Riva Trigoso Italy
Riva Trigoso, that is, there is something beyond Sestri Levante. And it is something beautiful, tough, genuine, almost fiercely Ligurian in its fistful of slantinfg colours and sheet metal piled up on a beach, drying in the mistral. Andrea and Katerina have always loved Riva Trigoso: and they had been coming here long before they began to write down on this website the story of this region squeezed between sky and sea. "This is Liguria". When there was no time to go to Greece, when it was necessary to find a place to find the breath of the sea, and breathe iodine so as not to miss Koufonissi too much, they would come to Riva Trigoso. Usually on Renà beach, the one just before the tunnels to Moneglia.
Riva Trigoso, which are still two quite distinct souls, alias the villages of Riva and Trigoso, belong to the municipality of Sestri Levante. Their destiny has in fact been united since 1874, when the two sisters became one when the railway and the train station were built. Since then, in fact, it has only been Riva Trigoso and if you ask around, many will be surprised to discover that this is not even an autonomous municipality.
Riva Trigoso is a passionate sea
Be that as it may, here you can breathe in the sea, but the real, passionate sea, like the one you see in Framura, with fishermen's nets and woods on the beach to be collected at every swell. Dives on the rocks, painted leudi. Fried anchovies and evenings at the Bunker where the humidity gets into your bones and carries it right down to your sheets.
Riva Trigoso is not as beautiful as its neighbour Sestri, but it doesn't have to be, and perhaps that's why is winning our soul. It has no beach like the Baia del Silenzio, it has no castle, it does not have the same number of tourists or nearly as many, and it seems to say well, what would I do with it? Still, envy could be an ugly beast in his case. Shoulder to shoulder with Sestri Levante, to one everything and to the other nothing. Same paths, same sea. But absolutely not the same fame. And it could get worse, considering that beyond the tunnels, behind Punta Baffe, there is Moneglia, which with its sandy beach is already far more touristy than her and far more established. Beyond that, there is that secret coastline that reaches as far as Levanto and that will find worldwide fame in the tourist amphitheatre of the Cinque Terre.
However, little is needed to do it justice. Time to park in Riva, which retains the appearance of a typical old Ligurian fishing village, (wikipedia dixit, and we agree) and get to know its beach, sandy, enormous by our Ligurian standards, more than 1 km of shoreline. A beach that intrudes, almost without asking permission, right into the Fincantieri shipyard and this is, depending on one's point of view, a wound or a blessing, for Riva. We tend towards the latter, because work is important, indeed fundamental, and besides, who ever said that after the shift you cannot disassemble and go swimming? The water is clean, the plant has no impact and indeed gives the scene that industrial feeling that dilutes the vacuity of tourism for its own sake. Business before pleasure, Riva Trigoso seems to say, satisfied with its serious industriousness.Map of Riva Trigoso
Riva trigoso beach
Riva's entire seafront is wide, as beautiful for playing football as walking the dog or doing skateboarding tricks. The river (the Petronio, for those with a penchant for topography) divides it into two distinct sea promenades, which flank the free beach to the west and the equipped establishments to the right. And just on that note, it is time to talk about the beach.
The beach of Riva Trigoso, then, is the soul of the town, its spiritual engine. Incessantly present in the lives of the people of Riva like the waves of the sea that wash it. For us, this beach is, as we have said from the outset, one of the most pleasant in the whole of Liguria. One of the beaches of memories, with Andrea who, fresh from his driving licence with his friends, used to leave Genoa and come here, to Renà next to the Fincantieri, to joke about diving and living the summer as a fresh 18-year-old.
The beach at Riva Trigoso is divided in two, with the imposing and solemn 'midfield line', impassable and omnipresent. Two halves, two distinct souls, two different panoramas, but the same unadulterated sea, as frank as the finest Ligurian olive oil.
The main one, and in general the most frequented beach in Riva Trigoso, because it is wider and has a more comfortable seabed, is the one located in front of the town centre, in the part to the west of the resort. It is both a free and an equipped shoreline, with bars, restaurants, a playground, and the vast majority of parking available in the village just behind it.
The second beach at Riva Trigoso is instead a continuation of the first, towards Moneglia: it is called Borgo Renà. This too is a good choice, slightly stonier than the first, always free, and with a beach bar. Borgo Renà has a wild flavour, made even more characteristic by the presence of one of Riva's symbols.
The beaches of Riva Trigoso have a bottom of soft, grainy sand dotted with stones and pebbles scattered by the sea storms.
Immediately next to the beginning of the tunnel leading to Moneglia, in fact, a rock emerges from the water: this is the "Asseu" rock (Scoglio dell'Asseu), which can be reached via a concrete footbridge and many steps and is highly scenic. Also because, with its cross positioned at the highest point, it allows one to be reflected in an almost always crystal-clear sea. Snorkelling deluxe between the two rocks!
How to get to Riva Trigoso
Getting to Riva Trigoso is very simple, whether you want to get there by car or prefer the train.
To get to Riva Trigoso by car, take the A12 motorway and exit at Sestri Levante. From here, there is no need to cross through the centre, and the consequent traffic: just turn at the first roundabout and follow the signs for Riva.
