There’s a Sunday in August when the desire for the sea clashes with the thought of crowds. Camogli packed from morning on, Portofino with a queue for parking, Boccadasse where finding a meter of free rock is an undertaking. And so the question arises: is it really possible there’s no alternative, something halfway between the convenience of Genoa and the atmosphere of the Riviera’s most celebrated villages?
The answer lies precisely in the stretch of coast that Genoese people call the Golfo Paradiso, the strip that runs from the eastern edge of the city toward Camogli passing through three names that rarely make it into glossy guidebooks: Bogliasco, Pieve Ligure, Sori. Twenty, at most twenty-five minutes by train from Genoa and you find yourself in a different rhythm — that of villages where the beach is pebbled and the main piazza is still where neighbors meet, not tourists with cameras around their necks.
Don’t expect postcard-perfect coves or alleys painted on every Liguria guidebook. Instead, expect something rarer in this part of the coast: the sensation of simply being there, without having to elbow your way for a piece of beach or wait in line for a plate of trofie.
Bogliasco: the stream, the village and the sheltered beach
Bogliasco presents itself with an image that stays with you: the Bogliasco stream flowing right next to the historic core, with houses overlooking the water and a small bridge connecting them. It’s a village built around this meeting point between stream and sea, with a small harbor where fishing boats rest in the shallows just steps away from the outdoor seating of bars.
The village itself can be explored in little time: a walk along the sea, the parish church, the colored houses that are reflected in the stream’s water when afternoon light hits them at an angle. There’s no theatrical scenography like Camogli’s, but that’s precisely why the sensation feels more authentic: local people doing their shopping, fishermen mending nets, children playing on the dock.
Bogliasco’s main beach is pebbly, not enormous, framed by the village houses on one side and the hillside vegetation on the other. In summer it fills up, but never like the more well-known beaches of the eastern coast: those who arrive early, around nine, still find a good spot without having to reserve umbrellas weeks in advance. There are also equipped beach clubs for those preferring the comfort of an organized lounge chair.
Pieve Ligure: the panoramic balcony among the olives
Pieve Ligure is different from the other two: it’s not strictly a seaside village, but a village perched on the hillside, with the Pieve Alta district overlooking the gulf from a position that calling it panoramic almost understates it. You walk among olive terraces and vegetable gardens, with the blue of the sea appearing in glimpses between the branches, and the sensation — rare so close to Genoa — of being in authentic Ligurian countryside while remaining just steps from the coast.
The lower district, Pieve Bassa, descends toward the sea and offers a small beach, but the real reason to climb up here is the view. From the highest points in the village your gaze encompasses much of the Golfo Paradiso, from Genoa all the way to Camogli and, on the clearest days, beyond. It’s a place that locals themselves know mainly for weekend walks: paths that wind between dry stone walls, with stops that seem designed for coffee or gelato in the shade.
“Genoa is a tough city that takes pleasure in being sentimental. It imagines itself rude, but sweet in secret. The good-hearted misanthrope is an important character in the dialect comedy it performs in life. A true Genoese must never show emotion, but once you turn your back he must always secretly wipe away a tear.”
— Guido Piovene, Travels in Italy, 1957
Piovene’s phrase, though referring to the main city, suits these satellite villages well: places that the Golfo Paradiso holds close, a bit jealously, far from the great tourist flows. Pieve Ligure is one of those places that Liguria doesn’t give away, but doesn’t hide too much either: you just need to seek it out with minimal curiosity.
Sori: the focaccia, the stream, the calm sea
Sori has a particular quality that Genoese people know well and that alone is worth the trip: the focaccia. Not the Recco one, the more famous thin cousin with stretchy cheese, but a taller, softer focaccia that pairs nicely with a piece of cheese or is eaten plain, still warm. The bakeries in the village produce it throughout the day, and it’s not uncommon to see Genoese arrive by car or train just for this.
The town develops along the mouth of the Sori stream, with a seafront that alternates between free beaches and beach clubs, and a historic center gathered around the parish church. It’s a place that lives off quiet, family tourism, mostly made up of Genoese who have a second home here or who return every summer as part of a family tradition. Walking through Sori mid-morning means encountering more shopkeepers than tourists, a detail that many will see as an advantage, not a limitation.
When to visit
These three villages thrive year-round, but the seasons transform them differently. In peak summer, especially on July and August weekends, even Bogliasco and Sori fill up — never quite like Camogli, but sold-out parking lots are frequent. Weekday mornings in August, however, remain surprisingly quiet. May, June and September are probably the best time: the sea is already warm or still warm, the trails of Pieve Ligure are walkable without the midday sun, restaurants have no queues. In autumn and winter, Pieve Ligure offers the clearest views of the gulf, when the air is clear and the landscape is visible all the way to the horizon.
How to get there from Genoa
The train is the most convenient choice and, in this case, also the fastest. The Genoa-Sestri Levante line stops at Bogliasco, Pieve Ligure and Sori, with frequent service especially on weekdays and good service on Sundays too. From Genoa Brignole the travel time is about 15-20 minutes to Bogliasco, a little longer to Pieve Ligure and Sori, which are the next stops along the same line. It’s also possible to depart from Genoa Principe, with a few extra minutes of travel.
Those who prefer a car will find the Via Aurelia connecting the three towns a few minutes apart, but parking in the historic centers is limited, especially in summer: on peak weekends it’s worth allowing time for a few extra loops to find a spot, or leave your car in the parking areas on the outskirts and continue on foot. For those staying in one of the residences in the heart of Genoa, the train remains the most relaxing option: you get off almost in the center of each village, with no parking worries.
A Sunday among the three villages
One option is to dedicate the morning to Bogliasco: arrive early by train, walk along the stream and the small harbor, a swim on the pebble beach before it gets crowded. Around noon, hop on the train to Sori — it’s just a few minutes — for lunch: here the local focaccia is meal enough on its own, perhaps accompanied by a fish dish at one of the seafront trattorias.
The afternoon is perfect for Pieve Ligure, perhaps heading up to Pieve Alta for a walk among the olive trees while the light begins to soften. It’s the right time to enjoy the views of the gulf without the midday heat, perhaps stopping for a coffee or gelato at one of the bars in the upper village. Those who prefer a slower pace can instead choose a single village and spend the entire day there, alternating between beach, walks and an unhurried lunch: the proximity to Genoa allows you to improvise, without the worry of having to return by a set time.
For the return, trains to Genoa run frequently until evening, and the journey back — with the window open and the sea flowing past between the tunnels — is already part of the trip, not just a transfer.
The detail that makes the journey worthwhile
The most precious detail of these three villages is not a monument or a view, but an absence: the absence of queues. In Bogliasco you can still arrive at eleven in the morning in August and find a spot on the beach without having booked weeks in advance. In Sori you can walk into a bakery and buy focaccia while chatting with whoever is making it, without waiting in line. In Pieve Ligure you can climb to the highest viewpoints and be completely alone, with the entire gulf spread out beneath you. It’s a luxury that has been lost in many corners of the Levante Riviera, and that here, for now, still survives.
Returning to Genoa in the evening, after a day like this, has a particular flavor: salt spray still on your skin, the bag of focaccia from Sori just opened, the good tiredness of someone who has walked between beaches and olive groves. It’s the moment when our residences in the historic center stop being just accommodation and become the place to tell the day’s story, perhaps flipping through the Genoa guide to plan next week’s outing.
If this Sunday you feel like discovering a lesser-known part of Liguria, the villages of Golfo Paradiso await you just a stone’s throw away. And if Genoa is calling you for the weekend, we’re here: you can book your stay and choose the perfect base from which to venture out each morning, to return in the evening with a new story to tell.
