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Alla spiaggia: that shall be the motto for today’s post. Or, to use Henry V as our interpreter: once more onto the beach my friends, once more.

"On to the beach with Easy Hiker"

This is a seasonal post. But you can do this walk at all times of the year, of course. The trail will not be closed down at the end of September.

But I am sure that most of you who will visit the Riviera over the next few weeks will do so with at least one eye on its beaches.

You will be therefore be happy to know that there is a way of combining the French Riviera’s three most popular outings: a trip to the beach, a hop across the border to Italy, and a first taste of the charms of Monaco.

Okay, you may not physically set foot on Monegasque territory during the walk. But I can guarantee that you will have plenty of time to enjoy what is best about the principality: its view from afar, which hardly disappears from view during the entire walk.

"the way on to the beach in the Calandre"

All of this comes wrapped in the package of a short and easy hike: one that takes you to one of the Italian Riviera’s most celebrated beaches and that provides a first class introduction into the beauties of the Mediterranean landscape.

Do I have your attention? Good.

So on to the beach, my friends!

From Ventimiglia station – which is the final stop of the regional French trains that run up and down the coast from Cannes to Italy – walk across the Roya river on your right hand side into Ventimiglia’s Old Town on the hill.

"Ventimiglia old town"

Whether you are choosing the direct route up …

"going down from Ventimiglia old town"

… or opt to take your time, combining today’s walk with a longer walk through the Old Town, the important thing is to get to the Porta Nizza on the far side of Ventimiglia Alta, the town gate that faces west.

"alla spiaggia, on to the beach once more"

Now you must walk down the street in front of you and turn left on the off-road slope before the Forte Annunziata, a former Genovese fortress which now serves as the home of Ventimiglia’s municipal museum.

"On to the beach my friends"

What follows is a short 30-minute walk that packs a lot of interesting features with everything that makes the local landscape so interesting:

Views of the big blue of the Mediterranean, …

"On to the beach my friends"

… rocky cliffs …

"On to the beach my friends"

… and interesting vegetation.

Add to that, for spice and flavour, some elements of local colour …

… and a little dose of urban rough. (When they are finished working, this will be a new yacht harbour.)  

You may even go for a bit of forest bathing before taking a bath in the sunshine and the sea.

At the end of the walk, you will reach Calandre beach, a firm local favourite which has just received an award as one of the best two beaches on the western stretch of the Italian Riviera (the other one is in Sanremo) …

… and which offers a view that reaches deep into France.

The walk may be short but there is a lot to see. Overall, it is not significantly less rewarding than the more celebrated promenades of Monaco, Antibes and Genoa.

Access to the beach is free, something which is not self-evident in Italy. Like most public beaches in Italy, however, Calandre does not provide much in terms of infrastructure, although just before the beach itself you will pass a small wooden hut that serves cold drinks and snacks. (It is also equipped with customer toilets.)

We recommend to come early, to leave early and to walk back to Ventimiglia for lunch.

Two tips: if you are in a hurry, go to the Panetteria Mondino on 38 Via Roma in the centre of the modern New Town for its savoury mini pizzas, tomato paste and olives on fluffy dough that comes straight and warm from the oven. (Three mini-pizzas make a good snack. The Mondino also has other stuff, but the mini pizzas are the stars of the show.)

Or, if you have set your heart on a “proper“ Italian pizza, go to Le Due Palme on Via Papa Giovanni XXIII (a 10 minute walk from the town centre) for their specialty, the fabled one-metre-long pizza (on which you may combine up to three varieties from the menu).

This is generally big enough for a family of four. Two adults cannot finish it, but the staff will wrap it for you in a take-away box if you ask nicely. Please note, however, that – outside of the high season – the Due Palme is evenings-only and open for lunch only on Fridays (Ventimiglia’s street market day).

On to the Beach!

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