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A charming seaside town dating back to the year 1000, known as the “Gateway to the Cinque Terre”. Levanto is also a popular seaside resort and with its wide beach with swimming pool, it offers holidaymakers a range of marine activities.
In the summer, there are regular ferry services to the Cinque Terre, Portofino and Genova as well as boat rentals where visitors can hire canoes, paddle boats or a motor boat by the hour or for the day.
The old town with its narrow streets and houses painted in ice cream colours with typical Ligurian patterns is
ideal for a pleasant stroll. In addition, the following are well worth visiting: a line of battlements with an ancient tower, a well presenved XIII century castle, a medieval Loggia and the church of Sant’Andrea.
La Sosta di Ottone III is proud to be a member of the Sapori di Levanto Association which groups businesses in the Hotel, commercial and agricultural sectors that aim at offering a high quality service or product (http://www.saporidilevanto.it/contenuto_eng.htm?id_lingua=2).
Levanto is also a well known surfing venue and equipment can be bought or hired from local shops. |
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| A myriad of paths link the various villages of
the Levanto Valley and allow walkers to explore vine filled terraces
and olive groves. The typically Ligurian rural hamlets are full
of charm with their narrow streets and colourfully painted house
fronts. |
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| The paths are clearly marked and in any case,
with the mountain on one side and the sea on the other, it is
not easy to get lost. The signs indicate the time it takes to
reach a destination (not the distance). |
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The following is a photographic description of the walk through
the Levanto Valley starting from La Sosta di Ottone III, indicating
the time it takes to reach each town. The round trip will take
roughly 6 hours.
The pictures were taken in Summer 2004.
Almost every village has a path leading down to Levanto so it's
not necessary for you to complete the whole trip if you're not
interested or get tired.
Arrangements can be made for packed lunches and for a Taxi
or Minivan to drive you back up to Chiesanuova from Levanto. |
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Chiesanuova - Legnaro
Time: 15 min. |
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Legnaro - Gallona
Time: 20 min. |
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Gallona - San Bartolomeo
Time: 10 min. |
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San Bartolomeo - Pastine
Time: 30 min. |
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Pastine - Vignana
Time: 20 min. |
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Vignana - Montale
Time: 40 min. |
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Montale - Dosso
Time: 45 min. |
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Dosso - Groppo
Time: 15 min. |
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Groppo - Lavaggiorosso
Time: 20 min. |
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Lavaggiorosso - Lizza
Time: 15 min. |
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Lizza - Levanto
Time: 40 min. |
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After a stroll along the beach front and an aperitif
at the Barolino in Corso Italia, served with focaccia and salami,
it's time to head back up to Chiesanuova.
This last walk will take roughly 45 minutes. |
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The "Bagni"
These family run businesses manage sections of the beach providing a range of services like deck chairs, umbrellas, cafes, changing rooms, showers etc. There are roughly 6 on Levanto beach and you can pay by the day, by the week, the month or for the whole season (starts 1st June, ends 3rd week September). The biggest one is called "Casino'" which also has an open pool on the beach which is useful if you have small children or if the sea is rough. |
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There are sections of the beach which are "free" which means that you have none of the services above.
We are happy to book a “bagni” for you and provide you with beach towels.
Please bear in mind that it will be very difficult to find availability during the 2nd and 3rd week of August. |
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Renting a boat
There are 3 places on the beach where you can rent canoes, peddle
boats, motor boats and surf boards by the hour or for the whole
day. You can explore the coastline between Levanto and Monterosso
and stop at little beaches for lunch and a swim.
We are happy to book one for you if you are interested. |
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Surfing
Levanto is a well know surfing centre: www.surfxchange.net/spots/levanto.html.
When the conditions are right, surfers arrive from all over Italy
and Southern Europe. It is possible to rent all surfing gear at
several shops in Levanto. |
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In 2004, a year after we moved to Levanto, it snowed.
We thought that snow in the Riviera was a highly unusual event which we wouldn’t see for many years to come.
However, in 2005 it snowed much more heavily than the previous year, it froze and we were isolated for 3 days.
I took as many pictures as I could: I couldn’t go much further than the village of Chiesanuova but I hope that they tell the story of an unusual Riviera winter.
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