Boccadasse

Boccadasse is a small cove of coloured houses at the eastern edge of Genoa, once a separate fishing settlement and now inside the city, reached along the Corso Italia promenade in about half an hour on foot from the centre. Boats are still drawn up on the pebbles and the houses crowd the tiny beach on three sides. The name is usually explained as bocca d'asino, donkey's mouth, from the shape of the inlet. It is a standard evening walk for Genoese, particularly for gelato, and the singer Gino Paoli, long associated with the city, has helped keep it in the local imagination.

History

The origin of the name is uncertain, and one of the more reliable explanations links it to the shape of the bay. An old legend says the village was founded around the year 1000 by Spanish fishermen who sheltered in the bay during a storm (Wikipedia, Boccadasse).

Highlights

• The pebble cove - boats pulled up on a beach hemmed by houses.
• The coloured houses - a fishing village enclosed by the modern city.
• The Corso Italia walk - a seafront promenade from central Genoa.
• The evening gelato - a long-standing local ritual on the cove.

When to go

April to October; summer evenings are the busiest and most atmospheric. The walk from the centre is pleasant in mild weather. Winter storms can wash the beach.

What to expect

The beach is small, stony and packed on summer evenings. Parking nearby is very difficult. It is a short visit, essentially one cove.

Nearby

Genoa's centre lies west; Nervi's parks are further east.

Key facts