Sestri Levante

This is the postcard view of Sestri Levante: a crescent of sand about 300 metres long, wooden fishing boats pulled up on the beach and a row of pastel houses behind. The poet Giovanni Descalzo gave it its name in 1919. It is lovely out of season and at sunset, when the beach empties.

For several summers now, access in July and August has been capped: in 2026 no more than 450 people could be on the beach at the same time, with entry controlled from 8.30am to 5.30pm through three gates. Entry is free and there is nothing to book. Rules, times and practical tips are in our guide to the Bay of Silence.

The western bay is the town’s long beach, around 1.5 km of fine sand and shingle with a gently shelving seabed, which makes it one of the easiest beaches in Liguria for small children. There are beach clubs (stabilimenti) with loungers to rent and free public stretches, the marina at the headland end and the seafront promenade behind.

The name is not Andersen’s own: TV presenter Enzo Tortora coined it in the 1950s during a broadcast of the quiz show “Campanile Sera” from Sestri, as a tribute to the Danish writer.

The headland is largely green, covered with trees and gardens. From the Bay of Silence, walk up towards the church of San Nicolò and follow the lanes around the point: you get views of both bays and, on clear days, along the coast. Much of the upper part is the private park of the Grand Hotel dei Castelli.

At the tip of the headland, between the Bay of Silence and the open sea, stands a 15th-century convent founded by the Dominicans. Restored by the town, it now hosts exhibitions, conferences and events, including the Andersen Prize ceremony. Even when it is closed, the walk is worth it for the view of the bay from the terraces and rocks in front. On the rocks below is a bronze statue of a young fisherman casting his net.

Sestri’s oldest church was built in 1151 in Romanesque style, altered in the 15th century and again in the Baroque period. Restorations in 1912 and 1928 removed the Baroque additions and brought back its medieval look, with three naves divided by stone columns. It is on the way up the headland and is often open only for services, so plan on seeing the exterior and the churchyard.

On Corso Colombo, a few steps from the Bay of Fables, Palazzo Fascie houses the public library, the tourist office and, on the third and fourth floors, the MuSel, the archaeological and town museum. Displays run from prehistory to the Middle Ages, including the Roman boundary stone from Monte Ramaceto, finds from ancient local mines and from the seabed, then a 20th-century section on emigration, war, shipyards and the birth of tourism.

The museum lists daily opening from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm, and a full ticket costs €5. Hours change with the seasons, so check the town’s official tourism site before you go.

This 17th-century palazzo on Piazza Matteotti is the town hall. The square, with the basilica next door, is the heart of the old town and a good starting point for the lanes.

Sestri’s main “carrugio” is Via XXV Aprile, running through the centre from the square towards the Bay of Silence. Look up and around: painted façades with trompe-l’oeil architecture, carved slate doorways and friezes, old-fashioned grocers, pastry shops and focaccia bakeries. It is the street for an evening stroll, when the shops are open and the beach has emptied.

Near the Bay of Silence, this house museum opened in 1960 under the will of Marcello Rizzi and keeps the family’s collection of paintings, ceramics and furniture. Opening days are limited and change from year to year: ask at the tourist office.

Beyond Punta Manara, the village of Riva Trigoso has a wide beach, colourful houses and a more local feel. It is also home to a large shipyard building naval vessels. In July it hosts the Sagra del Bagnun, a festival of the sailors’ anchovy soup. It is one stop by train, a short drive, or a walk over the headland.