Touring Italy: Splendid Gulf of Tigullio.

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Gulf of Tigullio.

To the east of Genoa is the Gulf of Tigullio: a succession of wonderful inlets such as Paraggi, the bay of Santa Margherita Ligure, San Michele di Pagana and the gulf of Rapallo up to Zoagli.

Beautiful equipped beaches and marinas to which the boats, the fishermen's boats and the yachts dock. Small and large towns on the Riviera, with a world famous jewel: Portofino.

A stretch of Riviera that represents Italian dolce vita, a popular destination for tourism VIPs.

Tigullio is a territory inserted between the Golfo Paradiso area and the Bisagno valley to the west, the Trebbia valley and the Aveto valley to the north, the Vara valley and the Baie del Levante area to the east - mainly includes the coastal towns of Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Zoagli, Chiavari, Lavagna and Sestri Levante.

Portofino.

The promontory of Portofino divides the Gulf of Genoa from the Gulf of Tigullio (also called Golfo Guglielmo Marconi in honor of the first radio experiments carried out here by the Bolognese inventor), on whose banks lie tourist centers and world-famous seaside resorts.

Stunning panoramas offer the imposing cliffs overlooking the sea that accompany up to Punta della Chiappa, on which a votive column to the Madonna watches.

After passing Punta della Chiappa, the coast enters Cala d'Oro, closed between two very steep rock walls.

The first place you come across is Portofino, a very famous summer and winter holiday resort, in whose square in front of the port it is easy to meet tourists and famous people from every country.

San Fruttuoso Bay.

Further on you enter the marvelous San Fruttuoso Bay, with its little houses that are reflected in the emerald sea on the dark green background of the pines.

At the entrance of the small bay, on the bottom of the sea is the Christ of the Abyss, the grandiose statue lowered in 1954 for the fallen of the sea and to protect all sailors.

On the small beach stands the beautiful Abbey of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte, with its robust arches which were once lapped by the water.

The landscape suddenly changes when, after passing the Punta di Portofino, we face the immense arch of the Gulf of Tigullio.

The Christ of the Abyss is a bronze statue placed in 1954 on the seabed of the bay of San Fruttuoso, between Camogli and Portofino inside the Portofino protected marine natural area, 17 meters deep.

Regional Natural Park of Portofino.

A real corner of paradise to be discovered: the park of the natural reserve presents a continuous and harmonious alternation of natural ecosystems and crops, surrounded by a particular environment and characterized by the typical Mediterranean scrub.

A unique and obligatory destination for those who decide to spend moments in this beautiful part of Liguria, where, at the same time, there is the possibility of immersing yourself in a remote atmosphere based on ancient maritime traditions.

The Portofino regional natural park is a protected natural area located in the Riviera di Levante, about thirty kilometers east of Genoa, in the geographical area of the eastern Paradiso gulf and western Tigullio.

Advancing along the coast, where hotels and villas nestle among lush gardens, we reach another beautiful bay: that of Paraggi. Here the waters of the sea are of a bright blue variegated by the dark shadows of the cliffs that sink from the surrounding hills, all covered with thick vegetation.

Santa Margherita Ligure.

Once you reach Punta del Pedale, you arrive in a short time, in Santa Margherita Ligure, one of the most important tourist resorts of the Riviera di Levante, located in one of the most beautiful inlets of the Gulf of Tigullio.

Santa Margherita Ligure panoramic view from San Lorenzo.

Frequented in every season, this town appears to be divided into two parts: an ancient, fishing center, with the port crowded with fishing boats and small cruise ships; another modern, with luxurious hotels and villas framed by parks and gardens.

At the end of the Gulf, there is Rapallo, another renowned tourist center. For its grandiose hotels along the seaside promenade, for the quantity of its luxury haunts, for its artistic, social and sporting events, as well as for its privileged position in the most hidden part of Tigullio, Rapallo offers truly ideal stays in any season of the year.

Rapallo.

Proceeding east of Rapallo, the coast presents itself with high sheer rocks and you reach Zoagli, a suggestive village gathered low between the mountain and the small beach that extends under the large arches of the railway viaduct.

The Vittorio Veneto promenade is an elegant walk under the shade of palm trees; the boats with which you can reach the other places of the Gulf dock in the middle.

It is a succession of outdoor areas with bars, ice cream parlors, hotels and restaurants.

To visit the Sanctuary of Montallegro, reachable by a cable car, which offers visitors a splendid view of the Tigullio. Among the events from 1 to 3 July the Feast of Our Lady of Montallegro, with fireworks over the sea.

The equipped bathing establishments are on the edge of the promenade. Towards Zoagli, at the end of the promenade, the former Convent of the Poor Clares, today the auditorium and the symbolic building of Rapallo, the ancient Castle on the Sea (1550).

It has two marinas with 900 berths. San Michele di Pagana is a fraction of Rapallo, a splendid natural inlet, towards Santa Margherita. Visit the Lace Museum in the seventeenth-century Villa Tigullio and taste the cubeletti, typical marmalade sweets.

Close to the Rapallo motorway exit is the Rapallo Golf and Tennis Club, one of the most popular 18-hole courses in Italy, which stands next to the ruins of Valle Christi, an ancient Cistercian monastery.

In Rapallo there is everything you need for a nice holiday on the Riviera. The historic center is crossed by the caruggio (via Mazzini), parallel to the promenade, with shops.

From this point begins a beautiful promenade, carved into the rock, which offers a wide view of the Gulf of Tigullio from the Porfofino lighthouse to Punta di Manara, in the Sestri Levante Promontory.

Chiavari.

Continuing along the coast we reach Chiavari, located at the mouth of the Entella stream, in a fertile plain surrounded by hills full of olive groves.

Chiavari is the ”capital” of Tigullio, a commercial and residential center, a financial heart. But it is also a splendid place to discover for tourists and boaters.

Chiavari is a popular seaside resort and retains a characteristic ancient nucleus, with houses with low and irregular porticos; but it is also a beautiful modern city, with spacious avenues of palm trees and oleanders, with airy flowered squares.

Chiavari offers a varied cultural and entertainment offer: Palazzo Rocca is one of the most important buildings.

The botanical garden is lush, where the monumental greenhouses with orchids stand out. The antiques market in Carruggio Straight is now famous, every second weekend of the month and the various Flavors and Traditions Markets, reviews of typical agro-food products and artistic craftsmanship. Worth seeing is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Garden, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.

Lavagna and Sestri Levante.

Beyond the mouth of the Entella, there is Lavagna, a modern town and lively seaside resort that is expanding more and more in the surrounding plain, cultivated with vegetable gardens and orchards.

Bay of Silence (Sestri Levante).

Lavagna has a modern and large marina and a vast sandy beach.

Further on, stretched over the coast that closes the Gulf of Tigullio, Sestri Levante is a renowned climatic and seaside resort, located between Baia delle Favole, to the west, and Baia del Silenzio, to the east.

The two bays are divided by a thin strip of land that connects the town to the rocky and green promontory of Capo Manara, called the Island.

We conclude the tour on the Riviera di Levante, in the province of Genoa, arriving in Moneglia, a nice village frequented during the summer season, located in the center of an inlet between the sea and the hills dotted with pine and olive trees.

Sources.

Parco Portofino.

Cristo degli Abissi.