There’s a moment, Sunday morning, when Genoa wakes slowly and the sun enters through the shutters of our residences in the historic center, that the Riviera di Levante begins to call. It’s an ancient summons, that of the sea changing color and villages that seem painted directly onto the rock. Thirty minutes by train from Brignole station, and the urban landscape gives way to hidden coves and houses that defy gravity, clinging to promontories like colored shells.
Camogli is perhaps the most beautiful of these surprises. Not the most famous – that’s Portofino’s destiny – but the most authentic. Here fishermen still set out at dawn, grandmothers hang laundry on balconies overlooking the Golfo Paradiso, and life flows to the rhythm of the tides, not tourist buses.
The painted village that defies the sea
When the train pulls into Camogli station, the first thing that strikes you is the silence. After Genoa’s traffic, the sounds change register: seagulls, waves breaking on stones, the tinkling of halyards on the masts in the small harbor. But it’s when you turn toward the village that the first blow to the heart arrives.
Camogli’s houses are not simply colored: they are painted. Every facade tells a story of trompe-l’œil that deceives the eye and defies time. Fake windows that open onto painted skies, balconies that seem real but are only skillfully measured shadows and lights, decorations that transform every building into a work of art. This tradition, born in the 18th century to embellish poorer facades, has become the very soul of the village.
The waterfront is a sight you won’t forget. The towering houses – some exceed six stories, an unusual height for a fishing village – are reflected in the water creating a moving kaleidoscope. Antique pink, ochre, sage green, brick red alternate in a chromatic symphony that changes with the light of day. At sunset, when the sun strikes the facades from the west, the entire village seems to catch fire.
The Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta dominates the scene from its promontory. The majolica-tiled dome, with its colored tiles gleaming in the sun, is visible from every corner of the village and from the open sea. Inside, the ex-votos of sailors tell centuries of storms overcome and graces received. It’s not just a monument: it’s the spiritual heart of a community that has always lived looking toward the horizon.
The Fish Festival: a tradition worth the trip
There’s a moment in the year when Camogli becomes the center of Ligurian gastronomic life: the second Sunday in May, when the Sagra del Pesce is celebrated. It’s not just any festival. It’s an event that transforms the entire waterfront into an open-air kitchen, with a four-meter-diameter pan as the star – the world’s largest – that can fry three thousand portions of fish at once.
The tradition dates back to 1952 and was born from a promise: to thank San Fortunato, patron saint of fishermen, for protecting the fleet during the war. What began as a village celebration has become an unmissable appointment for anyone who loves fresh fish and the authentic atmosphere of seafaring Liguria.
On the morning of the festival, the village wakes before dawn. The cooks – all volunteers from the town – begin preparing the batter, while fishermen bring in freshly caught fish. Anchovies, squid, shrimp, red mullet: everything the Golfo Paradiso has to offer ends up in the giant pan, together with seasonal vegetables in batter. The aroma spreads throughout the historic center, reaching even the railway station.
But the Fish Festival is more than gastronomy. It’s a moment when Camogli shows its truest soul: that of a community that knows how to celebrate together, that welcomes visitors as guests, that keeps age-old traditions alive without turning them into postcard folklore.
How to get to Camogli from Genoa
Reaching Camogli from genovabb.it residences is simpler than you might imagine. The train is undoubtedly the best solution: from Genoa Brignole station, regional trains depart approximately every 30 minutes, with a journey of about 35 minutes along the Riviera di Levante. The ticket costs less than 4 euros and lets you enjoy the scenery without the stress of summer traffic.
For those who prefer driving, the Aurelia state road (SS1) offers breathtaking views but can be congested on summer weekends. The journey takes about 30 minutes from Genoa, but it’s advisable to leave early to find parking. The main parking area is located on Via Ruffini, a few minutes’ walk from the historic center.
During the summer season, from May to September, there’s also a maritime connection from Porto Antico in Genoa. The boats of Consorzio Liguria Via Mare offer a unique experience: seeing Camogli from the sea, with the colored houses emerging from the Mediterranean vegetation, is a spectacle worth the extra travel time.
A Perfect Day in Camogli
The ideal day in Camogli begins with the arrival of the 9:30 train. The village in the morning has a special atmosphere: shops are opening, fishermen are returning with the night’s catch, and sunlight is beginning to warm the colorful facades. It’s the perfect moment for a walk along Via del Mare, the road that skirts the harbor.
The morning can continue with a visit to the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta. Don’t miss the frescoes in the apse and the view from the church square, which embraces the entire Golfo Paradiso stretching to the outline of Genoa. If you’re traveling with children, the small Tirrenio aquarium deserves a stop: it houses local marine fauna and has a section dedicated to the cetaceans of the Pelagos Sanctuary.
For lunch, there are plenty of options. Restaurants along the waterfront offer fresh fish of the day – salt-cured anchovies, octopus salad, and stuffed mussels are local specialties – but the focaccie shops in the village’s interior also serve authentic focaccia col formaggio from Recco and farinata. Prices are lower than in Portofino, and the quality is often superior.
The afternoon is perfect for a walk toward Punta Chiappa, following the trail that starts from the tourist harbor. It’s an easy 45-minute hike that leads to one of the most beautiful viewpoints on the Riviera di Levante. From here you can see Cinque Terre in the distance and, on the clearest days, even Corsica. The trail is part of the network of hiking routes in Liguria that depart from Genoa and branch out along the entire coast.
The return to Genoa is best in the late afternoon, when the angled light of sunset transforms Camogli’s houses into an impressionist painting. Trains to Genoa are frequent until 22:30, also allowing for dinner in the village for those who want to extend their day.
The Secret Few Know
There is a corner of Camogli that escapes most visitors, yet it tells the deepest soul of the village. It’s the San Rocco neighborhood, which climbs the hill behind the basilica. Here, among the narrow uphill alleys and slate staircases, the families of sailors who made Camogli great in the nineteenth century still live.
On Via della Repubblica, at number 67, there is a small plaque commemorating the birthplace of Gio Bono Ferrari, the shipowner who in the nineteenth century owned a fleet of 500 sailing ships and made Camogli one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean. His story is that of hundreds of Camogli captains who sailed all the oceans, carrying the village’s name to Australia and South America.
From the windows of these houses, the open sea is still visible – the sea of departures and returns. It was from here that the wives of sailors scanned the horizon, waiting for the sails that brought their men home. Today those houses are home to ordinary families, but they still keep old telescopes on their balconies and their great-grandfathers’ fishing tools in their cellars.
The Return and the Promise to Come Back
When the evening train carries you back toward Genoa and the lights of Camogli grow smaller through the window, there’s a feeling that all travelers know: that of having discovered something precious. It’s not just the beauty of the village or the excellence of fresh fish. It’s the authenticity of a place that still lives by its sea, that hasn’t traded its soul for mass tourism.
Returning to our residences in the historic center, tired but happy, Genoa welcomes you with its familiar caruggi alleyways and the aroma of focaccia wafting from the ovens. But Camogli remains in your eyes, with its painted houses and its sea that changes color with every hour of the day. And the promise to return, perhaps for the Fish Festival in May, or simply to see that sunset again that turns everything to gold.
If Camogli is calling to you with its colorful houses and crystalline sea, our residences await you to be your Ligurian home base. Because every great discovery begins at a place where you feel at home.
