TOURIST GUIDE: CHIAVARI AND LIGURIAN EAST COAST
Visite turistiche
Some tips and suggestions about Chiavari and Ligurian east coast for you!
Chiavari is situated in the middle of Tigullio’s gulf, it’s a small and pretty seaside town where 28 thousand inhabitants live. It's interesting for you because you can find a beautiful clean sea (Blue Flag since 1987) and a old town characterized by typical Genoese style buildings.
Beaches, caffe, restaurants, pizzerias (also gluten-free) and attractions for children are situated in Corso Valparaiso.
The most important street of the old town, called "caruggio dritto" is Martiri della Liberazione street (pedestrian area). Walking through the ancient vaults you can find modern commercial shops, let yourself be enveloped by the suggestive atmosphere! These places host many festivals. During the second weekend of every month, you can visit the antiques fair of Chiavari. Furnishings, objects to collect as coins, vinyl records can be found. Rivarola street, another “caruggio”, hosts a Market of flavors and culinary traditions. You can buy and taste typical regional products from different Italian regions. It’s a direct sale from the producer to the consumer.
Every year in summer and during the Christmas period, many initiatives are planned:
“LA GRANDE ABBUFFATA – the great banquet”. Feast is celebrated during summer months of July and August along old town’s streets, it’s involves restaurants, cafè and delis shops.
CARNEVALE D’AGOSTO - August carnival it is a party that involves seafront area. People and the staff of the shops are masked according to a chosen theme, allegorical floats parade along the seafront street.
VEGLIONE DI FINE ANNO E ZABAIONATA – End of the year and eggnog sagra. Annual event near the port area and old town area. Evening with musical entertainment and free distribution of panettone, eggnog and sparkling wine.
What can you find near Chiavari?
From Chiavari, by train, you can easily reach the most important and famous destinations of the Ligurian Riviera.
Cavi di Lavagna. seaside village, with sandy coast, 10 minutes by train from Chiavari.
Sestri Levante. 15 minutes by train from Chiavari, due to its geographical shape it is defined as the "city of the two seas", the village has two bays: "Baia delle Favole" and "Baia del Silenzio". The second baia is very suggestive and romantic to swim or to drink something at a typical cafe.
From the village, a walk to Punta Manara starts, after an hour and about 200 meters of difference in height, by walking into the wild, you can reach Cape Manara, overlooking the sea..
S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino. S. Margherita is a small town, 15 minutes by train from Chiavari; with many restaurants and a beautiful beachfront promenade. From S. Margherita you can reach Portofino by walking (5 km, 1 hour) or by bus and visit the famous seafaring village.
Camogli-S.Fruttuoso. Camogli is a typical seaside village known for its marina and the seafront colorful buildings. It’s very popular during the summer but always fascinating and romantic place. You can reach Camogli by train in 20 minutes.
From the marina, by boats, you can reach the inlet of San- Fruttuoso situated in the middle of the indented coastline of the Portofino Promontory. You can admire wonderful landscape and the famous Abbey of San Fruttuoso.
Portofino Park. The park offers walks and breathtaking views. You can climb the mountain from Santa Margherita, Portofino and Camogli but the easiest access is from Ruta di Camogli and precisely from Portofino Vetta or from S. Rocco di Camogli, a nice village near Camogli. Walking by easy path, from the church, you can reach in less than an hour some war residuals. From the roof of the building you have a view overlooking the sea and “Punta Chiappa” peak.
To ceck hiking trails I suggest you:”map slow” http://www.mapslow.eu/it/
Cinque Terre National Park. Cinque Terre are ancient fishing villages located along the jagged Ligurian coast. Each of these villages (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore) is characterized by colorful houses and vineyards overlooking the sea. The ports are crowded with fishing boats and in the typical restaurants you can try the seafood specialties. The “Sentiero Azzurro” is a hiking path that connects the Cinque Terre with each other and offers beautiful views. It’s highly recommended to reach Cinque Terre by train (from Chiavari in less than an hour). For further information please visit http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Eindex.php
Typical Ligurian food&wine specialties.
After all these Ligurian Riviera tours you will surely be hungry! Some suggestions and typical Ligurian specialties for you now!
