Sentiero Liguria and Via della Costa: Two Ways to Discover Liguria on Foot

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Articolo del October 4, 2026. Pubblicato in Sport and nature

Liguria is a unique land, characterised by an extraordinary variety of landscapes: within just a few kilometres, you can move from the beach to a medieval village, from a seaside promenade to a trail through olive groves and woods, from the coast to the hills and all the way up to the mountains. It is precisely this richness of landscapes that attracts visitors from all over Italy and abroad every year, with often very different interests and ways of travelling. For those who want to discover Liguria on foot, the Sentiero Liguria and the Via della Costa represent two interesting possibilities. Although very different in terms of their characteristics and development, both routes allow you to discover the territory step by step. The Sentiero Liguria runs along the entire Ligurian coastline, while the Via della Costa offers a multi-day itinerary through Western Liguria, connecting the French border with the Genoa area and forming part of the wider network of walking routes leading towards Santiago de Compostela.

Sentiero Liguria: a long walk through the region

The Sentiero Liguria is a hiking route that accompanies travellers along the Ligurian coast, from Lerici to Ventimiglia, alternating sections by the sea with routes through the hinterland. It is not necessary to tackle the entire route in one go: one of its most interesting features is the possibility of choosing individual stages and creating customised itineraries based on the time available and your level of fitness. Walking along the route, you encounter some of the most representative landscapes of Liguria: small harbours, headlands, terraced farmland, olive groves, historic villages and ancient mule tracks. In Western Liguria, the route takes on particularly interesting characteristics. Between Sanremo, Ospedaletti, Bordighera, Ventimiglia and the villages of the nearby hinterland, the landscape constantly changes and the Mediterranean often remains the main reference point along the walk.

Via della Costa: the walking route through Western Liguria

The Via della Costa is one of the most significant walking routes for those who want to cross Liguria on foot following a structured itinerary divided into several stages. The route traditionally starts in Ventimiglia, on the border with France, and continues eastwards through the Riviera di Ponente and the Ligurian territory until reaching Genoa. The route crosses very different environments: the sea and coastal towns, but also the hills of the hinterland, woods, terraced countryside and small historic centres. It is a journey that allows you to discover a different side of Liguria, away from the better-known tourist routes.

Walking among olive trees, dry-stone walls and the sea

One of the most characteristic elements of Ligurian walking routes is the landscape shaped by people. The terraced olive groves, dry-stone walls, ancient mule tracks and cultivated terraces tell the story of centuries of agriculture in a territory where flat land has always been limited. In Western Liguria, Taggiasca olive trees dominate the landscape, together with vineyards and other Mediterranean crops. Walking among the terraces gives you a better understanding of the deep relationship between the land, agriculture and local communities. And then there is the sea. Along many sections of the route, the Mediterranean suddenly appears through the vegetation or at the end of a climb, creating some of the most beautiful views of the entire journey.

A slow journey through the Riviera dei Fiori

Walking these routes also means changing the way you experience the Riviera dei Fiori: instead of reaching a destination, visiting it quickly and moving on, walkers slowly cross the territory and have the opportunity to observe it from a different perspective, allowing them to perceive its changes. Along the way, you also encounter bridges, ancient roads, churches, vineyards, olive groves and viewpoints that would be difficult to discover if travelling only by car. It is a form of slow tourism particularly suited to those who want to get to know Liguria through its landscapes and the life of its small towns and villages.

Sentiero Liguria or Via della Costa?

The two routes can be considered complementary: the Sentiero Liguria is interesting for those who want to choose individual stages and combine hiking with stays in different locations across the region, while the Via della Costa is more suitable for those looking for the experience of a true long-distance walk, organising a multi-day journey with consecutive stages, overnight stays and luggage transfers where necessary. In both cases, it is not essential to be an experienced hiker: difficulty varies depending on the stages and should be assessed by considering elevation gain, distance and trail conditions.