Italy (Genoa/la spezia) June/July?

Planet_Erff

OTF status
Jan 11, 2007
180
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too close for comfort
Bringing a beater board to NW Italy, looks like there's a pulse of 1m windswell every few days. Anyone been this time of year?

Not really intending it to be a surf trip, but will have a car and could be nice to get a session or two in while I'm there...

Thanks for any feedback
 

Bob Dobbalina

Miki Dora status
Feb 23, 2016
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I went to Levanto in the late fall/winter (I want to say November) several years ago.

It was overhead and barreling the night we got there, slightly overhead to head high by mid-morning, then knee high by sunset. It went flat for 10 days. In those 10 days I ate and drank like it was my last moments on earth. Best surf trip ever..Cinque Terre is incredible and you're within a couple hour drive to Pisa, Rome, Florence, and a lot of incredible things in between
 

Maz

Michael Peterson status
May 18, 2004
3,041
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Innzid
Spent three weeks on the Ligurian coast and around Les Lecques (France) in Nov 2009. Surfed 2 out of 3 days and had a blast. Water was still plenty warm for a shitty 3/2.

Varazze has the most perfect man-made reef, and it works in next to no swell and picks up anything. Barrels at shoulder high and up. Got fun waves at the rivermouth in Finale Ligure.

At Les Lecques I surfed solid (well OH) waves at the main beach, and perfect, small point waves at Cap St Louis.

I'd look at the synop charts, and there was nothing to produce swell, I thought, but a 15-20kt SSE flow up along Italy produced heaps. The Med is super deep, and there's zero continental shelf.

Oh, and the food and living in general is excellent.
 
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grapedrink

Duke status
May 21, 2011
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A Beach
Bringing a beater board to NW Italy, looks like there's a pulse of 1m windswell every few days. Anyone been this time of year?

Not really intending it to be a surf trip, but will have a car and could be nice to get a session or two in while I'm there...

Thanks for any feedback
Do you have EU citizenship?
 
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Planet_Erff

OTF status
Jan 11, 2007
180
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too close for comfort
Do you have EU citizenship?
EU Residency (Green card equivalent basically.) No citizenship yet but it's in the works.

Thanks guys for the stories / suggestions. These spots sound promising (although after spending the past couple years battling legions of rabid surf euros for 35 degree windslop, I know if I do find surf here I won't be alone)

After a very long drive through Germany, Switzerland (probably the most stunning drive I've ever done from Lucerne to the Italian border), here in Italy now.

It's flat but who cares. So beautiful here.

Just went on a boat tour w/ the mrs. through Cinque Terre. The coastal drive from La Spezia to our little departure port was amazing. Steep green valleys with nearly vertical terraced vineyards feeding down into rocky coves occasionally fringed with picturesque pastel Italian villages.

Very few tourists, but a surprising number of Italians out and about, mostly masked up. Just one other couple on the boat with us.

After surfing only in the brackish Baltic the past 6 months, the water here felt especially salty. Had a fun little snorkel/swim session midway through the tour, meandered through one of the boat-access towns, had some local wine & pasta, and called it a night.

This region is magic.
 

grapedrink

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May 21, 2011
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EU Residency (Green card equivalent basically.) No citizenship yet but it's in the works.

Thanks guys for the stories / suggestions. These spots sound promising (although after spending the past couple years battling legions of rabid surf euros for 35 degree windslop, I know if I do find surf here I won't be alone)

After a very long drive through Germany, Switzerland (probably the most stunning drive I've ever done from Lucerne to the Italian border), here in Italy now.

It's flat but who cares. So beautiful here.

Just went on a boat tour w/ the mrs. through Cinque Terre. The coastal drive from La Spezia to our little departure port was amazing. Steep green valleys with nearly vertical terraced vineyards feeding down into rocky coves occasionally fringed with picturesque pastel Italian villages.

Very few tourists, but a surprising number of Italians out and about, mostly masked up. Just one other couple on the boat with us.

After surfing only in the brackish Baltic the past 6 months, the water here felt especially salty. Had a fun little snorkel/swim session midway through the tour, meandered through one of the boat-access towns, had some local wine & pasta, and called it a night.

This region is magic.
Awesome mang! Was supposed to be in Sardinia 2 weeks ago :cry:
 
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grapedrink

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May 21, 2011
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Too bad :( I've been eyeing Sardinia on windy.com while here, looks like they get quite a bit of rideable surf even in these slow months!
Yeah it's a bummer, but oh well, that's life I guess. The beaches and archeological sites are enough for an awesome trip on their own, and if there happens to be good waves too . . . . :alien:
 
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One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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33.8N - 118.4W
Did you got to Italy from the US? I'm wondering if orphan the EU closes its borders to travelers from the USA.

Anyways, I've travelled that coast a few times. My advice would be to eat lots of seafood. I had some of the best seafood ever in that area (Portovenere comes to mind- we ordered a antipasto di mare and it ws so good we ordered it three times and skipped dinner). But since you're there you've probably figured that out by now.
 

Planet_Erff

OTF status
Jan 11, 2007
180
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too close for comfort
Did you got to Italy from the US? I'm wondering if orphan the EU closes its borders to travelers from the USA.

Anyways, I've travelled that coast a few times. My advice would be to eat lots of seafood. I had some of the best seafood ever in that area (Portovenere comes to mind- we ordered a antipasto di mare and it ws so good we ordered it three times and skipped dinner). But since you're there you've probably figured that out by now.
Drove from elsewhere in the EU

Can't get here from the US currently I believe

Good advice re: seafood - food overall has been insane. Some other random highlights: I'm not a fashion nut but Gucci Garden in Florence was a really cool look at the brand's history and self-created mythology. Did a nice hike in Cinque Terra via airbnb experiences, ending in a clifftop winery. Marble quarry at Carrara was impressive. Lots of cool independent sculptors shop setups on the way up there too. Swimming at the Portovenere Lord Byron cove underneath the castle ruins was fun at night.

Got some fun waves today actually. 1m swell had more size/punch than I expected at Levanto. Not too crowded and a few spots spread out on the beach. Neat to see a little surf town in the midst of everything else to do here. This place is amazing.
 
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Planet_Erff

OTF status
Jan 11, 2007
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too close for comfort
Yeah it's a bummer, but oh well, that's life I guess. The beaches and archeological sites are enough for an awesome trip on their own, and if there happens to be good waves too . . . . :alien:
The place definitely looks worth visiting for sure. Any suggestions?

I remember a long time ago a Surfer mag article with Donavan (iirc) getting great waves there...

Ever been to Corsica? Looks like it's been getting some swell also. Seeing a lot of cars with "Corsica Ferry" stickers nearby.
 

grapedrink

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May 21, 2011
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The place definitely looks worth visiting for sure. Any suggestions?

I remember a long time ago a Surfer mag article with Donavan (iirc) getting great waves there...

Ever been to Corsica? Looks like it's been getting some swell also. Seeing a lot of cars with "Corsica Ferry" stickers nearby.
I've never been, would've been my first trip to Italy. Had a rough itinerary laid out (non surf trip) with a bunch of beaches and historical sites. Was planning to fly into the south (Cagliari) then head up north, and was going to at least do a day trip to Corsica (Bonifacio). If I am able to go in summer 2021, I will probably go into Corsica and return to the US from there via Nice or another city.

No idea about specific surf spots, although I'm sure that the exposed west facing beaches have potential.
 
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