Soggiorna
Sestri Levante has three different seas within a few kilometres. In town there are the two bays that give it the nickname of town of two seas: the Bay of Silence, small and sheltered, and the Bay of Fables, long and equipped. To the east, past Punta Manara, is Riva Trigoso, with one of the rare wide, deep beaches on this stretch of Liguria. In 2026 Sestri holds the Blue Flag for four stretches of coast.
The 2026 Blue Flags
- Baia delle Favole Nord
- Baia Portobello
- Spiaggia Renà
- Riva Trigoso
Portobello is the other name of the Bay of Silence, the one with the coloured houses and via Portobello. Renà is a locality of Riva Trigoso.
The Bay of Silence
This is Sestri's most famous beach, and also the smallest: fine sand, clear water, pastel houses behind and boats pulled up on the shore. The tourist website notes that Tripadvisor users have several times named it among the ten most beautiful beaches in Italy. It is 1.1 kilometres from the station, a quarter of an hour on foot.
Precisely because it is small, the town limits entry in summer. In 2026 the cap applied from 1 July to 31 August, from 8.30am to 5.30pm, with a maximum of 450 people at once, free entry and no booking. Access points, facilities and tips are in our guide Bay of Silence.
At via Portobello 6, on the bay, is the aquarium of the Club Subacqueo Sestri Levante, open every day from 8am to 8pm: four tanks with lobsters, moray eels, groupers and the other creatures of this sea, many of which are later released.
The Bay of Fables
This is the big bay on the other side of the isthmus, with the marina and the promenade. Most of the beach clubs are here: the tourist website lists several on viale Rimembranza and via Vittorio Veneto, with phone numbers and addresses. The northern stretch holds the 2026 Blue Flag. It is the beach for those who want facilities, a booked umbrella and room for children.
The name was given by Enzo Tortora in the late 1950s, during an episode of Campanile sera broadcast from Sestri, as a tribute to the fairy tales of Andersen, who stayed here in 1833.
Riva Trigoso
The hamlet east of Punta Manara is a fishing village in two parts, either side of the mouth of the Petronio stream. The low, colourful houses stand right behind the beach, which the town describes as one of the rare wide, deep beaches on this stretch of the Ligurian coast.
Two curiosities of the sea at Riva:
- at Renà, the locality with the Blue Flag, is the Asseu rock;
- just off the Riva Ponente beach, at a depth of 11.5 metres, the Nativity of the Dolphins has stood since 2002, a sculpture group by Pietro Luigi Ravecca commissioned by the parish of Santa Sabina.
From Sestri to Riva you can take the train (Riva Trigoso has its own station on the same line), walk along the road, 3.2 kilometres, or take the Punta Manara trail, which comes down right onto the beach at Riva. The route is in our guide Punta Manara from Sestri Levante.
Which beach to choose
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| The postcard beach | Bay of Silence, early or after 5.30pm in summer |
| Beach clubs and facilities | Bay of Fables |
| Space and fewer people | Riva Trigoso |
| A beach close to the train | Bay of Silence or Bay of Fables |
| Sea and a hike in the same day | Punta Manara, then the beach at Riva |
Out of season
From September to June the Bay of Silence has no cap and is quiet again, and the Bay of Fables remains the town's promenade. At the end of July Riva Trigoso holds the Sagra del Bagnun, the anchovy soup festival, and in summer the Portobello bay hosts the Barcarolata, the night parade of decorated boats ending with fireworks.
Frequently asked questions
Which Sestri Levante beaches have the Blue Flag in 2026?
Four: Baia delle Favole Nord, Baia Portobello, Spiaggia Renà and Riva Trigoso.
Do you have to pay for the Bay of Silence?
No, the free beach costs nothing. In July and August, from 8.30am to 5.30pm, it has a limit of 450 people at once, with no booking.
What is the biggest beach in Sestri Levante?
The one at Riva Trigoso, one of the rare wide, deep beaches on this stretch of coast. In town the longest is the Bay of Fables.
How do you get from Sestri Levante to Riva Trigoso?
By train, one stop on the same line; on foot, 3.2 kilometres; or on the Punta Manara trail, which ends on the beach at Riva.
What is the Nativity of the Dolphins?
A sculpture group by Pietro Luigi Ravecca, placed in 2002 at a depth of 11.5 metres off the Riva Ponente beach.