Sestri Levante

Sestri Levante, where life is a fairy tale

Sestri Levante it is a Liguria raised to the nth degree. The last municipality of Tigullio is a place where there is so much to say, do and tell that we will try to summarize it in a few lines: and we can't wait. In fact, how many times have we "talked to the stars in Sestri Levante" paraphrasing Vecchioni, a famous italian singer! We live so close to her, and have frequented her so much, that we have lost count of how many times she has made us "happy at last - in the summer among the people - like a sand crab". So, we really feel it's time to return the favor.

Sestri Levante and the Bay of Silence

Today we are going to find out what Sestri Levante is famous for. We will take a virtual bath on its beach, we will let you book our hotels, b & bs and apartments with our chat assistance, and we will not fail to take a look at the weather for the next few days. We will find out what to see and do in the evening and with which activities to have fun for a stay at the top between the bay of silence and the bay of fairy tales.

Sestri Levante then, for a Genoese who lives in the eastern districts of the city like us, is a kind of second home garden. People used to come here the first times to dance: how many Saturdays and how many dawns lived at the Piscina dei Castelli. Having friends in the area is inevitable, as is making you want an ice cream in Sestri on Sunday afternoon. Or for a run on its paths, or for a romantic dinner at a seaside restaurant.
Sestri Levante is therefore a part of Genoa but has not given up on its identity and its roots, which are still firmly established within the Gulf of Tigullio. In this crescent of the sea that starts from Portofono and which it has chosen to end with a flourish here, there is a beautiful, peculiar, relaxed and well-to-do life. Sestri Levante of this luxury made in Liguria area is the classic icing on the cake. And if the slices of this dessert also include Santa Margherita and Zoagli, as well as Rapallo and Lavagna, all that remains is mouth-watering.

Sestri Levante beaches

Sestri Levante has only two beaches , but we can assure that they are enough and advance to enjoy the show.

The Bay of Silence

The most famous of the beaches of Sestri Levante is undoubtedly the Bay of Silence . It deals with certainly one of the most beautiful sandy beaches of Liguria absolutely and not only, so much so that it is also constantly mentioned in the rankings of the most unmissable Italian beaches, together with the Sardinian and Sicilian ones. A swim in the bay and you will see, it will immediately be sand in your shoes!”!

In this institution, where every self-respecting Ligurian has bathed at least once in their life, the scenography in which one is immersed is neither more nor less that of a painting. Houses and sand merge without even realizing it in a perfect background, where the crystal clear and always calm water only adds magic to the spirit of the place, but for once it doesn't completely steal the show, it only completes it.

The Bay of Silence is located in the historic center of Sestri Levante and so it happens that it appears in front when least one expects it, just a stone's throw from the town hall and the main street. To find the Bay of Silence in the best conditions, it must be said, however, you have to be lucky, since cleanliness is very dependent on the currents. The beach is very sheltered, and the water change is not immediate. The sea is always calm, the waves very few thanks to the very shallow and sandy bottom. We add the effect of the houses placed like a colorful wall right on the water's edge, and this also explains the mystery of the name, given precisely by the quiet and muffled atmosphere that always pervades it.

The bay of silence in itself is not only a beach but also a thing to see in Sestri Levante and therefore it is also fine not to swim in it but only to stop for a walk on the shoreline and take some photos. There are all the services in the immediate vicinity, and a fabulous little bar, one of those straightforward, nothing chic. But perfect to sit down for a cappuccino or a beer and get at peace with life.a.

Coming to the Bay of Silence when there are few people, on a late spring morning, and discovering that the bay lives up to its name, is one of the beautiful little things that prompted us to put ourselves on the computer and create This is Liguria.

The Bay of Fables

The second of the beaches of Sestri Levante is the Bay of fairy tales , mirrored on the opposite side of the Bay of Silence. A bigger, more extensive beach, full of establishments and things to do. We can say that it is the main beach of Sestri Levante: it is divided into several sections and accompanies the town to its end, going west until it borders withn Blackboard cables. The Baia delle Favole consists of various parts of a free beach, a beach equipped with bathing establishments, and one section is also the beach for dogs of Sestri Levante.

