November, 2024
Our next coastal day trip was east towards Portofino. Being a weekend it was definitely busier, which gave the day a more upbeat vibe! Heading east out of Genoa towards the Riviera di Levante, past the busy town and working port, is the most lovely strolling boardwalk. It's about 7.5km with the last 2km being worth the first 5.5km journey.
Boccadasse
We started with coffee in Boccadasse, about 20 minutes outside of Genoa. We didn't initially see what all the fuss was about for this weekend strolling territory for the Genoese. The strolling was pretty much roadside so we moved on after we realized there wasn’t much more to enjoy other than this view back to the old town hugging the bay. Thinking about it now, I bet the prime strolling might well have been the other side of the bay in the old part of town.
Nervi
The most beautiful part starts in Nervi with the Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi. Anita Garibaldi was a force to be reckoned with. She was a Brazilian freedom fighter and met Guiseppe Garibaldi, her future husband) in 1839 (she was 18) when he was fighting in Brazil's Ragamuffin War against the Brazilian Empire and joined his cause, fighting alongside the men. Nine years later, she joined Guiseppe during the Italian revolutionary campaigns that ultimately led to the Risorgimento and the unification of Italy in 1861. Sadly, Anita never saw the results of her efforts as she died from an illness in 1849 (she was 27) when she was pregnant with their fifth child. I guess she wasn't fighting ALL the time...
The start of the Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi winds up from Nervi's old fishing harbour, the Porticciolo di Nervi.
Now here’s the strolling spot! Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi runs a couple of kilometres along the edge of the cliff in Nervi. In case you are wondering, the development of this path along the cliff wasn't started until 1862, long after she was gone, but she visited family in Genoa for a few days in 1848 so that was enough to name the path for her, not as Garibaldi's wife, but for a powerful woman in her own right.
You don't have to stay up on Anita's passeggiata, you can take your chances down on the rocks below, but maybe check the tide tables first.
A little fixer-upper under the railway bridge
The views along the cliff side path were stunning…so was the summer weather in November!