{"id":61744,"date":"2026-10-14T22:01:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T22:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/liguria\/sori\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T22:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T22:04:12","slug":"sori","status":"publish","type":"localita","link":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/en\/riviera-di-levante\/sori\/","title":{"rendered":"Sori"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sori is a town of about 3,900 people on the Golfo Paradiso, in the province of Genoa, between Recco<\/a> and Pieve Ligure. The centre sits where the Sori stream meets the sea, in front of a beach about 400 metres long; behind it terraced hills rise to almost 900 metres, with eight hamlets and a dense network of old mule tracks. The railway station is right on the sea, a few steps from the beach.<\/p>\n

There are three reasons to come. The first is easy sea: in 2026 the Spiaggia Centrale has a Blue Flag, and the train from Genoa takes 24\u201330 minutes. The second is walking: from the hamlets of Sant’Apollinare and Capreno, paths climb towards the Redentore and Monte Cornua with the gulf below. The third is food: trofie with pesto, fried focaccette and cheese focaccia di Recco, because Sori lies inside the PGI production area.<\/p>\n

It is not a town of famous monuments. It is a quiet commuter and family town that livens up in summer and has its biggest celebration on 15 August. It works well as a day trip from Genoa<\/a> or as a cheaper, less crowded base for the Golfo Paradiso, one stop from Recco and Camogli<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What to see in Sori<\/h2>\n
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You can walk around the town in two or three hours. The centre is squeezed between the beach, the railway and the stream; the hamlets are higher up and are reached on foot, by the stairway that starts at the station, or by car.<\/p>\n

The church of Santa Margherita<\/h3>\n

The parish church, dedicated to Saint Margaret, stands at the bottom of the town, almost on the beach. It was built between 1711 and 1714 to a design by Antonio Maria Ricca, the same architect as San Martino in Zoagli<\/a>. The pink Baroque bell tower is the most recognisable feature of Sori seen from the sea. Sources disagree on the patron saint: the festival that matters most to the town is that of Our Lady of Grace (Nostra Signora delle Grazie) on 15 August.<\/p>\n

The sanctuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie<\/h3>\n

This is the town’s sanctuary, dating from 1509, with a late-Renaissance fa\u00e7ade in white stone. It holds a much-venerated black Madonna and is the centre of the August festival. Opening times are not confirmed and some visitors have found it closed: if you want to go in, ask in town or at the Pro Loco. Do not confuse it with the church of the Provvidenza, which is in the hamlet of Lev\u00e0.<\/p>\n

Via Sant’Erasmo and the oratory<\/h3>\n

Via Sant’Erasmo is the oldest and best-preserved lane in Sori, once part of the coastal route between Genoa and the Levante. You will find tall narrow houses, arches and the oratory of Sant’Erasmo. It takes ten minutes to walk and is the best way to picture the town before the railway.<\/p>\n

The stream and the bridge on the Aurelia<\/h3>\n
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The Sori stream divides the town and reaches the sea among the houses. On the Aurelia road, laid out in its present form between 1816 and 1818, there is a stone bridge known as “Napoleonic”. The railway arrived in 1870 and crosses the town above the beach. The A12 motorway viaduct, much higher up, is 380 metres long and 120 metres high.<\/p>\n

The seafront and the monument to those lost at sea<\/h3>\n
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In town, by the sea, stands a monument to the fallen of the sea (caduti del mare). The seafront is short and good for an evening stroll: there is no continuous promenade either towards Pieve Ligure and Bogliasco or towards Recco.<\/p>\n

The Madonna del Pontin<\/h3>\n

Facing the sea is a stone statue of the Virgin known as the Madonna del Pontin, tied to legends of an image found in the sea. Details vary from one version to another: treat it as a local curiosity, not a stop.<\/p>\n

Sant’Apollinare and the Saracen tower<\/h3>\n

Sant’Apollinare is the hamlet to see first, high above the town. The church is Romanesque, 13th century according to the most authoritative sources (others give different dates), and from the churchyard the view reaches the Portofino promontory. On the path towards Polanesi stands the Torre di Sant’Apollinare, called Saracen, from the mid-16th century. It recalls the years of pirate raids: on 1 July 1584 Saracen corsairs attacked Sori and carried off 134 people.<\/p>\n

Capreno, Sussisa and the other hamlets<\/h3>\n

The municipality has eight hamlets: Canepa, Capreno, Lago, Lev\u00e0, San Bartolomeo, Sant’Apollinare, Sussisa and Teriasca. Capreno has the old church of San Pietro and a chestnut wood; Sussisa has the church of Santa Maria Immacolata, from 1754, and the committee that runs the focaccia festival in May; Canepa was an independent municipality until 1929. These are villages of scattered houses, kitchen gardens and terraces: visit them on foot rather than with a fixed itinerary.<\/p>\n

Villa Marina<\/h3>\n

Villa Marina was built in 1811 for the Marquis De Franchi and is now a care home run by the Suore di Santa Marcellina. It is private and cannot be visited: you can see it from outside.<\/p>\n

Beaches of Sori<\/h2>\n
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Sori has one main beach and a rocky coast. In 2026 the Blue Flag goes only to the Spiaggia Centrale di Sori, according to the official list of the Foundation for Environmental Education. The flag is valid for the current year and the municipality must lower it if the criteria are not met: check on the spot.<\/p>\n