Don’t forghet “focaccia alla genovese”, a flat bread with oil (which you can find in all bakeries, excellent Piombo bakery, Corso Millo in Chiavari).
You have to taste the “focaccia al formaggio di Recco” a cheese flat bread (it comes from Recco but you can find it everywhere)
“Farinata” is an excellent chickpea flour salty cake. A legend tells that it was born in 1284, when Genoa defeated Pisa in the battle of Meloria. During a storm some barrels of oil and chickpea bags spilled over doing a mix with salt water. Sailors cooked this mix and discovered how good it was.
“Frisceau”, name in Genoese dialect, are fritters served in restaurants as appetizer.
Pasta dishes: “troffie al pesto” a fresh pasta with the famous basil sauce (in the supermarkets look for troffie and pesto produced by Novella, a pasta factory in Sori).
“Pansoti” are a fresh pasta with walnut sauce.
“Minestrone alla genovese” is a typical genoese vegetable soup.
A lot of dishes are based on fish, for example “stoccafisso alla ligure” is the Ligurian stockfish.
“Cappon magro” is an ancient traditional Ligurian dish based on fish and vegetables. “Cima alla Genovese” is a stuffed veal belly.
During Christmas Genoese people eat the Genoese pandolce, a cake with raisins, candied fruit and pine nuts.
The typical ligurian white wines are “Bianchetta”, “Lumassina”, “Pigato” and “Vermentino”. Bisson winery is an excellent agricultural company that produces wine. It’s located in Chiavari, Corso Gianelli (railway station street).
A curiosity: during Christmas festivities, the winery sells the exclusive sparkling wine matured for 18 months underwater on the Sestri Levante’s sea bed, 60 meters deep!
In Chiavari you can find many restaurants, pizzerias and ice cream.
Pizzeria La Bitta (excellent pizza, gluten free too) is situated in Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Hotel restaurant Miramare, situated in Corso Valparaiso, has excellent dishes based on fish with a good quality but a convenient price.
Bottega Nazionale is situated into the old town, via Rivarola and offers appetizers, take away food and an excellent restaurant.
Cafè Defilla (pastry shop too) is situated in Corso Garibaldi, Cafè delle Carrozze in front of Piazza Matteotti.
100 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Chiavari
Some tips and suggestions about Chiavari and Ligurian east coast for you!
Chiavari is situated in the middle of Tigullio’s gulf, it’s a small and pretty seaside town where 28 thousand inhabitants live. It's interesting for you because you can find a beautiful clean sea (Blue Flag since 1987) and a old town characterized by typical Genoese style buildings.
Beaches, caffe, restaurants, pizzerias (also gluten-free) and attractions for children are situated in Corso Valparaiso.
The most important street of the old town, called "caruggio dritto" is Martiri della Liberazione street (pedestrian area). Walking through the ancient vaults you can find modern commercial shops, let yourself be enveloped by the suggestive atmosphere! These places host many festivals. During the second weekend of every month, you can visit the antiques fair of Chiavari. Furnishings, objects to collect as coins, vinyl records can be found. Rivarola street, another “caruggio”, hosts a Market of flavors and culinary traditions. You can buy and taste typical regional products from different Italian regions. It’s a direct sale from the producer to the consumer.
Every year in summer and during the Christmas period, many initiatives are planned:
“LA GRANDE ABBUFFATA – the great banquet”. Feast is celebrated during summer months of July and August along old town’s streets, it’s involves restaurants, cafè and delis shops.
CARNEVALE D’AGOSTO - August carnival it is a party that involves seafront area. People and the staff of the shops are masked according to a chosen theme, allegorical floats parade along the seafront street.
VEGLIONE DI FINE ANNO E ZABAIONATA – End of the year and eggnog sagra. Annual event near the port area and old town area. Evening with musical entertainment and free distribution of panettone, eggnog and sparkling wine.
What can you find near Chiavari?
From Chiavari, by train, you can easily reach the most important and famous destinations of the Ligurian Riviera.
Cavi di Lavagna. seaside village, with sandy coast, 10 minutes by train from Chiavari.
Sestri Levante. 15 minutes by train from Chiavari, due to its geographical shape it is defined as the "city of the two seas", the village has two bays: "Baia delle Favole" and "Baia del Silenzio". The second baia is very suggestive and romantic to swim or to drink something at a typical cafe.
