San Bartolomeo al Mare is good biking country as the roads behind it are quiet. You can ride up to Riva Faraldi and if you are used to mountain terrain on to La Colla and back to the coast via Diano San Pietro to Diano Marina.
Don’t be put off by the start of this ride that goes through a scrubby area under the motorway. It is a 21km round trip. Alternatively, you can go from Diano Marina to La Colla then take the road up to Camporotondo.
The road winds over the mountains offering fabulous views as you cycle through Diano Arentino and Diano Gorlei on your way back to Diano Marina. It is a circuit of 30km and is one for bikers who like to stretch themselves to the extreme. Diano Arentino has a lovely live nativity scene if you are here on Christmas Eve.
If you fancy a walk, take the first downhill path on the right just past the parking lot above Cervo old town. It leads to Il Ciapa, a communal park. There are picnic tables and a children’s playground. The walk takes you through some classic maquis shrubland back to the coast at Cassette. It is an easy walk of under an hour.
Alternatively, you can walk on up to Castellareto where there are some prehistoric ruins and lovely views. This part of the path is known for its orchids. If you want to take a longer hike from here, the path goes up to the Colle di Cervo, 324m above sea level, and winds back to the coast to San Nicola, a walk of about 3 hours.
For more on things to do in Liguria, take a look at our award-winning Liguria guide, the only standalone guide to the region.
