The seaside cycle path, from Imperia toward Sanremo

If there's one thing I always suggest to anyone who asks me "what should we do tomorrow?", it's a ride on the cycle path. Let me be honest: when it comes to bikes, I'm the last person to hold up as an example, and the ride isn't really my ritual. But it's one of those things that smell of family, and Emma loves it. Not the serious-cyclist kind in tight shorts, mind you. The easy kind, where you stop three times for an ice cream and once because your daughter has spotted a crab. It's flat, it runs along the sea, and you basically can't take a wrong turn.

The path comes from a simple, brilliant idea: in 2001 they moved the railway further inland, into tunnels, and the old coastal track was left there, empty, with that view everyone used to glance at from the train for two seconds before it was gone. Instead of letting it rot, they paved it and turned it into a cycling and walking route. The official name is the Parco Costiero della Riviera dei Fiori, but around here everyone calls it Area 24, after the twenty-four kilometres of the original stretch between Ospedaletti and San Lorenzo al Mare. The first section opened in 2008, and over the years they completed it.

The real news, the reason I'm writing this now, is that on 12 April 2025 they finally opened the Imperia stretch. It's about nine kilometres crossing the city and linking up with the existing path: the last bit, three kilometres, connects the Borgo Prino district to the old Porto Maurizio station. In plain terms: today you set off practically from home, from Imperia, and reach Sanremo riding on the flat the whole way, never having to poke your nose out among the cars. A good thirty kilometres of coast in one go. For someone like me who lived twenty years here, used to the narrow, busy Aurelia road, being able to cycle it with my little girl up front and not hold my breath is still a small wonder.

The path runs right at the sea's edge on the old railway bed, always on the flat

What the kids love most are the tunnels. They're the old railway ones, carved into the rock, and you go in when it's thirty degrees outside and after ten metres you want a sweatshirt. They're lit, so no pitch dark, but I'll be honest with you: one in particular, just after San Lorenzo al Mare, is over a kilometre long and quite damp, being so close to the sea. I love that sudden coolness; Emma loves shouting to hear the echo. If you're going with small children who are scared of the dark, just know it in advance, but with the lighting and the bike lamps it's never actually a problem.

One of the old railway tunnels, carved into the rock and lit: cool inside even in summer

The nice part is you don't have to do the whole thing. The path is one continuous ribbon dotted with beaches and coves, and you stop wherever you like. There are equipped lidos with umbrellas, but there are also stretches of rock and little inlets where locals just dive in with a towel and nothing else. We often wear our swimsuits under our clothes and decide on the spot where to jump in. Arma di Taggia, Santo Stefano, Riva Ligure, San Lorenzo: each has its seafront, its kiosk, its focaccia bakery. San Lorenzo al Mare in particular is one of the most scenic points, with the little harbour and the water a couple of steps away.

Now the practical bit, because it's what everyone asks me: where to rent bikes. The good thing, staying with us, is that you don't have to go anywhere: in Oneglia, a short walk from the house, on Lungomare Vespucci there's the Nolobici point at the Parco Urbano. You'll find city bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes (very handy if you're out of shape or have an extra child seat to push) and the gear for little ones, child seats and trailers for those who can't pedal yet, from a few euros an hour. It's a network with several points up to Sanremo, so if you like you can pick up here and drop off elsewhere halfway. And if all you want is a quick spin, at the former Oneglia station there's Bolt, the e-bikes and scooters you unlock with the app. In short: step out of the front door, no car, and you're already in the saddle.

Families on foot and on bikes along the path, bike racks a few steps away and palms on the seafront

A couple of tips from someone who runs into the same things every summer. First: go early in the morning or late afternoon. In August, in the middle of the day, the path fills up and between families, scooters and people walking you're forced to go slow — which is fine with kids, but if you were dreaming of a zen ride, wait for the cooler hours. Second: bring water. There are fountains but not always where you need them, and in full sun the open stretch really bakes. Third, as a software guy who trusts little: now and then a lane gets closed for work on the barriers or for maintenance, so if you're planning the outing, check the town council's channels beforehand so you don't hit a surprise detour.

The good news is that the path isn't stopping, and eastward the first piece is already real: it's the Incompiuta, the cycle-pedestrian road around Capo Berta that as of a few days ago links Imperia to Diano Marina right along the sea. From there the work continues — San Bartolomeo al Mare, Cervo, all the way to Andora in the Savona province — and once finished the network should reach around forty-five kilometres. If you're around in a few seasons, you'll likely be able to ride all the way to the village of Cervo right along the sea. For now, enjoy what's already there: it's the easiest, cheapest and most kid-friendly outing I know of around here. And if you'd rather a walk without bikes, the lovers' walk from the house is lovely too, another stretch of coast well worth it.