One day in Sestri Levante is enough to see the essentials on foot: the old town and its carruggi in the morning, a swim in the Baia del Silenzio before lunch, the Baia delle Favole in the afternoon and an aperitivo by the sea at sunset.
One day in Sestri Levante: the plan in short
At 8 in the morning the fish stall on Via XXV Aprile is already out and the Baia del Silenzio still has empty sand. By 10 in August it won't. That's the whole logic of this day: do the small bay early, the big bay later.
Sestri Levante is compact. The old town sits on an isthmus about 800 metres long, with a bay on each side. You can walk from one beach to the other in around ten minutes, so you don't need a car or a bus all day.
- Morning: coffee in Piazza Matteotti, then a slow walk through the old town and its churches
- Late morning: Baia del Silenzio, for the view and a swim
- Lunch: trofie al pesto or the fish of the day
- Afternoon: Baia delle Favole and the seafront promenade
- Evening: sunset, aperitivo by the water, dinner in the old town
Getting to Sestri Levante for a day trip
If you can, come by train. Sestri Levante is on the Genoa–La Spezia line, and the station is 2 minutes' walk from the sea. Regional trains from Genoa take about 45 minutes. One thing visitors from abroad often miss: a paper regional ticket must be validated in the small machines on the platform before you board. Our guide to Sestri Levante without a car has the details.
If you're driving, leave the A12 motorway at the Sestri Levante exit; the centre is about 5 minutes away. The old town is a ZTL, a limited traffic zone you can't drive into without a permit, so park outside it. In summer the main car parks fill up by mid-morning. Arrive by 9 or plan around it with our guide to parking in Sestri Levante.
Morning: the old town and its carruggi
Start in Piazza Matteotti, the main square, with a coffee at one of the outdoor tables. Italians drink espresso standing at the bar and it costs less that way; sitting down is fine, it's just priced differently.
From here, walk Via XXV Aprile, the main street of the old town. Early in the morning there's a stall selling the day's catch on ice. Then duck into the carruggi, the narrow lanes typical of Ligurian towns, paved with grey slate slabs. They're shady even in July. They're also slippery when wet, so leave the flip-flops for the beach.
Two churches are worth the detour:
- Basilica di Santa Maria di Nazareth, the main church of the old town, Baroque, with frescoes inside
- Chiesa di San Nicolò dell'Isola, a Romanesque church at the tip of the isthmus, from back when Sestri was an island. Come for the position over the bay more than the architecture
Opening hours vary, so check at the door. You can cover the old town in an hour without rushing. Our guide to Sestri Levante's old town has a longer walking route.
Late morning: swim in the Baia del Silenzio
From San Nicolò, the steps lead down to the Baia del Silenzio, the Bay of Silence. It's a small curve of fine, dark sand, about 200 metres long, closed in by pastel-coloured houses that used to belong to fishing families. The seabed slopes gently and the water is usually calm, so it's good for children and for swimmers who aren't confident.
The middle of the bay is free public beach. There are also a couple of small beach clubs at the sides, where you rent a sunbed and umbrella for the day. In July and August the free part is packed by 9, so if you want a swim here, this is the slot to do it. Out of season you'll have room at any time.
Even if you don't swim, sit on the church steps for twenty minutes and watch the boats. For the full picture, read our guide to the Baia del Silenzio.
Lunch: pesto, fish and a tip on prices
Order trofie al pesto, short twisted pasta with Genoese basil pesto, or the fresh fish of the day. If you see stuffed mussels on the menu, take them.
Honestly, the tables with a view of the bay cost more. You're paying for the view, which is fair. Walk five minutes inland, into Via XXV Aprile and the lanes around it, and you'll eat the same food for less. For a quick lunch, buy focaccia by the slice from a bakery and eat it standing up, like the locals do. Some small shops prefer cash for small amounts.
Restaurant kitchens in Italy usually serve lunch from around 12:30 and close in mid-afternoon, and many small shops close for a few hours after lunch. Plan your meal before 2 pm. Our list of typical Ligurian dishes (in Italian) is handy if you want to know what you're ordering.
Afternoon: Baia delle Favole and the seafront
Cross the isthmus to the other side, a five-minute walk. The Baia delle Favole, the Bay of Fables, is the long one: about 1 km of sand facing south-west, with beach clubs and stretches of free beach. It's more open and has more services than the Baia del Silenzio. Families with small children usually prefer it.
The name comes from Hans Christian Andersen, who stayed in Sestri Levante in 1833; the town later named a literary prize after him. Walk the seafront promenade and look for the monument dedicated to Andersen.
If you want another swim, this is the beach for it. Our guide to the beaches of Sestri Levante explains the free beaches and beach clubs in both bays.
Evening: sunset, aperitivo and dinner
Head back towards the Baia del Silenzio around 7 pm from June to September. The bay faces south, so the light runs across the water rather than disappearing behind the houses. In May or June, at that hour, it's often just you, a couple of fishermen and an orange light that lasts about forty minutes.
Then do what Ligurians do: an aperitivo, a drink with small snacks, at one of the bars by the sea. Italians eat dinner later than many visitors expect, usually from around 7:30 pm. If you want a table facing the bay on a summer evening, book ahead.
Finish with a slow walk back through Piazza Matteotti, which fills up after dark.
If you have more than one day in Sestri Levante
One day covers the town. Two or three let you use Sestri as a base. By regional train, Monterosso in the Cinque Terre is about 20 minutes away: see our guide to the Cinque Terre from Sestri Levante. Portofino is a half-day trip via Santa Margherita: read how to get to Portofino from Sestri Levante.
Staying the night also means you see the bays when the day-trippers have gone home. If you'd like to sleep a few minutes from the sea, have a look at our holiday apartments in Sestri Levante: one has private parking, the other is 2 minutes from the station.
And if you only have 24 hours, do them in this order: small bay in the morning, big bay in the afternoon. Not the other way round.
Frequently asked questions
Is one day enough for Sestri Levante?
Yes, one day is enough to see the old town and both bays on foot. You need two or three days if you also want to visit the Cinque Terre or Portofino.
Can you walk everywhere in Sestri Levante?
Yes. The old town sits on an isthmus about 800 metres long, and the two bays are around ten minutes apart on foot. The station is 2 minutes' walk from the sea.
Which beach should I visit if I only have one day?
Go to the Baia del Silenzio in the morning, before it fills up, and the Baia delle Favole in the afternoon. The two bays are a five-minute walk apart and feel quite different.
Is it better to visit Sestri Levante by train or by car?
By train, especially in summer. The station is 2 minutes from the sea, while car parks in the centre fill up by mid-morning in high season and the old town is a limited traffic zone.
What should I eat in Sestri Levante?
Try trofie al pesto, the fresh fish of the day and focaccia bought by the slice. Eating a few minutes inland from the seafront is usually cheaper than the tables with a bay view.
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