Ceriale borders the following municipalities: Albenga, Balestrino, Borghetto Santo Spirito, Cisano sul Neva, and Toirano.

The town is located in the Riviera di Ponente, east of the plain of Albenga, on the slopes of Mount Croce, at an elevation of 541 metres (1,775 ft).

The village, an territorial dominion of the bishop of Albenga since the early Middle Ages, was acquired in the 14th century by the Republic of Genoa.

Following the frequent raids by Saracens on the Ligurian coast, a circular bastion was built adjacent to the beach in 1563; however, the town was again attacked and sacked by Barbary pirates in 1637.

Along with other towns of the Ligurian Riviera, in 1764 Ceriale participated in an uprising against the Republic of Genoa, caused by the heavy tax burden.