A beautiful hot sunny day and a bank holiday here in Italy as we took the courtesy bus the couple of miles down to Deiva Marina, noting that in fact there is a footpath from about half a mile south of the campsite. There isn’t much of a resort here just a few hotels and campsites (mostly higher up the road as we are) and the main beach is understandably heaving!….

Though we do manage to find a quiet corner, where there are a few other dogs, for a bit of a sit down but to be honest it was too hot for Tilly and though there are other dogs on the beach, the signage quite clearly states no dogs so we didn’t loiter. We wandered along the promenade to see if walking along the coast for a bit was an option but to the left just led into a campsite (no dogs) with it’s own tiny private beach, Spiaggia Camping Framura….

At the end of the site was a closed off tunnel preventing any further progress, so we about turned and headed in the opposite direction and low and behold….

So it would appear that short of doing some serious hiking, there is only one way in and out of the village. Oh well, we’ve had a nice walk and rather than calling for the courtesy bus we decided to walk back….

I imagine that tomorrow will be even busier, so we have decided to have a bit of a day off and do some laundry and other van bits and just be….

Today’s stats:

• Miles walked – 6
• Beaches – 2
• O/N – £20.71

After some very strange rain, literally 2 seconds of heavy rain about 5 times in the space of about half and hour, during the night we awoke to brilliant sunshine and what turned out to be a very warm day.

Continuing our journey along the coastal road a mere 5 miles to the next resort, we found our Sosta way up the hillside, sandwiched between the two carriageways of the motorway, though oddly surrounded by vegetation we are only aware of seemingly distant traffic noise and it is a freebie so what is not to like?

We got on with some stuff in the van until early afternoon before making our way a veritical half a mile or so down to the sea front. From here we had distant views of the colourful Old Town of Celle Ligure and it’s beach….

But opted instead to continue eastwards passing the pretty Spiaggia Celle Ligure….

Following an interesting tunnel through the headland, lined with an art installation of ceramics….

At the other side of the tunnel, rejoining the footpath, overlooking Spiaggia ‘Ex Colony Milansi’, named after the huge derelict (though there are signs of refurbishment or remodelling ongoing) Colony Milansi which was built to accommodate children holidaying from the cities to enjoy the fresh coastal air during difficult times of the 20th Centuary….

A little further on was our first look at Varazze and it’s huge Marina and the somewhat abandoned beach of Ponente Nuovo Porto…

We did find a dog friendly section on Spiaggia dei Varazzini but the sand was way too hot and so we opted to take a break in the shade of the palm lined promenade….

Before wandering back to Celle Ligure via the shady and quiet cobbled streets of the town….

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 5
• Miles walked – 6
• Beaches – 5
• O/N – free

Pretty reluctant to move on today as the Aire has emptied a lot and the location is so ideal, literally being across the road from the beach and a short walk into town – but we have more of this beautiful coastline to explore, not before a last look though….

We joined the coastal road and drove alongside the huge industrial port of Vado and through the busy streets of the semi industrial towns of Vado Ligure and Savona (neither place offering anywhere sensible and safe to park) and were soon parked up in our Aire for the night in Albisola Marina, about half a mile from the sea front and after a brief chill that is exactly where we headed.

Arriving at the sea front fairly centrally we opted to walk back the way we had driven along the brightly coloured mosaic promenade (which in the bright sunlight was a little dazzling) of Albisola Marina to the far end of the beach….

A sort of sand / gravel mix with plenty of space for everyone but with a mix of manicured private sections and only a little patch of dog friendly beach at this far end. After a little off lead time, we continued to walk towards Savona to catch the little Spiaggia delle Madonetta, with the rocky outcrop housing the Madonna Shrine and Albisola as a backdrop in one direction and the Port in the other….

At this point we headed back the way we came, crossing the river that divides the two villages and crossing into Albisola Superiore to enjoy a stroll along the thankfully paved promenade, passing the main beach Spaiggia Albisola Superiore and down onto the l’ultimo Spiaggia Abisola to find a little bit of shade for Tilly behind some rocks….

Before wandering back to the Aire in the shade through the narrow alleyways and streets of Albisola Superiore….

Thoughts of the day:

• Even though roadside outside of the villages the footpath is consistant alongside the coastal road and feels quite safe as it is protected either by barrier or wall, unlike in France where it was often just a gravelly or grassy verge and often just disappeared altogether.
• This Aire or Sosta is just below the motorway so is a little on the noisy side but really nicely laid out with a bit of shade and level concrete grid to park up on.

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 10
• Miles walked – 6
• Beaches – 4
• O/N – £4.69 (no EHU)