Fancy a swim in the sea? From Milan it’s easy to reach Liguria, riding through pretty Val D’Aveto!
Here below you find the details of our route from Milan to Moneglia, in case you want to try it too. It took us three days, including an afternoon of relax on the beach, but it’s a tour that can be done easily in two days, or for the most fanatic even in just one… But this is not our travel philosophy. We like to ride, but also to stop and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. Have fun!
DAY 1 MILANO/LOCALITÀ CARATTA MARUFFI (PC): 97km/240m D+
We left Milan riding the cycle path of Pavese canal. The path is flat and runs along the canal all the way to the centre of charming Pavia, where you have to take a photo of the ancient Covered Bridge. On the road don’t miss to visit the beautiful Certosa di Pavia (morning opening 9:00 / 11:30). Once you leave Pavia, after crossing Ponte della Becca, immediately take the Ciclovia del Po, which runs along the dirt bank of the river. Riding along some little country roads we then reached Castel San Giovanni and Borgonovo Val Tidone, with its beautiful fortress. In the Piacenza countryside, in Castelbosco, we discovered a very interesting museum that has a curious name: Museo della Merda (literally Shit Museum) just before arriving at Trebbia River. To get to Caratta, where we spent the night at Locanda dei Melograni, cross the river on the Canneto Sotto bridge, which delivers a beautiful view of Rivalta Castle. The Locanda was a very pleasant discovery!
DAY 2 CARATTA MARUFFI/BORZONASCA (GE): 94KM/1.100M D+
We crossed again the bridge to ride on the right side of River Trebbia. The road is very scenic till Travo. Then you have to continue along the busy SS45 on the left side of Trebbia, that however is very wide and flat. Bobbio is the perfect place for a break and a walk in the beautiful medieval center. Continue 10km on SS45, which becomes more pleasant and less busy, up to Marsaglia, where you start to climb towards Rezzoaglio. Val d’Aveto amazed us for its beauty and for the little traffic, just a lovely ride! There are 42km to reach the Forcella Pass are 42 km, then it’s almost all downhill to Chiavari. We decided to stop and sleep in the curious B&B Casa Balsamo in Borzonasca, but you can reach easily the sea the same day.
DAY 3 BORZONASCA/MONEGLIA: 46KM/400m D+
Ride downhill to Chiavari, where you have to stop for a walk in the beautiful center and eat the traditional focaccia. Then cycle along the sea to Sestri Levante, where the panoramic climb on Bracco hill begins (follow the signs for Trigoso). If you want to reach Moneglia faster, you could opt for the flat gallery… But you’d miss one of the most scenic parts of the journey. It’s a 7 km climb to get to the top, but then you are rewarded with an incredible descent overlooking the sea towards Moneglia.At this point you can decide whether to return immediately by train or enjoy an afternoon at the beach. We opted for the second solution and returned the next day ;).
