TIGULLIO - LEVANTO BY KAYAK

A distracted kayakist who is traveling in Liguria might decide to focus on Portofino and Cinque Terre and neglect everything in between. Well, this would be a baaaad mistake!! :) In fact, from the Gulf of Tigullio to Levanto there is one of the most beautiful and wild stretches of coastline of Liguria.
Sestri Levante, Moneglia, Framura, Bonassola... all recommended destination both for the crystalline sea and for the chance to reach magnificent isolated beaches in a few minutes by kayak.
Under the map of this part of Liguria you'll find the description of these kayaking itineraries along the Italian Riviera. If you are interested in renting kayaks or in an organized kayaking trip along these routes in Liguria, contact us here: info@wildtrips.net or visit www.catchiavari.it.
A tip on how to visit this stretch of Ligurian coast: in addition to normal kayaks, inflatable ones can be a perfect solution: they allow paddling in one direction from a train station to another, then deflating the kayak and going back by train.
Please notice that the distances on the map are straight lines, but it is normal (actually, very recommended) to follow by kayak all the little bays and imposing rocks of the Ligurian coast.

Chiavari - Riva Trigoso
This first kayaking itinerary initially follows the touristic ports of Chiavari and Lavagna and then the stretch of beaches of Lavagna and Cavi. Behind the beaches, you can see the hill of Santa Giulia with cultivated terraces and numerous villas.

Before reaching Sestri Levante, the coast becomes more impressive, with the rocky walls of Sant'Anna; near the beginning of the road tunnel, you might see some climbers. Here the water is very clear and you can enter a small and bright cave with the kayak.
You are now in the Bay of the Fables of Sestri Levante, where you can admire the typically Ligurian houses; you cross the bay and overcome the port and you are finally surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Peninsula of Sestri Levante, full of rocks, cliffs, trees and seagulls. It takes about 10 minutes to circumnavigate the peninsula by kayak and arrive in the Bay of Silence of Sestri Levante. I recommend to paddle along its perimeter admiring the houses on the sea and the steep and verdant peninsula of Punta Manara to the east.

At this point, continuing towards Punta Manara and leaving Sestri Levante behind, the kayak passes near a beautiful, steep coast with limpid sea and many rocks; the flattest rocks allow an easy landing with the kayak.
After the impressive Punta Manara, the view opens on Riva Trigoso, with the houses on the beach and the shipyards. A short kayak ride and you reach the first beaches.
Riva Trigoso - Moneglia
This itinerary is quite short, but full of natural beauty: the water is crystal clear and the coast mostly rocky, with high cliffs.
There are characteristic breaks in the rock where you can enter with the kayak. In one of these dark natural tunnels, you can paddle for 40 meters.
While approaching Moneglia, you meet a couple of rocky beaches and then the Totem, a vertical ten-meter high rock from where the bravest ones can dive into the sea (it is recommended to follow the more experienced "locals" before trying anything stupid). Otherwise, from the rocky prominence in front of the Totem you can dive from 3-4 meters without stress.
Thanks to the crystal clear sea and the rocks on which you can have a picnic, this is a fantastic destination for kayakers. (The kayaks can also be left on a tiny pebble beach a hundred metere before the Totem).
The kayak trip continues under the Paretone (a vertical cliff where there are several climbing routes) until you reach Moneglia.
Moneglia - Framura
This route is perhaps less stunning than the surrounding ones, but the cliffs between Moneglia and Deiva Marina, and those between Deiva Marina and Framura still deserve a visit by kayak. Deiva is a town with too many new buildings right on the sea, but the beaches are quite nice.
While approaching Framura (on the map it appears as Anzo-Setta, two of the beautiful villages that compose the municipality of Framura) you paddle over clearer and clearer waters; it's interesting to pass along the old train tunnels, now almost completely collapsed into the sea. Then the coast become so rugged that you find yourself paddling in green natural pools.

The arrival to Framura is remarkable. Charming villages stand on the wide arc of verdant coastline. You can admire such beauty from the kayak, but you can also land and have a walk. The first beach you encounter is rather wild and often deserted. Continuing by kayak, you then see the train station (which is right on the sea) and the small, picturesque marina, that a natural rocky cliff separates from the open sea. Immediately after the fishing port, there is a reddish rock wall, under which there is a small cave. The cliff is interrupted at one point to make room to the beach of Porto Pidocchio, which can be used as charming stopping point (a pedestrian tunnel connects this beach to the marina).
Framura - Levanto
The stretch of coast between Framura and Bonassola is probably one of the most beautiful of Liguria: clear waters populated by lost of fish, reddish cliffs and Mediterranean vegetation that sometimes reaches the sea.
To complete this kayaker's paradise, there are some small caves and several points where flat rocks or small pebble beaches allow stopping and admiring the view.
The kayaking itinerary from Framura to Bonassola is rather short but very intense. Bonassola is a beautiful seaside town whose beaches become densely populated in the summer. Continuing towards Levanto, you paddle along more cliffs and some villas until you can park the kayak on a beach of Levanto.
This is not an ideal arriving point for those who have an inflatable kayak because the traub station is quite far from the sea. From this point of view, it's better to stop in Framura, Bonassola or in the following town, Monterosso (kayak itinerary described here). In conclusion...
All these parts of the coast deserve to be visited in depth. Obviously, some good kayakers with fast kayaks could paddle from Levanto to Portovenere in a loooong and intense day, but they would miss a lot of the beauty of the coast... A kayak is an ideal means of transport to enjoy the charm and the particularities of each bay, town, cliff or beach, so our advice is to visit this part of Liguria with more calm and to dedicate time to each section of the whole itinerary.
Probably the best itineraries in this part of Liguria are Sestri Levante - Moneglia and Framura - Monterosso, beyond Levanto... so if you have time for only a couple of trips, I recommend these two.
It is a very good idea to spend more days in this part of Liguria, so you could wild camp (where legal) or click here to find the best offers for accomodation.
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You can find more photos (with higher resolution) of all the kayaking trips in Liguria in this photogallery: