Finale Ligure, Liguria

Famed for its white sand beaches and dramatic sea views, the Ligurian resort of Finale Ligure is popular with sun-seekers – and also with cyclists, of both the on-road and off-road variety…

Finale Ligure, veduta.

In stark contrast to the lazy days and white linen lifestyle of the French Riviera just a few miles down the road from here, the Italian Riviera town of Finale Ligure is something of a cycling mecca, with easy to access bike hire in town (indeed, driving here is sometimes more hassle than it’s worth, with the town’s narrow streets and almost unintelligible one-way system) and some challenging mountain bike courses out of town, particularly around the famous Rock of Caprazoppa, a steep limestone outcrop to the southwest of town. The nearest airports are at Genoa and Nice. From Genoa there is a direct train service, from Nice you have to change at Ventimiglia. You don’t have to search very hard on YouTube to find plenty of videos that will give you a sense of what it’s like to cycle round here. Yes, it gets hot in summer, but it’s not as hot as some parts of Italy – and the sea breezes help keep you cool.