From the village, a walk to Punta Manara starts, after an hour and about 200 meters of difference in height, by walking into the wild, you can reach Cape Manara, overlooking the sea..
S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino. S. Margherita is a small town, 15 minutes by train from Chiavari; with many restaurants and a beautiful beachfront promenade. From S. Margherita you can reach Portofino by walking (5 km, 1 hour) or by bus and visit the famous seafaring village.
Camogli-S.Fruttuoso. Camogli is a typical seaside village known for its marina and the seafront colorful buildings. It’s very popular during the summer but always fascinating and romantic place. You can reach Camogli by train in 20 minutes.
From the marina, by boats, you can reach the inlet of San- Fruttuoso situated in the middle of the indented coastline of the Portofino Promontory. You can admire wonderful landscape and the famous Abbey of San Fruttuoso.
Portofino Park. The park offers walks and breathtaking views. You can climb the mountain from Santa Margherita, Portofino and Camogli but the easiest access is from Ruta di Camogli and precisely from Portofino Vetta or from S. Rocco di Camogli, a nice village near Camogli. Walking by easy path, from the church, you can reach in less than an hour some war residuals. From the roof of the building you have a view overlooking the sea and “Punta Chiappa” peak.
To ceck hiking trails I suggest you:”map slow” http://www.mapslow.eu/it/
Cinque Terre National Park. Cinque Terre are ancient fishing villages located along the jagged Ligurian coast. Each of these villages (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore) is characterized by colorful houses and vineyards overlooking the sea. The ports are crowded with fishing boats and in the typical restaurants you can try the seafood specialties. The “Sentiero Azzurro” is a hiking path that connects the Cinque Terre with each other and offers beautiful views. It’s highly recommended to reach Cinque Terre by train (from Chiavari in less than an hour). For further information please visit http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Eindex.php
Typical Ligurian food&wine specialties.
After all these Ligurian Riviera tours you will surely be hungry! Some suggestions and typical Ligurian specialties for you now!
Don’t forghet “focaccia alla genovese”, a flat bread with oil (which you can find in all bakeries, excellent Piombo bakery, Corso Millo in Chiavari).
You have to taste the “focaccia al formaggio di Recco” a cheese flat bread (it comes from Recco but you can find it everywhere)
“Farinata” is an excellent chickpea flour salty cake. A legend tells that it was born in 1284, when Genoa defeated Pisa in the battle of Meloria. During a storm some barrels of oil and chickpea bags spilled over doing a mix with salt water. Sailors cooked this mix and discovered how good it was.
“Frisceau”, name in Genoese dialect, are fritters served in restaurants as appetizer.
Pasta dishes: “troffie al pesto” a fresh pasta with the famous basil sauce (in the supermarkets look for troffie and pesto produced by Novella, a pasta factory in Sori).
“Pansoti” are a fresh pasta with walnut sauce.
“Minestrone alla genovese” is a typical genoese vegetable soup.
A lot of dishes are based on fish, for example “stoccafisso alla ligure” is the Ligurian stockfish.
“Cappon magro” is an ancient traditional Ligurian dish based on fish and vegetables. “Cima alla Genovese” is a stuffed veal belly.
During Christmas Genoese people eat the Genoese pandolce, a cake with raisins, candied fruit and pine nuts.
The typical ligurian white wines are “Bianchetta”, “Lumassina”, “Pigato” and “Vermentino”. Bisson winery is an excellent agricultural company that produces wine. It’s located in Chiavari, Corso Gianelli (railway station street).
A curiosity: during Christmas festivities, the winery sells the exclusive sparkling wine matured for 18 months underwater on the Sestri Levante’s sea bed, 60 meters deep!
In Chiavari you can find many restaurants, pizzerias and ice cream.
Pizzeria La Bitta (excellent pizza, gluten free too) is situated in Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Hotel restaurant Miramare, situated in Corso Valparaiso, has excellent dishes based on fish with a good quality but a convenient price.
Bottega Nazionale is situated into the old town, via Rivarola and offers appetizers, take away food and an excellent restaurant.
Cafè Defilla (pastry shop too) is situated in Corso Garibaldi, Cafè delle Carrozze in front of Piazza Matteotti.