Sestri Levante and mount Capenardo
Sestri Levante is one among the not-to-be-missed towns of the Ligurian coast, and an excellent starting point for very interesting hikes. The one to mount Capenardo is rather demanding, but very diverse and spectacular, a bit out of the most beaten hiking paths. We head to the west outskirts of Sestri, along the sea front alley, and start our ascent to the top of the coastal ridge. From there, we suddenly experience the transition from the Mediterranean to the inland side, with views of the inner mountains, already in a pastoral environment. We continue our ascent to mount Capenardo, among shrubs and rocks, with views over the sea. We descend to the pass on the opposite side and then, along cobbled crossing old hamlets, to the church of Santa Giulia, another panoramic balcony over the sea of Lavagna. We continue our descent across olive groves, to Cavi Borgo, from where we ascend again to the ruins of the church of S. Anna delle Rocche, then descending back to Sestri, along another panoramic path.
Meeting point: Sestri Levante, place to be defined. Or see here below, “Additional info”.
Duration: whole day. The participants must bring their own food.
Effort: rather demanding, for the gradient and length.
Difficulties: stretches with rough and slippery ground, when wet; steep uphill and downhill stretches.
Period: year round, except cold and windy winter days.
Additional info
a) The path ascending from Sestri Levante to the coastal ridge is also frequented by mountain bikers; for safety reasons, the ascent may be done along an alternative way.
b) it is possible to start a round hike from Borgo di Cavi, reducing a bit the total gradient, and cutting the length; it is anyway a very nice itinerary, not missing almost any the interesting places; in this case, the meeting point may be at the Cavi railway station.
Filippo D’Antuono – piudimille.com – Nature experiences in the Apennines – All rights reserved