Chiavari – Where The Waves Pound

On the beautiful Ligurian coast, about a half an hour train ride from Moneglia, is  the rather large town Chiavari. This is a port town with a large number of boats, which it is probably more noted for, than its beaches.

If you meander your way to the lungomare from the train station and sit on any one of the many benches the city has provided, you will hear the surf pounding the rocks. After a short while, you will probably wonder if this would be a city at all without the large rocks and jetties that protect it, and you would probably be right. This city directly faces the Ligurian and Mediterranean Seas and takes their full force when they are angry.

A City Of Porticos

Like Turin, this medieval city was built in the 13th century and contains many portico, upon which buildings were erected and the residents below were protected from the elements. It has a population of roughly twenty-five to twenty-eight thousand residents, depending on what figures you trust.

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The city also sports a very nice piazza where the daily market is held. We had gotten there just after they had finished for the day and were in the process of cleaning up.

The city is repleat with stores and high-end shops in the historic part, so there is plenty of places to window-shop or even take in the typical afternoon caffe. Here are a few last views of this city that we took along the way while strolling its streets with our guest for the day.

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In order to get to Chiavari from Moneglia, a change of trains is in order in Sestri Levante. Though we had a short wait, around twelve minutes, it did not lengthen our trip too much. Therefore, this city currently is part of the Savona to Sestri Levante trainline, which may change in the future if more travel restrictions are lifted, so always go to the TrennItalia website for up to date information.

Pizzeria Il Ciocco

Probably one of the best surprises of the day was the Pizzeria Il Ciocco. After a larger than normal lunch in Chiavari, we were looking for something quick, and on the lighter side. We decided on pizza and found this little place a hundred meters down the street.

The owner’s son speaks very good English, so we were able to order easily and learn it is a true mom-and-pop shop. Since 1997 they have been making pizza in Moneglia the old fashion way, using the traditional wood fire method and secret recipies. What other way is there to make real pizza in Italy?

All I can say is it was fantastic. This place is high on our list to revisit, and I am not even a real pizza fan. I am afraid if my son Dana comes in here he may never leave.