Sestri Levante: The City of Two Seas
Sestri Levante has a geographical peculiarity that no amount of tourism writing can adequately convey until you are standing in the middle of the old town and realise you can hear — almost simultaneously — two different seas. The town occupies a narrow promontory, historically an island connected to the mainland by an isthmus, and the two bays that flank it are so distinct in character they might belong to different towns.
To the east, the Baia del Silenzio (Bay of Silence): small, horseshoe-shaped, hushed, ringed by pastel buildings and ranked among the most beautiful beaches in Italy. To the west, the Baia delle Favole (Bay of Fables): broad, sandy, animated, named in honour of a Danish writer who came here in 1833 and never quite got over it.
Sestri Levante sits 40 kilometres southeast of Genoa on the Riviera di Levante, beyond the Gulf of Tigullio, at a point where the coast begins to turn more dramatically toward La Spezia and Cinque Terre. It is more authentically Ligurian than many of the villages that market themselves as such — a working town with a proper historic center, a year-round population, and an excellent train connection that makes it easy to reach without a car.
The Two Bays
Baia del Silenzio — Bay of Silence
The Bay of Silence is the defining image of Sestri Levante. The small, horseshoe-shaped bay on the eastern side of the promontory is backed by a crescent of soft golden-to-grey sand, bordered by pastel Ligurian buildings in ochre, terracotta, and faded yellow, with fishing boats pulled up on the shore and the church of Sant'Antonio keeping watch from the western edge. The water is exceptionally clear, the bay sheltered, and the atmosphere — particularly early morning or on weekday afternoons — genuinely peaceful in a way that has become rare on the Italian Riviera.
"The Bay of Silence ranked fifth in a national list of Italy's most beautiful beaches — and on a quiet morning in May, with the pastel facades catching the early light and only the sound of water on pebble, it is easy to understand why."
On the rocks at the bay's edge stands a small statue of a fisherman — deliberately echoing Copenhagen's Little Mermaid, a tribute to the Andersen connection that has shaped so much of Sestri Levante's civic identity. The beach is free and public; it fills in July and August but remains manageable in the shoulder season.
Baia delle Favole — Bay of Fables
The Bay of Fables is the larger, livelier sibling. It faces west, which means afternoon and evening light that turns the water from blue to gold. The bay has a long stretch of sandy beach, lidos and beach clubs at intervals, and a promenade backed by restaurants, bars, and gelaterias. The name — Baia delle Favole — was bestowed in honour of Hans Christian Andersen, who stayed in Sestri Levante in 1833 and later attributed some of his most famous tales to the inspiration he found here. (The wider bay name was in fact proposed by the television presenter Enzo Tortora in the 1960s, though the Andersen connection is the one Sestri Levante chose to celebrate.) The bay is East-facing in its northern arc, catching excellent morning light; the beach stretches for nearly a kilometre and is ideal for families.
The Historic Centre
Between the two bays lies the old town of Sestri Levante, built on the promontory that once was an island. The historic centro storico retains the character of a medieval Ligurian settlement: narrow carrugi, painted facades, small piazzas, and the peculiar pleasure of streets so narrow that the sky is reduced to a bright strip overhead.
The central artery is Via XXV Aprile (known locally simply as the Caruggio), the main pedestrianised street of the old town, lined with seafood restaurants, boutique shops, cafés, and gelaterie. It is the social spine of the town and the right place for a late-afternoon passeggiata with a Campari soda or a glass of Vermentino.
The Church of San Nicolò dell'Isola stands on the promontory between the two bays, built in 1151 on what was once the island at the tip of the headland. Dating to the 12th century, it has Romanesque foundations overlaid with later Baroque interventions and was restored to something closer to its original character in 1920. The adjacent terrace is one of the finest viewpoints in Sestri Levante — looking simultaneously toward both bays and across the coast to the hills above Chiavari and Rapallo.
Palazzo Fascie, on Largo Colombo, is a striking pseudo-medieval building erected in the early 20th century with a crenellated tower. It now serves as the town's municipal library and local museum. Galleria Rizzi, nearby, preserves a collection of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and period furniture assembled by a Sestrino family during the 20th century.
Things To Do in Sestri Levante
Trek to Punta Manara
The headland trail to Punta Manara, accessible from the southern end of the old town, is one of the most rewarding short hikes on the Riviera di Levante. The path climbs through Mediterranean maquis above the coast, opening progressively wider views back over the Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fables, then across the Gulf of Tigullio toward the Portofino promontory. The full round trip takes approximately two hours; the views at the headland itself justify every step of the climb.
