Santo Stefano al Mare (San Stéva in dialect) is a municipality with about 2,000 inhabitants in the province of Imperia. Santo Stefano follows an ancient maritime tradition: the stretch of sand was used for hauling boats and there was already a small dockyard, used in ancient times, dating right back to the 15th century when the economy of the town started to base itself almost exclusively on maritime activities and trade. Also agriculture had its importance with the production of wine (the delicious Moscatello), oil, vegetables and flower farming. During recent years, the tourist sector has seen a significant increase. The most famous beach is that of the Torre (Tower), whilst the rest of the coast is made of narrow stretches of sand. Amongst the events, the holy mass at night is very suggestive with the illumination of the sea at the beginning of August. Finally, if you have the chance to stay in Santo Stefano, the weekly market takes place every Friday in "Piazza Torre" in front of the Town Hall.