The Baia delle Favole is a carpet of gravel and fine sand, rather earthy, but always pleasant.e. The sea is usually clear, and the seabed slopes down quickly into the sea. What makes it unique, however, is the view, which from this point of the coast is crazy: the line of the eye slips away until it embraces the entire profile of the Tigullio and in front of us, Santa Margherita and the mountain of Portofino can be clearly seen.

the Baia delle Favole is generally less crowded than the Baia del Silenzio, and it is also the most fun of the beaches of Sestri Levante. You can experience it in many more ways: playing beach volleyball, renting a sun lounger and umbrella and letting the time pass without thinking about anything else. A perfect beach for families and children, who will also have the playground, and the carousels of the promenade just behind it.

The bathing establishments of Sestri Levante

In the Baia delle Favole we find most of the bathing establishments just behind the promenade, on the pier side and closer to the historic center. Are the following:

Segesta baths
Baths Liguria
Jimmy Beach
Villa Balbi bathrooms
Sempione Baths
Neptune baths
R Beach (free equipped beach)
Baia Azzurra baths
Great Hotel bathrooms
Sporting baths
La Lampara baths
Bagni La Battigia
Lido baths
Free equipped beach Da Giorgia

The free beach of Sestri Levante

The bathing establishments occupy about the first half of the length of the Baia delle Favole. Although here there is no shortage of free handkerchiefs where you can lay the towel between one establishment and another, the real free beach of Sestri Levante it is only the second half of the Baia delle Favole; the farthest from the historic center but convenient for the new part of the city and the train station (and always reachable by the cycle path)

The free beach of Sestri Levante in its final part is called Sant'Anna , and it is really highly recommended! Both Andrea and Katerina love to come there especially for the sunset, which as you can see from this position nowhere else. Made of pebbles and sand and a beautiful sea, the free beach of Sestri Levante is very large and ideal for those seeking tranquility. It becomes a real paradise especially in the morning.

There is the possibility to rent beach umbrellas and deck chairs, and just behind the seafront there are kiosks and bars and pizzerias. The exceptional thing, then, is the parking area, built underground, right at the beach level. At the cost of about 1 hour, closed the door of the car, you are at the sea in less than a couple of meters and above all no stairs, something never seen here in Liguria! The only drawback, it fills up in a flash, and there are not as many parking spaces as would be needed. But never mind, it reminds us that moving early or at tactical times is essential to get the most out of Sant’Anna Beach, the free beach of Sestri Levante par excellence..

The dog beach of Sestri Levante

Then there is the Sestri Levante dog beach , officially recognized. Abau beach of pebbles towards the shore and beautiful sand just at the back, where it will be a pleasure to see the furry ones enter the water and play free and without constraints. Equipped with small showers and a hose to be able to rinse dogs after bathing, it also allows the owners to rent sunbeds and umbrellas.

Sestri Levante hotels

Sestri Levante is one of the most strategic centers of the whole Tigullio to look for a hotel where to sleep. It will not be difficult to find accommodation in Sestri Levante that will satisfy your needs and your budget! Once this knot has been dissolved, you will be able to experience a different beach every day and move between Portofino and the Cinque Terre with extreme ease, both by car and by train.

This is Liguria recommends sleeping in Sestri Levante to all those who are planning a holiday on the Ligurian Riviera di Levante. Not just because of the location but because the range of choice is practically infinite. There are hotels directly on the sea, both overlooking the Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fables. Perfect hotels for weddings, so much so that one of Andrea's best friends chose the fabulous Vis a Vis to wear the fateful ring. A splendid hill where we had an easy game to select the best bed and breakfast and farm holidays, where to live among lemons and olive trees. In Sestri Levante center, then, there are apartments and holiday homes for rent for all tastes. To book them, just enter the dates, and filter by number of people.e.

Finally, a note about the campsites in Sestri Levante: we find them in the rural area of San Bernardino and Santa Vittoria, surrounded by greenery but still a stone's throw from the center of Sestri Levante, its bays, its restaurants. An area that is also perfect for booking a b & b in tranquility but still absolutely close to the beaches.

