Soggiorna
Cervo's sea lies below the village, and the first thing to know is that it is not one single beach. It is a run of different things: small bathing clubs, free stretches of sand or pebbles, and rocky inlets where you sunbathe on stone rather than sand.
Anyone arriving expecting the wide serviced beach of the Diano gulf is thrown. Anyone arriving knowing what it is finds a small, varied shore five minutes from one of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The rocky inlets
Among the names that recur in the town's own information are the Porteghetto and the Ciappellette: inlets in the rock, quiet, where you climb down to swim and stretch out on the stone.
They are not beaches in the sense meant by anyone carrying a parasol. They are the part of this shore that most resembles the rest of western Liguria: clean water, few people, no facilities.
Capo Mimosa
It is the finest stretch and the most awkward, and the two go together.
It is made up mostly of cliffs and platforms you can stop and lie on. The sandy stretch is small and is managed by the campsite that looks onto the bay. Around it are tamarisks, maritime pines and Mediterranean scrub: a corner worth the detour.
The difficulty is getting there by car, because there are practically no parking areas. Anyone going should reckon on leaving the car elsewhere and doing the last part on foot, or arriving along the shore rather than off the road.
The San Bartolomeo beach
Near the centre is the stretch that alternates sand and pebbles, with a serviced area of parasols and loungers. It is the practical choice: the easiest to reach, the only one with facilities, and the one that works with children or with a whole day ahead of you.
If you are looking for "the beach at Cervo" in the usual sense, this is it.
The walk, which is the thing nobody expects
From the seafront you can walk to Diano Marina: about twelve kilometres there and back, flat, along the water. It is a real walk, not a two-block stretch, and it is one of the better reasons to sleep here rather than make Cervo a two-hour stop.
Early morning or sunset is the moment. In the middle of the day in August there is no shade.
Which to choose
- With children or for a full day: San Bartolomeo, for the sand and the facilities.
- To swim and be left alone: Porteghetto or Ciappellette.
- For the finest spot: Capo Mimosa, accepting the parking problem.
- To walk: the seafront towards Diano Marina.
Two honest warnings
This is not the coast of wide beaches. If the trip is built around a parasol and a beach club, the neighbouring resorts of the Diano gulf have larger and better-equipped sand: Cervo is where you sleep and climb to the village, not where you spend seven days under an umbrella.
The village and the sea are not at the same level. Between the Corallini church and the water there is the drop there is between 67 metres and sea level, and it has to be done in reverse to get back. With beach kit you feel it.
Frequently asked questions
Are the beaches at Cervo sandy?
Partly. The shore alternates free stretches of sand or pebbles, small bathing clubs and rocky inlets. The San Bartolomeo beach, near the centre, mixes sand and pebbles and has a serviced area.
Are there free beaches at Cervo?
Yes: the shore includes free stretches of sand or pebbles, as well as the rocky inlets of the Porteghetto and the Ciappellette, where you stretch out on the stone.
How do you get to Capo Mimosa?
It is the finest point on the shore but the hardest to reach by car, because there are practically no parking areas. Better to leave the car elsewhere and do the last stretch on foot. The sandy beach is small and is managed by the campsite that looks onto the bay.
Can you walk along the sea from Cervo?
Yes, as far as Diano Marina: about twelve kilometres there and back, flat and along the water. It is one of the best things to do here, better early in the morning or at sunset.
Is Cervo suitable for a week's beach holiday?
It depends what you are after. For a large serviced beach, the neighbouring resorts of the Diano gulf suit better. Cervo works for anyone who wants the village, the paths and a small varied shore within walking distance.