The home of cheese focaccia on the Golfo Paradiso: Blue Flag beach, Suffragio sanctuary, September fireworks, boats to San Fruttuoso and hiking trails.
Welcome to Recco
Recco is the home of focaccia col formaggio, the paper-thin cheese focaccia that has its own protected status. The town sits on the Golfo Paradiso, half an hour by train from Genoa and less than 3 km from Camogli. It has a long pebble beach right in the centre, a seafront promenade, a sanctuary whose bell tower you can see from across the bay, and hills full of hiking trails behind it.
Don’t expect a village of colourful old houses. Between November 1943 and June 1944 Allied bombers hit Recco 28 times, trying to destroy the railway bridge that ran right above the rooftops: 90% of the town centre was flattened and 127 people died. Recco was rebuilt quickly after the war, which is why it looks modern today. What survived, and what makes it famous, are its traditions: the cheese focaccia, the September fireworks and the Pro Recco water polo team.
For travellers it is a practical, usually cheaper base than Camogli, Portofino or Santa Margherita. It has a station on the Genoa–La Spezia line (the same line that runs to the Cinque Terre), its own exit on the A12 motorway and, from April to September, boats to San Fruttuoso and Portofino. In 2026 its beaches were awarded the Blue Flag.
Recco is in Liguria (Riviera di Levante, Golfo Paradiso, province of Genoa).
What to see
You can see Recco on foot in a couple of hours: the centre, the seafront and the sanctuary are close together. Spend the rest of the day at the beach, at the table or on the trails.
The promenade runs along the main beach to the pier. This is where locals take their evening stroll, with views across the bay to the Portofino headland on one side and towards Genoa on the other. The September fireworks are launched from the two piers, west and east.
Recco’s landmark. The church was built in the mid-18th century on the road that climbs towards Uscio, with a Baroque interior of stucco and sculpture and a tall, slender bell tower you can spot from far away. On 8 September 1824 the Archbishop of Genoa, Cardinal Lambruschini, crowned the statue of the Virgin, known locally as “la Suffragina”, and the oratory became a sanctuary. The building came through the bombing almost intact. At Christmas the bell tower is lit up.
It looks like just another bridge, but it tells the town’s story. The viaduct on the Genoa–La Spezia line was the target of the 1943–44 raids and was completely destroyed. After the war a temporary single-track bridge of timber and steel was put up; the current viaduct opened in 1948, with three tracks and 42-metre arches, and was one of the first reinforced-concrete railway bridges in Italy. Look at it from the centre and you will understand why almost every house around it is post-war.
The parish church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, was also rebuilt after the war. It is worth a short stop to see how the community restored its most important places after 1944.
The centre is a handful of streets parallel to the sea, lined with shops, bakeries and focaccerias. Via Roma, Piazza Nicoloso and Via Assereto are also where the May focaccia festival takes place. This is the place for your first taste: order the cheese focaccia straight out of the oven, never reheated. History, protected status and how to eat it for free are all in our guide to Recco focaccia.
Megli is a hamlet on the hill above Recco, with views over the bay. According to tradition, the church of Nostra Signora delle Grazie keeps a thorn from Christ’s crown. In April the village holds a festival of “focaccette” with free tastings. Drive up, or walk along the creuze, the old stone-paved mule tracks.
On the way to Camogli you reach Mulinetti, a seaside hamlet with a small pebble beach. Villa Dufour stands here: built in 1894 in a mix of Neo-Mannerist and Neo-Baroque styles, with terraced gardens running down to the sea. It only opens on special occasions such as the FAI (Italian National Trust) open days, so check the calendar before you go.
Recco is Italy’s water polo capital. Pro Recco is the most successful club in Italy and in Europe: in 2026 it won its 38th Italian title, the fifth in a row. The historic Punta Sant’Anna pool by the sea is the symbol of this passion. If you are in town during the season, check the match schedule on the club’s website.
Sea
Recco’s beach is long, made of pebbles and right in the centre, a few minutes’ walk from the station. In 2026 the Blue Flag went to two stretches: Spiaggia Centrale and Ciappea.
In the centre there are two beaches with beach clubs (sunbeds and umbrellas for rent) and, at each end, a free stretch of pebbles. With children, choose the beach farthest from the station, next to the park: the water is shallow and there is a playground. Bring water shoes: the pebbles get hot and are hard on bare feet.
For clearer water and wilder scenery, take the boat to Punta Chiappa or San Fruttuoso, or hop on the train to Camogli. The beaches around there are covered in our Camogli guide.
Where to stay
Recco has hotels, B&Bs and apartments, usually cheaper than Camogli and Portofino. Choose based on how you will get around:
If you want to see the 8 September fireworks or the Focaccia Festival, book well ahead.
Getting there
A12 Genoa–Livorno motorway, Recco exit: the centre is a few minutes from the toll booth. From Genoa you can also follow the coastal Via Aurelia, slower and busier.
Recco has a station on the Genoa–La Spezia line. Regional trains from Genova Brignole take about half an hour; heading east you reach Camogli, Santa Margherita, Rapallo and the Cinque Terre. Timetables on Trenitalia.
