Italian Riviera: Genoa to Lerici

Route description

From Genoa, the SS1 Via Aurelia follows the coast east to Camogli, a fishing town with tall painted houses above a pebble beach. The road down to the town is steep and parking is tight.

Beyond Santa Margherita Ligure, a narrow coastal road leads to Portofino, where painted houses surround a tiny harbour. Parking is limited, so arrive early or take the boat from Santa Margherita.

The Aurelia then heads inland via Sestri Levante and over the Bracco pass towards the Cinque Terre. Vernazza, with pastel houses stacked above a tiny harbour, is best reached by train: leave the car in La Spezia or Levanto, as the roads above the villages are narrow and parking is scarce.

From La Spezia, a naval port, the road crosses to the Gulf of Poets and Lerici, with its castle above the bay. The A12 motorway runs parallel to the coast if you need to cover distance quickly, but the Aurelia is slower and very twisty in places.