Heading to the far west: Sanremo to Ventimiglia

Leaving the port of Sanremo, we move around the south pier passing in front of the Forte di Santa Tecla, following the beach protected by breakwater cliffs and brush. In the backdrop you can catch a glimpse of the former railway station, the Russian church, and the famous Casino. Then we start the last stretch of the Riviera di Ponente, heading to the border with France, to Ventimiglia.

In the first stretch, the bike path remains parallel to us and will accompany us to Ospedaletti. From here, you can paddle along the Pallanca botanical garden, a realm of succulent plants, the tourist marina of Bordighera, up to Cape Sant’Ampelio, the southernmost point of Liguria. Paddling west, we pass Vallecrosia with its beach protected by breakwaters, just behind the Guglielmo Marconi promenade, we then cross the mouth of the Nervia River until the Ventimiglia coastline comes into view, at the border with the French town of Menton.

It’s the end of our journey, and it’s a beautiful conclusion: we cross the mouth of the Roja River, which descends from the valley of the same name. In front of us, there’s the Forte dell’Annunziata, perched on the sea at Punta Rocca, and then Capo Mortola, home to the Hanbury Gardens. You can continue to the Balzi Rossi Beach, where in the second half of the 19th century, numerous artifacts were discovered, mostly dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period.