The renowned Italian Riviera, 185 miles of
varied and beautiful coastline, can be reached from
Wisteria Cottage most readily by main road to the town and major port of Savona, just 50
miles from Canelli. Turn right here onto the coast road and you are on the
'Riviera of Palms', the apt descriptive name given to the stretch of coastline down to
Finale Ligure.
From Savona the coast road takes you through
the resort towns of Bergeggi and Spotorno to Noli, which, apart from the
attractions of its beach, is also one of the best preserved medieval towns
in Liguria.
Or, to get to Spotorno, Noli or Finale
Ligure more quickly and directly, join the autostrada at Altare and by-pass Savona,
cut off a large corner and take the relevant signed exit for your
destination. (When returning by autostrada, negotiate the Savona motorway
interchanges by following signs for Turin)
Spotorno
Spotorno has a lovely
ambience. It sits on a small bay, with the island of Bergeggi in one corner
and Noli castle peering over the headland in the other. The main coastal
road runs behind the town so the streets are free of through traffic.
The eastern side of the resort
has a fine promenade overlooking private (ie fee payable) beach facilities.
On Saturdays there are many colourful stalls here selling a wide variety. of
goods. The public (free) beach, pictured above, is to the west of the town,
but it's not a huge place so you can easily stroll from one end to the
other. Palm trees grow all along the seafront and there is a shady park with
burbling fountains placed more or less centrally.
Behind the seafront lies the
old town. The main streets run parallel with the coast and host numerous
restaurants and shops, catering for all tastes. The bookshop has a small
selection of English language books. The streets are connected north-south
by quaint narrow alleyways which hark back to the town's fishing origins.
Park where you can !
Noli
Arriving on the coast road and following the
promenade along the sea front, car parking is well signposted. As is
generally the case in Piedmont, spaces
painted with white lines are free of charge, those painted blue require
payment at a parking meter. Although when we went it was market day (Thursday), we found
a free space quite easily.
Behind the promenade at Noli, with its still
active small fleet of small fishing boats, and below the
remains of the 12th century castle on the hilltop, the town is a gem of
history and a pleasure to stroll around. In fact, the independent republic
of Noli survived (like the better known ones of Genoa and Venice) until
Napoleon arrived in 1797.
Your Tourist Information Office is in the
Corsa Italia.
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Fishing boat |
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Small boats still seek out a daily catch |
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Fishing boat |
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and afterwards rest on the shore |
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Landing the boat |
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How it's done - a decorative image, in tiles |
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Fish market |
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Fresh fish from the fish market right on the seafront in the centre of town |
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What's for lunch ? |
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Above the bustle of the lively streets, apartment life continues |
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Lively at lunchtime |
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Shopping, browsing, strolling and relaxing... |
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Medieval street |
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The flags tell you which district of this small town you are in |
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Cafe bar |
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Ideal for a glass of Prosecco and a plate of olives before dinner |
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Lemons |
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The climate is mild enough for lemons, which are not frost resistant, to be grown locally |
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Colour coding |
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Small enough to navigate the medieval streets |
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Finale Ligure
The next stretch of coast road to Finale Ligure is a
short, entertaining drive, including sections of corniche around coastal
headlands, and passes through the beautiful fishing village of Varigotti. During our drive along the coast we formed the view that there
are more or better sandy beaches between Varigotti and Finale than appeared
to be the case elsewhere.
Hereabouts, the public beaches are usually
fine and clean. At Finale, beach showers are also provided. The water was
crystal-clear and (even in September) was pleasantly warm.
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Formal beach |
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The seaside, Italian-style. Families (and friends) take the same seats, the same week, year after year, and relocate apartment life to the beach. |
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Informal beach |
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Perhaps more to the taste of North Europeans, there are numerous unregimented beaches - although parking spaces can be at a premium outside the towns. |
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Mixed beach |
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The sandy beach at Finale Ligure is a mixture of both formal and informal styles. |
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Riviera Villa |
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As in most of Liguria, the cliffs here rise straight behind the coastal road, and cliff properties exploit wonderful views |
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Finale Ligure has a very pleasant historic
centre, the main pedestrianised axis running parallel to the palm-lined
promenade, with restaurants, bars, shops and a particularly fine basilica
church.
There are many restaurants to chose from in the Riviera of
Palms resorts if you intend to
take dinner after a day on the beach, but they do not tend to open before 7.30 in
the evening, which our teenage boys found rather late for their appetites
after all that exercise.
E mail:
kerrie@anitalianadventure.co.uk
0039 0141 851 154
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