Sestri Levante what to see

There are so many things to see in Sestri Levante and its surroundings, not only on the sea but also in the hinterland. In terms of timing, the "weekend" of two or three days, which will certainly require a good dose of beach life, will be just enough to get an idea of what to see in Sestri Levante. But it will be enough to understand how Liguria is truly an indissoluble mixture of sea and mountains, beaches and paths. Long weekend therefore really necessary, also because it would be a shame to leave without an exploration of the places near Sestri Levante like our beloved Moneglia, where we have left our hearts so many times that we have lost count.

Punta Manara

Punta Manara, as we have always imagined it, is a kind of Park of the Monte di Portofino in miniature, a place where you can meet and experience all the same sensations, but with less confusion around and with an added bonus. After having walked the paths of Punta Manara, you can end the day with a swim in an even more relaxing beach, like that of Riva Trigoso! We recommend walking this ring, about 8 km long, immersed in the scents of juniper and Mediterranean scrub, with the sea constantly winking, in the middle seasons, when the flowering and scents of aromatic herbs will be at their best.

Among other things, the walk on the Punta Manara path is also the scene of the classic Sestri Levante mountain running race, the Andersen Trail Run, an important race for us: it was our first bib! Along the paths of Punta Manara, the panorama stretches from Sestri Levante to Portofino, and on lucky days Corsica, the Tuscan islands and the Maritime Alps appear on the horizon, while from the opposite side you can admire the ridge from a different angle. of the Apennines which marks the border between Liguria and Emilia Romagna. You can access it by parking your car at the Mandela Park, from which, among other things, the actual path begins.

The alleys of the historic center

The historic center of Sestri Levante is really enchanting! It is easy to see, also because everything is gathered around the main alley, Via 25 aprile. It is all a succession of restaurants, bars, tourist and non-tourist shops, focaccerie, real estate agencies and ice cream parlors. Just follow it to its end to find yourself, without even realizing it, turning onto an alleyway and entering the magic of the Bay of Silence.

Among the things to see in Sestri Levante in the historic center, the highlights are the following architectures:

Church of San Nicolò dell’Isola , which in particular is located at the top of the Sestri Levante peninsula, the one that separates the two seas. Dating back to 1151, in Romanesque style, it is all in stone and is harmonic. Its green area, then, offers a splendid panoramic view.
Basilica of Santa Maria of Nazareth .
Among the pagan architecture, however, it deserves an honorable mention Rizzi museum gallery , an interesting art gallery with valuable pieces, including for example works by Luca Cambiaso, Bernardo Strozzi, Magnasco, located in an unreal position right inside the Bay of Silence. In addition, Galleria Rizzi is not only an exhibition but also a museum house, where the same interiors and finishes alone are worth the visit, to immerse yourself in the decorative splendor of the late 19th century..
One thing to see in Sestri Levante truly unique of its kind in Liguria is Palazzo Fascie Rossii , which is then the municipal library of Sestri Levante, on the first floor of this beautiful historic building with a red facade and a characteristic tower right in the heart of the village.

The Lungomare Descalzo cycle path

Very pleasant, and useful, among the points of interest of Sestri Levante is the bicycle lane which runs along the entire seafront, starting from the marina and almost reaching the Sant’anna tunnel on the border with the municipality of Lavagna, for a length of about 2 km. A cycle path that makes it easy to move around the town in a "green" way, leaving the car parked at the base. Perfect both for reaching the beach, for shopping, for having fun with the children or for evening running training in the evening or early in the morning!

Nelson Mandela Park

The Nelson Mandela park in Sestri Levante it is a beautiful green lung, not far from the motorway exit and right on the slopes of the promontory of Punta Manara. It is the sports area par excellence in Sestri, where there is not only the athletics track, but also the indoor swimming pool. Outside there are basketball courts, a playground for children, and a dog area to let all fours stretch their legs. There is also a beautiful tree-lined avenue in Nelson Mandela Park and is a great place to stay in shape, or maybe just relax after the strains of beach life.

Rocche di Sant'Anna

The Fortresses of Sant'Anna they are the protagonists of an easy and satisfying journey, which will allow you to take some of the best photos possible on the Baia delle Favole and the historic center of Sestri Levante. The fortresses are the remains, now almost completely ruined, of the ancient Church of Sant’anna, dating back to 1600. Rather than remain standing, we can say that it still manages to be glimpsed, becoming photogenic thanks to its distinctive arch. The Rocce di Sant'anna are located on the ridge of the cliff that separates Sestri Levante and the town of Lavagna and Cavi, right above the tunnel that divides them, which not surprisingly takes the name of Sant’anna. Gallery that dates back, few know, to the Napoleonic era.

