Day 48 - June 26th: Via Della Costa

San Bartolomeo al Mare to Finale Ligure: 29 miles / 1,287 total

Bob, I think we have Athena and Zeus—I can audition for Dionysius!

Christina, Jax, and I are locked into a strong daily routine again with zero waste or effort. Italian restaurants open at seven, which means we’re back from dinner and in bed by 8:30 PM, lights out at nine. Since sleep is so key we’ve studied the variables and are unanimous on two: an ice-cold draft and A/C cranked to the max.

Since entering Italy, I’ve stayed close to the coastline but the official Italian Camino, the Via della Costa, runs from the Croatian border to France. While not as well-documented as its Spanish or French counterparts, I found a way to track it using GPS on Google Maps. With Genova approaching in a few days, we’re deciding whether to follow this route north or continue on the roads. Today I saw a small section departing near our hotel and decided to do recon while I was fresh and had Jax with me.

The last few days have been all sunshine on the flat coastline, with just a few ups and downs to get around the bluffs separating the towns. Today, I walked out of the hotel and, after a few streets, started climbing toward a village perched on a hill—Cervo. Jax and I passed through a massive stone gate and realized this was no ordinary town but a medieval fortress. Inside, impossibly narrow lanes spiraled upward, culminating in a church and a castle at the very top. Little nooks held cafés and auberges, and it was easy to imagine the scene centuries ago. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to be on the front line of marauders trying to sack Cervo—this place was built to hold.

At the top, we had sweeping views of San Bartolomeo al Mare. Then we dropped back to sea level before beginning a brutal 4 km climb gaining over 1,400 feet. The trail—part fire road, part steep single track—demanded switchbacks and offered little respite. My shirt was soaked, and Jax was panting hard as we scrambled over boulders and through thick brush.

We eventually crested and ran along a ridge line with 360-degree views of both coastlines. I realized this route was a shortcut—the road made a long arc while we sliced across one side of the triangle. I expected the descent to be faster, but it turned out to be just slower because of how technical it was, with loose rocks, overgrown vegetation hiding the trail, steep boulder spots and spider the spider webs my face kept breaking!

After 12 km of mountain recon, we returned to the road and dropped into Laigueglia, a gorgeous seaside town recognized as one of “I Borghi più belli d’Italia”. Once a Saracen stronghold, it retains its charm with narrow streets and quiet beaches. A short promenade later, we entered Alassio, a 19th-century resort town once favored by English aristocrats.

At the perfect moment, Christina pulled up and extracted Jax—after 20 hard kilometers, he jumped in without protest. If he could speak I could hear him yell, “Ciao!”

Climbing out of Alassio, I looked back to see Santa Croce church perched on a point above the Mediterranean. The road clung to rock walls until we reached Albenga, which felt massive in comparison to the quaint villages. Once a Ligurian settlement and later a Roman municipium, its medieval core still features ancient towers and the 5th-century Baptistery of Albenga.

At 30 km in, I was running on fumes. I stopped for a falafel and fries—pizza and kebab joints seem to be everywhere here. Then I pushed through Ceriale, Borghetto Santo Spirito, Loano, and finally Pietra Ligure. Loano was once a naval hub under the Doria family, and its old town still holds remnants of Roman roads and bridges.

I expected a cruise into Finale Ligure, my destination, but the route detoured over a pedestrian-only mountain pass. The climb followed an ancient stone pathway, likely trodden for centuries by locals moving between villages. At the summit, I reached a remote church with a graveyard and—surprisingly—a Café & Bar. The view was breathtaking, but storm clouds loomed.

The descent was nerve-racking. I lost the trail and made a few wrong turns exhausting three different possibilities before finding a steep, technical gulch that finally returned me to civilization. My legs were fried. I had hoped to finish by 3 PM but didn’t arrive at the Rio Hotel until 5:45 PM. Still, seeing Christina and Jax walking toward me in the old town brought the day to a perfect close.

Time for ice, a cold beer, and more of that fabulous Italian food.

Thanks for the support.

Cheers,

David