/beginning of Oct we had excellent weather conditions, around 25 degrees and more and could go swimming virtually every day. There are also many possibilities for cultural excursions (Imperia, Cervo, Menton in France, Monaco, Bordighera), which enriched our stay. All in all, we enjoyed our stay a lot. Thank you Anna and Marco!