{"id":2013,"date":"2017-08-15T15:53:01","date_gmt":"2017-08-15T05:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slingadventures.com\/?p=2013"},"modified":"2018-08-21T07:42:56","modified_gmt":"2018-08-20T21:42:56","slug":"cycling-italian-riviera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slingadventures.com\/destinations\/italy\/cycling-italian-riviera","title":{"rendered":"Cycling the Italian Riviera"},"content":{"rendered":"The Italian Riviera in summer brings visions of dramatic sheer cliffs, pebbled beaches and pinstriped cabanas. You might also imagine endless boats moored in exclusive marinas with party-goers on the deck enjoying champagne and thumping tunes. Less front of mind I suspect would the sight of two sweaty cyclists wobbling with overladen with gear trying to navigate steep and twisty single-lane roads.\r\n\r\nInspired by the recent Tour de France experience, Erin and I decided upon our own special cycling tour along the Liguria Coast, affectionately known as the Italian Riviera. The Italian Riviera takes over where France hands off it's slice of the Mediterranean coast to Italy. It begins from the main city of Genoa down through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cinque Terra and onwards till you reach a certain leaning tower in Pisa.\r\n\r\nThere was scant information on the suitability or quality of cycling to be had along this summer holiday coast. The well known Cinque Terra is a mecca for hikers so time would tell if the cycling was even possible let alone pleasant. The scenery looked epic. The towns looked super quaint. The distances weren't too far. We were on a quest to see if two amateurs could complete the 'Giro d'Riviera' with our lives, our dignity and our relationship intact!\r\n

Stage 1: Genoa to Rapollo - 27 km Cycle<\/h2>\r\nGenoa was\u00a0a suitable starting point as the commercial hub for the Italian Riviera. Commercial hubs generally lack the tourist appeal of the regions they support. Genoa was no different. To be fair, we did only gave it a passing glance while we waited for Gennaro from\u00a0Veloce Bike Rentals to arrive with our wheels.\r\n\r\n
\"genoa

Genoa wasn't the most attractive city, but century-old laneways rarely disappoint.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nSo with bikes delivered we were off. Genoa, along with its cosmetic struggles, is also not designed with the cyclist top of mind.\u00a0Navigating uneven footpaths, dead-end carparks, dodgy alleyways and busy freeways was required to get out of the city. However once on the wide coastal esplanade, it allowed some very welcome open space.\r\n\r\nAt Nervi, we joined the main SS1 highway route that runs along the coast. Small towns began to pass by frequently. We began to get into the rhythm of our peddling cadence and enjoying the smell of the salty sea air in our nostrils. Each town was located at sea level at the many beaches and inlets that interrupt the continuous cliff face along the coast. The end result for us budding cyclists were continual steep descents and ascents in and out of each town.\r\n\r\nAt Camogli, the climb out continued\u00a0much longer than usual. Then kept going. Eventually, we saw the extent of the hill. A church spire far above us in the distance. It was 2 pm, the hottest part of the day, and we were out of drinking\u00a0water. It was a hard slog. We were rewarded with more impressive views as we got higher but this was an unwelcome distraction as needed to focus on staying close to the small shoulder of the narrow road. Maintaining a straight course was the difference between becoming roadkill or falling off the ever-growing cliff.\r\n\r\n

\"cinque

Going gets tough, ascending out of yet another seaside town with little room to cycle.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nRespite at last at the top. A small park allowed us to refill our water supplies and enjoy the cool breeze on our sweat-soaked bodies. The descent immediately entered a dark menacing tunnel. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel was only a tiny speck in the distance. Adorning our high-visibility vests, supplied for such purposes and also indicated on the signs leading into the tunnel, we braved the darkness and emerged out the other side unscathed.\r\n\r\nAfter the descent to the popular town of Rapollo, we stopped for a swim at the public beach. Beach clubs take the prime beach positions which are so common in Europe so the public beach is not well maintained and has a bit of rubbish lying about. Still, it was good to cool off and have a brief rest after 27 km of cycling over hills in the heat of the day. We were due to stay in nearby Zoagli, however, our Airbnb host had cancelled last minute leaving us with an unexpected 24 km more to reach Sestri Levante. The terrain was thankfully a lot flatter than we had experienced to this point.\r\n

Stage 2: Rapollo to Sestri Levante - 24 km Cycle<\/h2>\r\nAfter 50km of cycling for the day, we finally arrived into Sestri Levante grimy, exhausted and very saddle sore. We were booked in at\u00a0Grand Hotel Villa Balbi<\/a> which had an old world type of opulence. Our present state contradicted this ambience significantly. However, rather than turn their noses up at our scruffy appearance we were instead kindly offered a room to store our bikes, a fresh towel to wipe the highway from our faces and promptly ushered to our room with awaiting shower.\r\n\r\nEmerging a little later it was just coming on dusk and the the narrow laneways surrounding the hotel were alive with European holidaymakers. Restaurants were packed, street sellers were out in force and a real buzz was in the air along with the smells of freshly cooked pizza. A hearty Italian dinner was had and a much-deserved beer (and wine) after a long day in the saddle.\r\n\r\n
\"italian

The small towns almost exclusively on the water are a joy to walk around.<\/p><\/div>\r\n

Stage 3: Sestri Levante to Levanto - Train<\/h2>\r\nThe previous day's efforts had left our bums very sore having not ridden regularly recently. For some rear-end respite and in the interests of keeping moving we decided to take a train south to Levanto. Trains run between each of the main towns on the coast and while cutting out some scenery (the majority of the train route is through tunnels) it is a good fallback option.\r\n\r\n
\"train

Getting the train at certain points along the route is recommended for safety and to avoid super steep sections.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nWe immediately liked Levanto. The village laneways housed cafes, bookstores and gelato stands which all led down to an\u00a0impressive beach. At night, alfresco dining tables littered the streets and the sounds of some talented buskers echoed along the\u00a0ancient sandstone walls. Not to mention the best slice of pizza I've ever eaten.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nLevanto also promised its own unique cycling experience. Old disused rail\u00a0tunnels had been converted into a cycling and jogging track along the coastline leading north from the beach. We tackled the 7km of rail tunnels on the second day after our backsides were a little less tender. The scenery was spectacular as we continually emerged from the flood-lit tunnels to bright expansive sea views. We even stopped for a short swim at the turn around point. The rail tunnels are simply an out and back route so serve little practical purpose for onward travel but it is worth the ride!\r\n\r\n