There are two ways to reach the Rocche di Sant’anna di Sestri Levante, thus allowing you to make a nice loop. The ideal is to go straight up the beautiful mule track, recently rebuilt, which climbs sharply between prickly pears and Mediterranean vegetation, occasionally offering a few benches for a break. The return, then, is best tackled along the second, flatter road, called della Valley of the Fig , wider and also equipped with recently refurbished bridges. You arrive and depart from the roundabout of the Sant'anna beach car park.

Val Graveglia and Gambatesa mine

There Val Graveglia it is one of the most interesting valleys in the entire Ligurian hinterland. It is located just behind Sestri Levante, and can be accessed from here but even more easily from Lavagna. For every Ligurian, Val Graveglia has always been synonymous with good food, genuine trattorias, and an uncontaminated environment. Here is an important place, which we are pleased to include among the things to see in Sestri Levante. Let's talk about the old and historical Gambatesa mine, where manganese was extracted and which is open to tourists for visits and events.

How to get to Sestri Levante

This paragraph will not need many words, because fortunately get to Sestri Levante it's really easy by all possible means.

In car : you can reach Sestri Levante by car via the A12 motorway, exiting at the exit dedicated to it. Be careful not to make mistakes, as there is also a motorway restaurant along with the exit! The sestri toll booth is rather in the center, and indeed, reaching it in high season, a good idea is to stop immediately or almost and start looking for where to park.
Travel times (forgetting queues and construction sites):

Genoa Sestri Levante: 35 minutesi
Milan Sestri Levante: 2h 300
Turin Sestri Levante: 2h 300
Lugano Sestri Levante: 3hh
La Spezia Sestri Levante: 45 minutesi

The train it's the other great classic way to get to Sestri Levante without even having to worry too much about parking. Sestri is an important station on the Genoa-Rome line where practically all trains stop. In addition, Sestri Levante is the terminus of many regional ones for La Spezia designed above all to visit the Cinque Terre and the immediately preceding towns of Framura, Bonassola and Levanto.

Finally, as regards the airplane : you can get to Sestri Levante from two different airports, those of Genoa and Pisa. The first is closer, while the second is much more well-stocked in terms of flights and low cost airlines. In both cases, to reach Sestri the last stretch will have to be done with direct trains. Even better, to enjoy the freedom and to freely explore the hinterland as well, it will be a good idea to rent a car.

What to do in Sestri Levante

So popular and loved, there are many things to do in Sestri Levante to make sure you never get bored.
Sestri is the classic destination where you can fill up on Instagram interactions and spend all your time sharing photos and reminding others that everything is fine in life. In Sestri Levantethe image is important, and in fact, there are many who choose it to be seen and feel beautiful. And so why not take advantage of one private photo session with a local photographer Or maybe get hungry with a little guided hike, ending with a cooking classa?

The possibilities of experiences in Sestri Levante are endless: you can engage in a wine tasting, or boat tour to the Cinque Terre or Portofino and everything related to the sea, from rubber dinghy and kayak rental, to SUP, to day cruises in a schooner with aperitifs at sunset, up to wild quad bike excursions along the paths and the one with which the summer fashion will want to entertain us.

Sestri Levante Weather

Here is the weather forecast for the next 7 days in Sestri Levante:
SESTRI LEVANTE 7 day forecast

The views of Andrea and Katerina

You all know that Katerina is half Scandinavian, and Sestri Levante makes no secret of feeling proud of the predilection that another illustrious Scandinavian, Andersen, for all "the one of fairy tales" had for her. Andersen has greatly influenced the modern perception that the Sestresi have given themselves in imagining their city: everything is so fairytale in Sestri ... the bays, the fairy tales, the silences, the pastel colors and the sea of watercolor .. ..

However, much more prosaically, we talked a lot about Sestri Levante because Sestri is beautiful, beautiful. Everything starting from its promenade is in the right place, creating a harmonious and livable whole, well organized, tourist and resident proof. A little gem that if not really moved to live, it would at least be worth buying a second home. We work on it, we promise.