If you are coming from La Spezia, to reach Riva by car, you could also consider taking the Deiva Marina exit and continue the last stretch on the coastal road of the tunnels.By train, to get to Riva Trigoso just get off at its own station. Only regional trains stop at Riva, and all those arriving with intercity and fast connections from the main cities must get off at Sestri Levante and from there continue with the first departing local train.
What to see in Riva Trigoso
Riva Trigoso does not have many attractions: for those, there is Sestri Levante not far away. Also because beyond the first rows of houses along the beach, the typical Ligurian architecture, the thousands of pastel colours have given way to a modern, functional, well-maintained town, but without the pictorial vein that we so often find in our country. Riva Trigoso is more a place of nature, beaches and paths, wild views and wild scents, rather than of things to see. That said, there are obviously a couple of churches worth visiting:
The parish church of San Pietro Apostolo, the most important in Riva.The parish church of Santa Sabina, in the hamlet of Trigoso, much older than that of San Pietro. Of this one, we particularly like the work that has been done in recent years, when the parvis was redone in mosaic of sea pebbles "made in Riva".
Punta Manara: the main promenade towards Sestri Levante, an extraordinary route - if you wish, it can also be done by trail running - in one of the most beautiful natural settings in Liguria.
Punta Baffe and its tower: an easy walk of about one hour from the centre of Riva.
The Sea Library: a great addition to what to see in Riva Trigoso. A recent construction, next to the all-pedestrian promenade. It is also perfect for families, as it holds many titles for children and young people, who can dream of shores far away from its wonderful windows
Hotels: where to stay in Riva Trigoso
There are hotels in Riva Trigoso, and you will find many that you can book simply by using the search at the top of this page on our site. But since everything in this resort is on a small scale, nobody expects exaggerated availability. Riva prefers family and couple tourism over large numbers: everyone else will have to look for accommodation in Sestri Levante, or at most in Moneglia. But what's the problem anyway, since they are both not even 10 minutes away by train?
The "bagnun" festival
The "sagra del Bagnun" is what, at least for palates fond of rustic and tasty flavours, has made Riva Trigoso famous throughout the world and beyond!
Let's start by getting to know the "bagnun", which is short for Bagnun d'anchovies, and which in Ligurian dialect means something like 'soup': it is the culinary pride of this slice of the region. For who knows how many centuries, it has been the fishermen's favourite dish, made of anchovies, pieces of stale dry bread, tomato water and the right splash of extra virgin olive oil.
The Bagnun festival in Riva Trigoso is to be marked on the calendar for the penultimate weekend of July, and is the right occasion to feast on anchovies from the Ligurian Sea. Every year, coronavirus permitting, about 6 quintals of fish are cooked by the locals, always dressed in our traditional T-shirts and hat, the blue one with the red pompom. Since 1958, this festival has made a name for itself as one of the best-loved festivals for Ligurians from every province and for our tourist friends who choose our area. On other days, bagnun can be tasted in the region's various restaurants: it can often be found along the entire Riviera, including Genoa.
It goes without saying that the Bagnun weekend also rhymes with concerts, dancing, wine galore and the inevitable fireworks reflected on the sea!
Fincantieri Shipyard Riva Trigoso
Fincantieri at Riva Trigoso is not a shipyard like any other. It is 'the shipyard'. An important factory not only for the local economy, one of the great Italian excellences that have made our country great. Since 1897 it has been churning out ships for our Navy: frigates, destroyers, patrol vessels, the pride of the mare nostrum. Before that, it was the ocean liners. At one point, it was the Allied bombardments that wounded and devastated it, but not to death. To this day, it continues its work, in full synergy with the La Spezia and Sestri Ponente shipyards. Once in Riva Trigoso, one cannot help but admire him, and honour him. A glance now and then and a smile, because the shipyard is still here and working to bring prestige to Italy in the world.
A military ship under construction seen from the beach of the village of Renà.
Riva Trigoso weather
Riva Trigoso has a mild and pleasant microclimate, even in winter. It is greatly helped by the fact that it is sandwiched between the two promontories of Punta Manara and Punta Baffe, two natural shoulders that protect it from the winds and make it a place to live all year round, perfect also for chasing away the melancholy and mist of the Po Valley! To find out what the weather is like today in Riva Trigoso and the forecast for the next few days, just have a look at the table below.
The opinions of Andrea e Katerina
There are many stages in life, each with its own needs. Riva Trigoso knows how to embrace them all. The perfect family holiday resort, Riva is as good for a stroll with babies in swaddling clothes as it is for eighteen-year-olds ready to conquer the Sestri Levante carnival by sangria and who knows what other devilry until late in the morning. It is good for taking refuge in smart working in front of the sea, it is good for the stressed manager who wants to breathe a little, and for those who no longer want to see anyone, disillusioned after having stayed masked for too long.
Riva Trigoso is intrinsically seafaring, it comes simply as it is, and for this reason it should be preferred. But Riva Trigoso is also close to what is needed, when it is needed. Chiavari, Lavagna, Sestri, but also Genoa: they are all just a stone's throw away, so choosing her, you'll end up missing nothing. Not to mention the fact that the sea is sometimes too silvery and sometimes too dark... it closes us Ligurians in our shells and makes us stop talking.