Wonderful, very scenic trek from Camogli to Punta Chiappa via San Rocco. Also doable with children.
The entire trek is 7 km long and has an elevation gain of 300 meters.
Trekking Camogli – San Rocco – Punta Chiappa: the route
The trail begins in Camogli at Via San Bartolomeo (20m a.s.l.): go past the Carabinieri station and take the paved road that runs alongside the Gentile stream. There are parking lots along this first stretch, but these are reserved for residents.
The marker to follow is identified by two red stickers.
Just before the detour (on the left) that leads to the trail sign, there is a small park with exercise equipment.
This first part of the trail winds along a stepped mule track (it is about 900 steps), passing through olive groves, typical Ligurian houses and dry stone walls.
It is about 45 minutes of continuous ascent that leads to the locality of San Rocco di Camogli (220 m a.s.l.), directly on the churchyard of the Church of San Rocco.
Already here the view of Camogli Bay is spectacular, and it is worth taking a break to admire the scenery and rest before resuming the trail to Punta Chiappa.
➠ If you need to buy lunch, you will find a bakery in San Rocco.
From San Rocco to Punta Chiappa
From the esplanade, continue by taking the path to the right (Via Mortola), marked by the sign with directions to Punta Chiappa. Trail markers two red squares.
You pass the Bar dei Muagetti and after a very short while, you come to another fork in the road: again, the path we are interested in is on the right and begins with a striking flight of steps that winds among olive and lemon trees. Here you can count about 1,000 steps.
The sign indicates 45 minutes and that is how long it took us to arrive at our destination.
About fifteen minutes after leaving, we come upon the medieval Romanesque church of San Nicolò Capodimonte, erected in the 12th century.
After a short stop sitting on the benches in the churchyard (from which there is a fabulous view of the sea), continue down some more steps downhill until you reach the small fishing village of Porto Pidocchio, where boats dock and where there is a restaurant, open in fine weather.
Continuing along the path, you can also find a fishmonger’s that serves fresh fish.
Continuing for another 10 minutes, you will finally reach Punta Chiappa (3 m above sea level).
Trekking at Punta Chiappa with children
The trek to Punta Chiappa starting from Camogli is a fantastic scenic trek that, despite being sheer above the sea, has no exposed sections and is entirely doable even with children.
Only the last stretch, at the very end of Punta Chiappa, the rock is cracked in some places and care must be taken that the child does not jump in, otherwise it is passable without any danger.
The steps are numerous so the advice is to go there a little bit practiced even though they are mostly low steps that even small children can climb.
➲ If children are small or untrained, the whole trek can become very exhausting: in this case we recommend driving to San Rocco di Camogli and parking it in one of the paid parking lots in the area.
From there it is only a few minutes’ walk to the churchyard of San Rocco.
What to do in Punta Chiappa and when to go
At Punta Chiappa you can sunbathe and swim in the warm season. The water is crystal clear because that stretch of coast is all rocky.
These waters are home to a variety of marine species such as groupers, amberjacks, and sea bream, which are caught and served on the table by local restaurants.
The trek to Punta Chiappa can be done year-round except perhaps in the warmer months, although it remains quite shady.
Trekking Camogli – San Rocco- Punta Chiappa: the return
There are three solutions for returning from the trek to Punta Chiappa:
walk the outward path backwards (count an extra half hour to walk the 1000 steps uphill);
take the boat from Porto Pidocchio to Camogli;
walk the path marked by the 3 red dots that is located just before Porto Pidocchio (starting from Punta Chiappa). This path, marked by a sign, begins with a steep flight of steps and in about an hour connects to the Batterie path: from here it will take another 40 minutes to return to San Rocco.
N.B. The trail that connects to the Batterie trail is very steep and does not have a well-defined trail; not recommended with children.
Tips
You will be able to find a drinking water fountain just before you get to the Capodimonte Church.
If you decide to make the trek to Punta Chiappa in the summer, you might want to bring your swimsuit (and mask) to take a dip in these very clear waters!
If you want to stop for a seafood meal at one of the restaurants you will find along the way, it is worth inquiring beforehand because almost all of them are open only in the warm season.
To take a break during the trek to Punta Chiappa or for an aperitif at sunset time, we recommend Bar dei Muagetti in San Rocco.
Trekking Camogli – San Rocco – Punta Chiappa: how to get there
To find out how to get to Camogli and where to park, you can take a look at this article.
If you want to get directly to San Rocco di Camogli by car, thus shortening the route, you can leave it in one of the several free and paid parking lots in the area. Do not put your car outside the lines and do not enter the center of San Rocco if the ZTL zone is active because the police officers pass by frequently and fine mercilessly.
If you want to take the boat from Camogli to Porto Pidocchio, you can check out this website for the schedule and all other information.
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