Another beautiful morning and we start the day with a walk down to Rapallo sea front just over a mile away from our Sosta. What we hadn’t appreciated was the fact that the weekly market was on this morning down on the sea front and so it was rather busy.

We were however able to walk along behind the market on the sea front, with a brief stop on Spiaggia Rapallo…

As we hav ecome to expect the colourful graceful buildings along the sea front do not disappoint….

And at the far end of the sea front the small castle and it’s small beach is a sight to behold….

Upon returning to the van, we were soon packed up and on our way, knowing that we have a somewhat interesting journey ahead of us. The drive is not far distance wise but after about 10 miles of coast hugging the SS1 coastal road heads more inland as it climbs through the inland hills, the coast, I guess was too tricky to viably construct a road and the few resorts are reached by some pretty steep and narrow declines – if the SS1 is coming inland then so are we. The road is steep and very windy, which makes for slow going but still an enjoyable drive with more distant sea views…

Eventually we reach the turning for Deiva Marina and start the equally slow and windy decline to the campsite we have booked for the next few nights. Unfortunately there is no footpath down to the sea from the site (about 2 miles) and the shuttle bus from the site only takes guests down up until midday, so we just take a wander around the site and relax for the afternoon.

Thoughts of the day:

• The Wifi and phone signal is much better in Italy than we found it to be in France – so far at least.
• Supermarkets with ample parking on the outskirts of towns do not seem to be a thing here which makes shopping a little trickier – but we are managing.

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 29
• Miles walked – 6
• Beaches – 2
• Fuel – £75.56
• Food – £7.07
• O/N – £20.71

Another beautiful day as we say goodbye to Celle Ligure and continue our journey along the coastal road, after a scenic stint we endure lots of traffic and traffic lights as we drive through Genova – mostly it is a large port with 4 huge cruise ships in dock as we drive passed with terraces of terracotta apartment blocks and lots of construction work taking place in the town itself. They also appear to be working on an expansive promenade beyond the port but unfortunately there were nose to tail cars parked all the way along the front, with not a chance for us stop to get a better look. Eventually we work our way through the town and the coastal road becomes increasingly windy passing high above the few coastal resorts that appear every now and again. We did just manage one brief stop – high above St Margherita….

From here it was a windy and steep decline down into Rapallo, through the town to our Aire for the night – the hospital car park. The were already about 15 vans in the nearly empty of cars car park and we were able to park up without any bother.

We had originally planned, assuming that we would have had a couple of stops on the way, to stay overnight and visit St Margherita and Portofino tomorrow but as it is barely noon we decide to crack on and visit them today. Armed with our roamer bus pass we board a bus, without checking that it is going to St Margherita and it was only as we left Rapallo behind that I realised we were headed east rather than west! Frustratingly this cost us an hour, but no matter we were soon on the right bus and in fact St Margherita is only a couple of miles away….

We alight in the centre of town and wander along the sea front and Spiaggia St Margherita….

Passing the huge Marina and into the Old Town….

On the west side of the old town is Spiaggia Minaglia and heading towards Portofino, Spiaggia Gino e Rino….

We cheat half way to Portofino as the footpath is becoming a bit hit and miss and the road is very narrow (anything larger than a car is only allowed beyond this point for access) and hop on a bus (minibus really) for the last bit, catching a glimpse of Baia Cannone….

Portofino did not disappoint, though busy it is a charming small harbour village, clearly frequented by the cruise ships as the shops are Dior, Louis Vuitton and Missoni and the like but pretty all the same….

We had a good wander around, sat and people watched for a while before catching the bus back to St Margherita and then on to Rapallo and back to a very hot van!!

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 44
• Miles walked – 6
• Beaches – 4
• Bus ticket – £8.68
• O/N – £10.40

An overcast day today for a change and actually a welcome one as it meant that we could do the longish walk I had planned during the middle of the day, instead of worrying about the heat – it was still warm but ideal.

The village and roads are much busier today but there is promenade all the way into the old village along the sea front with Bergeggi Island looking stunning across the aqua marine sea – the Ligurian Sea…

The long beach running down the resort is mostly sandy with areas of fine shingle, as per, some of it sectioned off into private beaches but much mostly it is accessible beach – Spiaggias – di Spotorno, Pluto, Molo Sirio, Aurora and Libera Serra…

A quick dip into the old town and it’s beautifully decorated interior…

Followed by a stunning walk over to the next village – Noli. The walk between the two villages is probalby only about half a mile and though roadside is quite safe with stunning views up to Castello di Monte Ursino and out to sea….

We continued our walk along the promenade noting that the beaches are slightly more shingly here – Bagni Hilton (private), Spiaggia dei Pescatori – lined with small fishing boats, Bagni Ondino Noli (private). Spiaggia de Noli and at the far end Spiaggia Caponoli…

Noli is an unspoilt medieval fishing village and well worth a visit though we opted out of the long climb up to the castle, opting instead for a mooch around the streets….

What a find – we enjoyed a well earned drink and relax on the beach before walking back to the van…

Today’s stats:

• Miles walked – 8
• Beaches – 10
• O/N – £13.87