{"id":53972,"date":"2026-09-30T17:28:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T17:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darkseagreen-rook-345411.hostingersite.com\/liguria\/sestri-levante\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T07:18:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:18:20","slug":"sestri-levante","status":"publish","type":"localita","link":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/en\/riviera-di-levante\/sestri-levante\/","title":{"rendered":"Sestri Levante"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sestri Levante is the “town of two seas”: its old centre sits on a narrow strip of land between two bays, with a green headland closing the view out to sea. On the west side is the long, sandy Bay of Fables (Baia delle Favole); on the east the small Bay of Silence (Baia del Silenzio), where pastel houses come right down to the beach. It lies on the Gulf of Tigullio, on the Riviera di Levante, roughly halfway between Genoa and La Spezia.<\/p>\n

The Romans knew it as Segesta Tigulliorum, and from the 12th century it belonged to Genoa, which built a castle on the upper part of the headland that locals simply call “the island”. In 1833 a young Hans Christian Andersen stayed here, and the town has adopted him: the Andersen Prize for children’s literature dates from 1967 and every June there is an Andersen Festival.<\/p>\n

With about 17,000 residents, Sestri Levante works both as a beach destination and as a practical base for day trips. The station is on the Genoa\u2013La Spezia line, boats run to Portofino and the Cinque Terre, and in 2026 the Cinque Terre Express started running directly from here. You can see the old town on foot in half a day; allow two or three days if you also want the beaches and the Punta Manara walk.<\/p>\n

What to see in Sestri Levante<\/h2>\n
\"Sestri<\/figure>\n

Almost everything worth seeing is between the two bays and on the headland. The historic centre is a limited traffic zone (ZTL), so park outside it and walk: the bays are a short, flat walk from the station.<\/p>\n

Bay of Silence<\/h3>\n
\"Wooden<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bay of Fables<\/h3>\n
\"Baia<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The headland and its park<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/figure>\n

The headland is largely green, covered with trees and gardens. From the Bay of Silence, walk up towards the church of San Nicol\u00f2 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.<\/p>\n

Former Convent of the Annunziata<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Church of San Nicol\u00f2 dell’Isola<\/h3>\n
\"Romanesque<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Torre Marconi and the Castles<\/h3>\n

Between 1925 and 1929 the Turin industrialist Riccardo Gualino built a group of medieval-style castles on the headland, which became a hotel in 1950. In the park, just outside the old walls, stands the tower associated with Guglielmo Marconi’s radio experiments, on the best viewpoint of the peninsula. The tower and park are not open to the public; they can only be seen during special openings such as the FAI spring days.<\/p>\n

Palazzo Fascie and the MuSel<\/h3>\n
\"Palazzo<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The museum lists daily opening from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm, and a full ticket costs \u20ac5. Hours change with the seasons, so check the town’s official tourism site<\/a> before you go.<\/p>\n

Palazzo Durazzo Pallavicini<\/h3>\n
\"Palazzo<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Basilica of Santa Maria di Nazareth<\/h3>\n

Also on Piazza Matteotti, the main church was begun in 1604 on the site of an older chapel; the columned portico on the fa\u00e7ade is 19th century. It has been a minor basilica since 1962.<\/p>\n

Via XXV Aprile and the old lanes<\/h3>\n
\"Via<\/figure>\n

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 fa\u00e7ades 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.<\/p>\n

Galleria Rizzi<\/h3>\n
\"Galleria<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Riva Trigoso<\/h3>\n
\"Street<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Beaches in Sestri Levante<\/h2>\n

Sestri’s beaches are wider and sandier than most in Liguria. The two main ones are the Bay of Fables, with beach clubs and free stretches, and the Bay of Silence, mostly free but capped in summer. Riva Trigoso has a long beach of coarse sand with both beach clubs and free areas.<\/p>\n