Cogoleto

At one time, this town was dominated by five watchtowers and closed in to the east by a castle, which was demolished in the early nineteenth century to make way for the construction of a road. The parish church of Santa Maria took its place.

Other religious buildings of historical and artistic significance are the churches of San Sebastiano, San Bernardo and Sant'Ermete.

The former psychiatric hospital of Prato Zanino contains a fresco by Gino Grimaldi. The San Lorenzo Oratory is the center of the local feast of the patron saint, which takes place on 10 August every year. This is when you can taste "frisceu", fried specialties with potatoes and stuffed aubergines.

Cogoleto is one of the Ligurian towns claiming to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus: a plaque in the town center marks the place where he was supposedly born.

"Alternative" itineraries to those which concentrate on seagoing traditions include the Agricultural Museum, which exhibits old tools and furnishings, as well as the old eighteenth-century furnaces which are an interesting example of industrial architecture.

Monte Beigua (1287 metres), the Ligurian Appennine, dominates the hinterland. It can be reached on foot or by mountain bike by means of a path which begins at Sciarborasca and crosses a large part of Beigua Park and also crosses the higher part of Via dei Monti Liguri.

There are many excellent sports facilities, including two tennis courts, two football pitches, a rugby pitch, an athletics track, a riding school and a free-climbing gym.