AMT buses link Recco with Camogli and Ruta. They are mainly useful for the hill hamlets.
From April to September boats link Recco with Camogli, Punta Chiappa and San Fruttuoso, with excursions to Portofino and the Cinque Terre. Boats only sail in good sea conditions.
The nearest airport is Genoa, about 35 km away. The Volabus shuttle runs from the airport to Genoa’s railway stations, where you catch the train to Recco. Milan and Pisa airports are further away but have more international flights; from both, the train to Genoa and then on to Recco is the easiest option.
Parking in the centre is mostly paid (blue lines), and in summer spaces near the sea fill up fast. Some beach clubs have parking for their customers. On festival days in May and September, leave the car and come by train.
By car
A12 Genoa–Livorno, Recco exit; the centre is a few minutes from the toll booth
By train
Recco station on the Genoa–La Spezia line: about 30 minutes from Genova Brignole
By sea
Boats from Genoa’s Porto Antico and Camogli
By plane
Genoa Cristoforo Colombo (about 35 km), then Volabus and train
The guide
From April to September Golfo Paradiso boats leave Recco for Camogli, Punta Chiappa and San Fruttuoso, plus a Portofino tour and a Cinque Terre excursion on some days. In April and May boats from Recco run only on Saturdays and public holidays; from June to September every day, except 7 and 8 September (festival days). In 2026 a ticket to San Fruttuoso cost €13 one way and €19 return. Check current timetables and fares on the Golfo Paradiso website. At San Fruttuoso, visit the Abbey of San Fruttuoso.
The Focaccia Festival has been held every year since 1955 on the fourth Sunday of May. In 2026 it was on Sunday 24 May: plain and onion focaccia from the morning, protected cheese focaccia from 2 pm, all free, with stands throughout the centre. It gets crowded, so come by train.
The feast of Nostra Signora del Suffragio, also called the Sagra del Fuoco, peaks on 7 and 8 September. The town’s seven districts (Bastia, Collodari, Liceto, Ponte, San Martino, Spiaggia and Verzemma) spend all year preparing their fireworks, launched from the piers after 11 pm. On 8 September things start at 3.30 am with the “mascoli”, small metal mortars packed with gunpowder, and in the evening there is a procession with the statue of the Virgin. In 2026 extra trains and buses were laid on: the best way to get there.
From Recco station, climb the creuze to Cotulo and the Passo dei Quattro Pini, then over Monte Ampola and Monte Orsena to the Sanctuary of Caravaggio, at about 615 m, with views over the Golfo Paradiso and the Tigullio. Continue via the Passo della Serra and Monte Pegge, then down to Rapallo. Allow 4.5 to 5 hours and about 850 m of ascent. The route is a standard hike, but the Manico del Lume variant (801 m) has a short chained section for experienced hikers only. Waymarks: an empty red triangle, then two red circles. Return by train.
If you don’t want to do the full traverse, walk up to the Caravaggio Sanctuary and back to Recco on a loop of just over 12 km, on paths and lanes through the woods. Take water: there are few places to stop along the way.
The coast road passes Mulinetti and reaches Camogli in about an hour on foot. Part of it runs along the busy Via Aurelia, so it is not a quiet trail. From Camogli you can climb to San Rocco and walk down to Punta Chiappa.
Weather
May to September; Focaccia Festival in May, fireworks on 7 and 8 September
Forecast: MET Norway (Yr), CC BY 4.0 licence. Updated hourly.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea | Off season | Off season | Off season | Off season | Possible | Good | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Possible | Off season | Off season |
| Sightseeing and hiking | Possible | Possible | Good | Good | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Possible | Good |
| Crowds | Quiet | Quiet | Few people | Few people | Busy | Busy | Very busy | Very busy | Busy | Few people | Quiet | Few people |
| Don't miss | Megli focaccette festival | Focaccia Festival | Suffragio feast and fireworks | |||||||||
IdealGoodPossibleOff season
Crowds:QuietFew peopleBusyVery busy
Gallery
FAQ
Its cheese focaccia, protected (IGP) since 2015, the September fireworks of the Suffragio festival and Pro Recco, Italy’s most successful water polo club.
Because the 1943–44 bombing raids on the railway bridge destroyed 90% of the town centre. Recco was rebuilt after the war.
On the fourth Sunday of May. In 2026 it was on 24 May, with free tastings in the centre.
On the evenings of 7 and 8 September, during the feast of Nostra Signora del Suffragio.
No, it is pebbly. In 2026 Spiaggia Centrale and Ciappea were awarded the Blue Flag.
About half an hour by regional train from Genova Brignole. By car, take the A12 to the Recco exit.
Yes, from April to September: in April and May only at weekends and on public holidays, from June every day, weather permitting.
Yes. You have trains to Santa Margherita and the Cinque Terre, summer boats and prices that are usually lower than in Camogli or Portofino.
Half a day for the centre, seafront and sanctuary. Two or three days if you add the beach, boat trips or a hike.
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