Boat Trips and Kayaking
From the harbour at the Bay of Fables, seasonal boat trips run north toward Chiavari, Rapallo, and the Portofino coast, and south toward Cinque Terre. Kayak and paddleboard rental is available from beach clubs at both bays, offering access to the sea stacks and hidden coves immediately north and south of the promontory that are unreachable by land. Punta Manara is particularly dramatic seen from the water.
Day Trips from Sestri Levante
Sestri Levante's rail connection makes it an exceptional base. Cinque Terre is 30–40 minutes south by regional train. Chiavari is 15 minutes north. Rapallo is 25 minutes. Camogli is reachable by train or boat. For visitors considering property on the Portofino Coast, Sestri Levante offers a useful vantage point from which to understand the eastern extent of the market — see our Portofino Coast Investment Guide for context on values across the Riviera di Levante.
Festivals and Events
The Andersen Festival
Held each June, the Andersen Festival is Sestri Levante's most significant cultural event — an annual celebration of children's literature that honours Andersen's 1833 visit. The festival awards prizes for the best Italian children's books and their illustrators and publishers, and the town fills with outdoor performances, storytelling, and workshops that make the old town feel genuinely theatrical. It is the rare literary festival that is as enjoyable for adults without children as for families.
Barcarolata
The Barcarolata is a decorated boat parade held on the Bay of Silence — one of the most visually striking events on the Ligurian calendar. Boats are elaborately themed and lit, processing across the sheltered bay at night with the pastel buildings as backdrop. The effect, particularly on a calm summer evening, is genuinely magical.
Riviera International Film Festival
For five days each summer, Sestri Levante hosts an international film festival that includes outdoor screenings, masterclasses, and a competition for emerging directors from across the world. The combination of film culture and the town's two bays as setting makes it one of the more atmospheric small film festivals in Italy.
Food & Drink in Sestri Levante
The kitchens of Sestri Levante operate within the Ligurian tradition but with a particular emphasis on seafood: the waters of the eastern Riviera yield excellent anchovies, sea bass, and bream. The town's signature dish is bagnun — a stew of anchovies, tomato, garlic, onion, parsley, and white wine, traditionally served with hard ship's biscuits (galette) rather than bread. It is a dish of total austerity and total satisfaction.
The main street (Via XXV Aprile) concentrates the best aperitivo bars, gelaterie, and casual seafood restaurants. For a more serious dinner, the small trattorias tucked into the carrugi behind the Bay of Silence tend to offer the most authentic cooking at the most honest prices. Anchovies from the nearby village of Riva Trigoso — celebrated at the end of July in a dedicated festival — are among the best on the coast.
"Bagnun — the anchovy and tomato stew of the eastern Ligurian coast — is one of those dishes that rewards the traveller who leaves the main street and finds the right trattoria."
Vermentino is the right white wine for everything seafood in Sestri Levante; the local Colline di Levanto DOC is well distributed in the town's restaurants and enotecas.
Where To Stay in Sestri Levante
Sestri Levante's accommodation divides between the seafront hotels with direct bay views (the most coveted and the most expensive) and the charming apartments and B&Bs within the old town. The shoulder season — May and June, September and October — offers significantly better value without sacrificing the essential experience.
A former medieval castle converted into Sestri Levante's most architecturally remarkable hotel, perched on the tip of the promontory within its own park and with views across both bays. The combination of historic fabric and sea-facing terraces makes this the most memorable address in town.
Set directly on the Bay of Silence, with a heated pool and rooms that wake to the most iconic view in Sestri Levante. The most sought-after rooms face the bay directly; book early for the summer season.
A contemporary hotel with a rooftop terrace commanding panoramic views over both bays — particularly effective at sunset from the Bay of Fables side. Well positioned for both the old town and the seafront, with a short walk to the beach in either direction.
For longer stays and investment perspective, Sestri Levante is increasingly interesting to international buyers. Its genuine year-round community, excellent rail links, and relative affordability compared to Portofino village and Santa Margherita make it worth understanding in the context of the wider Ligurian market. See our property listings and investment guide.
Getting To Sestri Levante
Sestri Levante has its own station on the main Genoa–La Spezia rail line. Regional trains from Genoa take approximately 50 minutes; from Chiavari, 15 minutes; from La Spezia, around 40 minutes. InterCity trains from Milan stop here, making it reachable from the north without changing. The station is a short walk from both the old town and the Bay of Fables promenade.
By car from Genoa, take the A12 autostrada and exit at Sestri Levante — approximately 40 km and 35 minutes in light traffic. Parking in the old town can be challenging in July and August; arriving by train is significantly easier. A12 also connects north toward the A26 for Milan and Turin, and south toward La Spezia and the Cinque Terre.