This Sestri Levante travel guide is written by the people who host guests here every week: how to arrive, where to swim, what to see and how to reach Portofino and the Cinque Terre without stress.
Why Sestri Levante
Sestri Levante is a seaside town on the Italian Riviera, in Liguria, between Genoa and the Cinque Terre. It sits on a narrow strip of land between two bays, so you have the sea on both sides of the old town: the quiet Baia del Silenzio on one side and the wide Baia delle Favole on the other.
We have been hosting guests here since 2018 in our two apartments, and this guide collects the answers to the questions they ask us most. Every page is written from first-hand experience and kept practical: what to do, how long it takes, what to watch out for.
Where to stay in Sestri Levante
- Holiday Apartments in Sestri Levante: Two Homes a Short Walk from the Sea — our two apartments compared: Due Passi Beach, with private parking, and Due Passi dal Mare, two minutes from the station and the sea.
Plan your trip
- How to Get to Sestri Levante from Abroad: Airports, Trains and the A12 — by train, car or plane, from the nearest airports.
- Sestri Levante Without a Car: Station, Trains and Easy Day Trips — trains and boats are enough for a whole holiday here.
- Parking in Sestri Levante: Car Parks, Blue Lines and the ZTL Explained — where to leave the car and how to avoid the ZTL fines.
- Best Time to Visit Sestri Levante: Weather, Sea and Crowds Month by Month — weather, sea and crowds month by month.
- Sestri Levante in Autumn: What October and November Are Really Like — October and November, the quiet season.
- Sestri Levante with a Dog: Where to Stay, Dog Beaches, Walks and Trains — beaches, rules and dog-friendly places to stay.
Beaches of Sestri Levante
- Sestri Levante Beaches: Both Bays, Riva Trigoso and How Free Beaches Work — free beaches, beach clubs and how they work in Italy.
- Baia del Silenzio: A Local's Guide to Sestri Levante's Bay of Silence — the most famous bay: when to go and how to get a spot.
Things to do and day trips
- One Day in Sestri Levante: A Walkable Itinerary from Morning to Night — a walking itinerary from morning to sunset.
- Sestri Levante Old Town: A Walk Through the Carruggi Between Two Bays — the carruggi, the churches and the peninsula.
- Portofino from Sestri Levante: How to Get There and What to See in Half a Day — by train, bus, boat or car, and what to see.
- Cinque Terre from Sestri Levante: A Day Trip by Train to the Five Villages — the five villages by train, with tips to avoid the crowds.
More pages in Italian
The rest of the site is in Italian, but some pages are easy to use even without the language: the beach directory with a map, the events calendar and the Ligurian recipes. Browser translation works well on all of them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sestri Levante worth visiting?
Yes. It combines two sheltered bays, a car-free old town and a station on the Genoa–La Spezia line, so the Cinque Terre and Portofino are easy day trips.
How many days do you need in Sestri Levante?
One day is enough to see the town and the two bays. Three to five days let you add the Cinque Terre, Portofino and a few slow beach days.
Do you need a car in Sestri Levante?
No. The town is walkable and trains reach the Cinque Terre, Genoa and the Portofino coast. A car is only useful for the inland villages.
When is the best time to visit Sestri Levante?
June and September offer warm sea and fewer people than July and August. Spring and autumn are quiet and good for walking.
📅 Last updated:
