comune di cogoleto

COGOLETO
Cogoleto is a particularly attractive coastal resort and mountaineering centre situated between the crystal clear
Ligurian Sea and a chain of the Apennine Mountains. It is currently the home to about 9000 inhabitants and
covers an area of 24 square kilometres. The mountains rise to a considerable height and they enhance the beauty
and biodiversity of its inland villages, Sciarborasca and Lerca.
This explosive mix of magnificent landscapes, combined with the tastes and scents from both the sea and the
mountains, has led to the creation of the Beigua Nature Park. It takes its name from the highest mountain behind
Cogoleto and is linked to the impressive Mount Rama that helps to protect the town from the chilly north winds,
enabling the area to become a temperate Mediterranean oasis.
Using its natural landscape, the village of Lerca has established a beautiful and challenging 18-hole golf course,
while the adjacent village of Sciarborasca has a famous towering wall of rocks that creates a wonderful and
satisfying experience for all levels of climbers, from beginners to experts, and is used all year round. These areas
are set in the beautiful countryside above and behind Cogoleto and they offer a superb panorama.
Historically Cogoleto was an ancient fishing village, populated mainly by fishermen and by the sailors who
traversed the seas and oceans in search of trade. However, history tells us that it was the birthplace of the first man
to cross the Atlantic Ocean and discover the New World, Cristoforo Colombo, a man who symbolised the ocean
pioneering spirit of this small town. Cogoleto proudly maintains the house where he was born and it is an
important feature of cultural tours for both residents and tourists who can enjoy both their holiday and use their
spare time in a quality way.
The old village was built along the route of the famous via Aurelia, the very first ancient Roman road; this road
has been well preserved and today is practically intact. The added value of the town lies in its constant animation,
true testimony to the colourful old centre that continues to be its beating heart and which acts like a powerful
magnet for tourists and casual visitors who come from all over. This activity is at its most intense, obviously,
during the summer period when the old pedestrian-only streets are lit up and vibrant with a variety of activities
both day and night; but this vibrancy, in fact, spans beyond these months.
The 20th Century saw the intensive development of local industry, but by the end of the century these industries
had fallen into rapid decline.
Cogoleto was being transformed into the beautiful tourist attraction that it has now become. The wide beaches are
popular for bathing and the road and rail services put them within easy reach. In addition, other attractions have
been developed to promote tourism; the combination of sea and mountains encourages “contact with nature”, and
there are also many buildings of historic interest. Among them, the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, in the
ancient Oratorio di San Lorenzo built in 1200, where precious works of the artist Gino Grimaldi are housed, the
Sarasin Tower in Lerca and the old farmhouse in Sciarborasca. All this is complemented by the local cuisine
found in the many restaurants around the town and surrounding villages, and then there are the pubs and wine bars
which contribute to making a lively town centre.
Today the Cogoleto coast has no rivals, particularly as it boasts the longest stretch of beach between Genoa and
Savona.
The waters are often transparent and on the seabed, just a few meters from the shore, there are many meadows of
Posidonia Oceanica (commonly known as Neptune grass or sea grass), where many species of fish thrive and
where snorkelling is popular and easy for everyone, especially for beginners.
Like a bridal ribbon, the new palm tree lined promenade provides access to the numerous free and private beaches
that decorate the Cogoleto coastline, and together with the new Cycle Path, it provides a continuous link, through
the beautifully refurbished 19th Century railway track and tunnels, to the neighbouring towns of Varazze and
Arenzano.
Cogoleto is ahead of many other Ligurian towns, and maybe some Italian cities too, with the quality of the local
welfare system and the services that it provides to residents and visitors.
They make a big difference to the quality of life for everyone; personal services for the elderly, home assistance,
public pharmacies, the caring for and maintenance of its heritage and public parks and the many sporting activities
and clubs together with numerous cultural and touristic events.
Great attention is also paid to environmental issues with high levels of differential waste collection and recycling.
All these activities lead to the development of “social capital”.