The walk through Sestri Levante starts from the streets of the Ligurian town and ends above the Baia del Silenzio [Bay of Silence]. A simple and easy walk, but with great visual impact: not to be missed!

IN BRIEF:

Length: a good hour.

Cost (excluding food): highway toll.

Period: year round.

THE ITINERARY:

The walk in Sestri Levante starts from Piazza del Mercato. The town centre can be reached from the train station, but we decided to take our car. This is not an option we would recommend at the height of the summer season, seeing as it would be very hard to find parking. This is an easy and pleasant walk, perfect for anyone wanting to enjoy a breathtaking view without working too hard.

From Piazza del Mercato we headed towards the main road. Walking along Via della Chiusa we then reached Via XXV Aprile, this is the best known road in town. It is a beautiful area full of shops and cafes: in the summer it is almost impossible to take a leisurely stroll, as it is full of tourists. We turned right towards the sea, deciding to come back this way later on.

Our stroll through Sestri Levante took us towards the beaches: having left the roads, we turned right. This is a very long stretch, and we enjoyed looking at the wide sandy beaches. Walking along the shoreline we admired the landscape, after about twenty minutes, we decided to go back to Via XXV Aprile. Turning back, we went through Piazza Francesco Bo and then to the main centre.

Boardwalk in Sestri Levante: Near the Capuchin convent

As we mentioned, there are a lot of cafes and restaurants, one of the most well known is certainly Il Millelire, where we might go another time. We walked past it, turned left and went up the hill, after a short distance we found ourselves looking over the splendid Baia del Silenzio: this is the beauty of Sestri Levante. The hill requires a bit of effort, but it is not too bad. Baia del Silenzio is truly fascinating, even more so when the sea and sky dominate the scene. In the summer all the boats distract from this slice of heaven on Earth.

To our left is the Chiesa dell’Immacolata, located near the Capuchin convent. We walked to a panoramic viewing area and found ourselves in front of a beauty that is hard to describe: the Bay of Silence, the coast, the open sea. It was truly extraordinary.

It was only forty minutes since we started, and our walk was coming to an end. We went back down the hill to the main road, but first, to the left, we admired the Basilica di Santa Maria di Nazareth in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti. We then looked for a place to eat before going back to Piazza del Mercato.

WHERE TO EAT

There are a number of cafes and restaurants available. You can enjoy a quick cheap lunch or enjoy local dishes in a trattoria, as well as a pizza: there is a lot to choose from!

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

In the summer period we recommend using public transportation (buses and trains). The train station is only a short distance from the town centre.

Paolo Bellosta